An upside down artwork
Week 8's colours are Brick Red, Heather, Green Buff & Burnt Umber
Things are a bit unsettled and topsy turvey in the world so this week I’m sharing a painting that was once sold upside down at auction, with a title to match the perceived image.
Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) is the artist who painted this landscape that was sold after his death. A founder of Synthetism and a controversial figure (to put it mildly), Gauguin lived an interesting life from a childhood in Peru to living much of his life in Tahiti where he died of a heart attack. He never studied art and was a sailor, stockbroker and even a labourer on the Panama Canal before taking up painting.
In 1887, Gauguin met Vincent van Gogh in Paris who persuaded him to join him in Arles. They lived together in the Yellow House, sharing expenses, painting together and drinking a lot of absinthe. After a violent argument over painting styles, Gauguin stormed out without saying goodbye and Van Gogh, in a rage, famously severed his ear that same night.
Or did he? Some research says that Gauguin, an accomplished fencer, may have cut Van Gogh’s ear off in self defence!
Whatever the cause, Gauguin and Van Gogh never met again although Gauguin later sent Van Gogh’s mother a painting (‘The Mango Trees, Martinique’) as a gesture of goodwill
Today’s painting, Breton Village under Snow, was shown upside down at an auction in Papeete in 1903 and was sold by the auctioneer as The Niagara Falls.
‘Village breton sous la neige’, oil on canvas, Paul Gauguin, ~1894
Colour Combination
The colours I’ve chosen are Brick Red, Heather, Green Buff & Burnt Umber. Use them together with neutral lights and darks to create an artwork in any medium or style.
As always, I love seeing what you’ve created. If you’re posting on Instagram, please tag #coloricombo and #estemacleod and join us in the private Facebook group Creative Prompts
Live recording
Last weekend I did my first live demo on Substack, the theme was Little Houses, Big Ideas. The aim of this collage-focussed lesson is about finding inspiration from simple sources. Have a look!
I am planning to do more live painting sessions throughout this year and will share more details in coming weeks.
Collage Makers Summit 2025
I'm happy to announce that I’ll be teaching once again on the annual Collage Makers Summit. It’s a virtual gathering of collage artists from around the globe where top instructors share their secrets, insights and techniques, giving students of all levels a chance to step up their skills.
Add your name to my priority list to make sure you’re the first to get all the details of the Summit plus including Early Bird pre-sale pricing of $77, saving $20 on the full price.