Pink and Green and Tangled Pebbles

In the animated movie Up (released in 2009) Carl, the central character who is retired and in his late seventies, turns his house into a makeshift airship using helium balloons. While the movie fantasies escaping from life when it becomes too irritating, I was impressed by the absolute visual bonanza of colors of the helium balloons!

That overlay of balloon colors inspired me to create Tangled Runners, the acrylic on canvas abstract painting consisting of four balloon-style colors; red, yellow, green, and pink. My goal was to create a light and lively abstract scene that uplifts the spirit of the viewer, in this case, you!

When I unveiled the finished painting to my wife, I was startled by her initial vigorous response, “Oh, pink and green!”

My wife is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated (ZΦB) one of the HBCU divine nine sororities. The colors of ZΦB are Royal Blue and White, symbolizing authority, trust, and confidence. Her “ pink and green” commentary was in response to the colors of another divine nine sorority that includes US Vice President Kamala Harris as a member, namely, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated (AKA). And she went on to exclaim, “well now you have to create a painting that includes my Zeta colors!”

When I created Tangled Runners, it had not dawned on me that two of the four colors I selected would elicit such a strong reaction from her. Inspired by the balloons in the movie Up, my goal was simply to create a lively abstract scene that uplifts the spirit of the viewer! This was no political statement or social commentary! I assured her that the actual AKA colors (Salmon Pink and Apple Green) are not within Tangled Runners. For example, the true salmon color mixes pink with a touch of orange and is just on the lighter side of coral (another light pinkish color). Nevertheless, she now directed me to create another “uplifting” painting that would have to feature the colors of ZΦB. So, to also keep the household light and lively, I created an acrylic on canvas abstract painting Pebbles shortly thereafter.

Both (AKA and ZΦB ) abstract paintings have one thing in common. They required that I color inside the lines. Therefore, my next abstract acrylic painting, Pirate Times, bucks that conventional rule.

So, free your eyes and imagination to explore the shapes and colors in these abstract scenes and visualize four tangled runners, a bed of pebbles, and a pirate’s world!

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