Please join in welcoming Doctor, Artist and Author Margot Fass- how does she do it all? In the short time that I have met Margot, I have fallen in love with her courage to intricately mix materials and subjects in her artwork. When I received her email with the images for this post, I was wowed! It brought me back to when I live in Puerto Rico where we love, appreciate and idolized little tiny frogs that sing, they are music to our ears. Today, Margot will be explaining her process for painting with the color green, enjoy!
By Margot Fass
When you think of frogs, what color do you imagine? Green, of course, if you think of the iconographic red-eyed tree frog, one of the species of frogs, which thankfully is not yet endangered or threatened.
When this tiny nocturnal creature sleeps during the day, it is practically invisible in the green foliage. My challenge in painting illustrations for the upcoming book about frogs, was to express in variations of green, the transitions between sunset, nightfall, a moonlit night, sunrise and daytime.
Sunset has some back lighting, with the light yellowy greens transitioning to a blue-green in the shaded parts of the painting.
As night falls, but before the moon comes up, the trees are in deep bluish-green shadow, reflecting the blue sky.
As the moon comes higher, the highlights on the green frogs and foliage are a light blue, and the lily pads becoming brighter as they recede into the distance.
After many adventures (no, I won’t give the story away!), and a tiring night for Mom and Dad, the sun at last comes up, and we’re are once again seeing the back-lit green frogs against the blue-green leaf framing a pinky violet sky.
By the time the froggies are on the way home, daylight has arrived, and the golden sunlight reflects on the frogs and foliage.
Do you think the variations of green reflect the time of day accurately?
Are you as excited about seeing the finished Picture Book as I am? (I’m on painting THIRTEEN out of fifteen!) Hopefully it will be ready for the Fairport Canal Days show on the weekend of May 31st.
Finally, the book has had many title permutations, originally called Leap Frog – A Night in the Life of Agalychnis Callidryas Family. Children’s book illustrator Nancy Lane suggested I have a name with alliteration. What do you think of “Froglets First Frolic”? – A Night in the Life of Agalychnis Callidryas Family?
It would be possible, because of her formidable talents as an artist and social media expert, to be green with envy of Peggy Martinez. However, I only feel grateful for her generosity in sharing her skills and knowledge with us. Martinez for inviting guest artists to her blog, and I can only say many thanks to her for the opportunity to be a guest on Gift of the Rose.
About Margot:
Margot has been exhibiting in Rochester and in the Finger Lakes in group shows, invitationals and solo exhibits. She combines fabric and other materials as a collage with figures. She has a love for the endangered and has a wonderful book to be launched this summer. We wish you the best!
Contact information
You may contact Margot via her website: http://margotfass.com/contact/