“The craving for color is a natural necessity just as for water and fire. Color is a raw material indispensable to life. At every era of his existence and his history, the human being has associated color with his joys, his actions and his pleasures.” – Fernand Leger

Color has been an informative element throughout the history of art. During the Renaissance, the ultramarine pigment was more expensive than gold, and thus was used in paintings to establish social-class. Contemporary art such as the spot series by Damien Hirst, focuses on the relationship between, and the representation of different colors.

There is a scientific reasoning for how color happens, but this information holds no relevance to humans, who attribute color to their lives in more sentimental ways. People claim ownership over colors by declaring their favorite from a young age. Artist’s declare ownership by manipulating the use of color to create meaning. Whether your favorite color is orange or blue, the wavelengths of light reflecting off of these works are sure to captivate and energize you.

Jean Lahoud

Jean Lahoud, “LM00: A Day’s Work,” Acrylic on Canvas, 47″ x 59″

Jean Lahoud, who is primarily a painter, but also dabbles with photography, believes that a painting should not resemble reality, which is something that “can be easily captured in photos.” Lahoud compares his art to an abstract effect much like a dream. He says, “both are highly imaginative and rich in twisted realism.” His paintings show chaos through various elements, such as his style of brush strokes and his use of an earthy color pallet with random bursts of vibrant colors. Through his painting, Lahoud feels that his art allows him to connect to his deepest inner thoughts and beliefs.

Cindy Parsley

Cindy Parsley, “Breaking Through,” Acrylic on Canvas, 24″ x 20″

From a young age, artist Cindy Parsley, has been fascinated by the relationship between color and nature. Her paintings are brought out through many diverse forms such as “nature, people, and, sometimes, pure emotion,” says Parsley. She is able to capture her inspiration of nature by building up scenes using elements of color and texture to create a sense of atmosphere. Parsley hopes to engage the viewer with “vibrant colors to harmonize and beautify your world” in hopes of bringing out an emotion of “empathy and acceptance” with her audience.

Bimbi Larraburu

Bimbi Larraburu, “Sueños Rotos,” Oil on Canvas, 47.5″ x 39.5″

Argentinian artist Bimbi Larraburu went through careers in Advertising and Architecture before finding an abstract painting workshop and immediately knowing that painting is what she was meant to do. Since then, she has worked to find a way to put the imagined worlds within herself onto her canvas. Not one to shy away from a blank canvas, Larraburu stars by layering colors randomly onto her canvas, then picking out the element that will guide and in the end, complete her work. She says, “the result is always an abstract piece of art where the energy, emotions and colors reflect the creation of my runaway hands while playing with expression.”

Noel Ortiz

Noel Ortiz, “Orange Sky 002,” Acrylic on Canvas, 40″ x 40″

Artist Noel Ortiz used the visionary tools that he has acquired from years of being an engineer, such as perspective and dimension, to create unique abstract landscapes. The vibrant color and built up texture represents “the rapidly changing light of its skies and landscapes.” Through texture and bright colors, Ortiz is able to show the viewer “both real landscapes and imaginary.”

Luz Benavente

Luz Benavente, “Humidity,” Acrylic on Canvas, 39.5″ x 78.5″

Artist Luz Benavente gets much of her inspiration from the nature that surrounds her and wants to recreate the feeling of being under a tree for her viewers. Benavente is able to convey this by layering various materials to create a sense of depth in her abstract pieces. Her color pallet is often based off of the natural colors of decomposing plants and leaves, which also help to create “the sensation of standing in a forest.”

Claude MacBurnie

Claude MacBurnie, “Balloon 6,” Photo Print / Dibond Mount, 59″ x 39.5″

Photographer Claude MacBurnie draws much of his influence from various cultures with many diverse subjects. MacBurnie has traveled around the world photographing subject matter like hot air balloon events, live performances, trade shows, and much more. MacBurnie uses his art form to “capture emotion and beauty” he says, which is brought to life by his use of light and color through the lens.

Carla Negron

Carla Negron, “Flowers,” Mixed Media on Canvas, 30″ x 30″

Painter Carla Negron has been interested in color and her ability “to transform color and balance into art has led to a significant amount of artwork in which I achieve a unique style of my own.” Negron, a Puerto Rican native, gets much of her inspiration from the intense colors of the islands of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. The beautiful, rich tropics inspire her pallet and intense pigment in her pieces. “The influence of the tropical colors of my island is obvious in my work and it gives a beautiful and majestic experience to the spectator,” says Negron.

Ann Drosendahl

Ann Drosendahl, “Lost Lake,” Oil on Canvas, 24″ x 72″

Abstract artist Ann Drosendahl believes that her art work is all about “freedom of the imagination.” Drosendahl considers many of her pieces to be focused around color and mood, which among other elements are Drosendahl’s favorite aspects of abstract art. She chooses to mostly use oil paints for her art work because it is “wonderfully changeable – one can manipulate the paint.” Drosendahl uses a technique for highlighting and reveling colors underneath layers of wet paint by using a rubber-tipped brush. This approach allows Drosendahl to go one step further in bringing out the pigment she desires the viewer to be able to notice.

 

Gretchen Minnhaar

Gretchen Minnhaar, “Dancing in Salzburg II,” Acrylic on Canvas, 36″ x 58″

Gretchen Minnhaar, an artist and architect from Argentina, draws her inspiration by traveling to different cities around the world and tries to “understand the interaction between a city’s buildings and its people, and it’s in this relationship that I find my inspiration.” A city’s energy is what brings her mixture of bright colors to life. “My view of the world is more colorful and more relaxed,” she says. Through her colorful pallet, Minnhaar is able to bring bright settings to life.

Carol Carpenter

Carol Carpenter, “Red Rock,” Giclee Print on Paper, 24″ x 20″

Artist Carol Carpenters sees her art as a way to connect with her viewers’ senses and “heighten the human experience.” Much of Carpenter’s artwork is inspired by different components in nature. Her use of rich color and strong brush strokes have the ability to make simple subject matter have an abstract quality that can prompt insight into the “ever-changing elements and beauty in nature.”