Carlyle Wolfe in Her Own Words

David Lusk Gallery | 30 Jul 2019

FULL BOUQUET

Three of the paintings in this exhibition are based on a color experience in the gardens at the Dixon last fall that I found spectacular.

warm, late afternoon light + goldening foliage + deep neutral violet grasses + zinnia gradients from oranges to pinks to violets + warm white fragrant roses + cypress olive greens + soft coral angel trumpets

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On the way, Thad and I stopped by DLG Memphis. I was wowed by the precise pitch of shifting fall violets, greens, and oranges in a Mary Sims painting (Untitled 29095) that was hanging on the entry wall of the gallery. In my studio, I was just beginning a fall painting, and then, David and I talked about a summer 2019 show in Nashville. All of these factors made me especially attentive to new color ideas when we arrived at the Dixon.

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Thad enjoyed taking photos.
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I went back a few days later and made an oil on paper study.
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The colors that most caught my attention weren't necessarily in the same frame. When I made this collection of swatches, I was interested in recording a limited selection of colors that felt like the whole.
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Small studies help along the way, too. These tracked warmer and cooler interpretations of the fall garden at the Dixon.
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The colors in Hot Lavender are similar to the colors in Fall Garden, but the proportions are significantly different - with an emphasis on violets in Hot Lavender.

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A series of in-progress images... These photos sometimes help me make decisions for later layers, sometimes help me solve problems or remember processes, but I also enjoy recording the temporary stages of the paintings, the activity.
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Hot Lavender / 4' x 5' / Oil on Panel / 2019

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Angel Trumpets are native to tropical regions of South America but are now extinct in the wild - existing only in cultivation.
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Angel Trumpets was the last painting that I finished ahead of the show. My first attempt had gotten away from me, so I mixed all of the paint before I started the second try. For the first time ever, I had exactly enough.
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Angel Trumpets / 36" x 51" / Gouache on Paper / 2019

All images are courtesy of Thad Lee.

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