This week’s MotD theme: The Color Red
American Impressionist, William Merritt Chase painted this delightful Long Island, New York beach scene. Notice how the large round beach umbrella really stands out against an otherwise calm and subdued looking beach scene; as does the little girl’s red hat, the tasseled pillow, and the child’s pail.
About this painting from the Metropolitan Museum of Art web site:
Beginning in 1891 Chase taught at a summer art school in Shinnecock, Long Island. The following year, he and his family moved into their new summer home, Shinnecock Hall, which had been designed and built by the well-known firm of McKim, Mead and White. Chase taught at the beach resort until 1902, conducting open-air classes for as many as a hundred students each summer. This work is characteristic of the outdoor scenes that Chase painted during the 1890s on Long Island beaches.
Inspiration for Today
William’s beautifully composed painting shows us how just a little bit of red, can bring life and energy to an otherwise ordinary situation. So if we find ourselves coloring a picture with mostly low-key colors, take a chance and add just a little bit of red and watch it come alive.
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