An Essential Color for your Pastel Box

'Undiscovered Beauty'         16.5 x 9.5          pastel         ©Karen Margulis
available $175

When in doubt add some purple. This is advice that I take to heart. I probably have some form of violet in every painting. It comes naturally to me because it happens to be one of my favorite colors. My other favorite is turquoise. But I don't use violet just because I like it....I use it because it just works.

Violet can be a great unifier especially when used in a grayed down muted or neutral form. These gray violets are essential components to a successful landscape. 

• They knit more intense colors together and allow those colors to pop.

• They are great for painting distant trees and mountains. They are essential to create believable depth in a landscape.

• Use a form of violet anytime you are tempted to reach for a gray pastel (made from back and white) 

• Mix vibrant purples with the gray purples for added interest. Spices!

• Essential color for your box? As many violets as you can afford....red violets to blue violets, intense to muted. We can never have too many!

When in doubt use purple!

Of course purple flowers are a natural in the landscape. I love painting any type of purple flowers including lupines, bluebonnets and of course lavender!