I Can't Stop Mixing Green Paint

I started mixing some shades of green that I was really in love with back in 2021. I wrote a workshop that changed my life around that time period called, “Expanding on Color”. The workshop pushed me to start creating very complete color harmonies. In-depth mixes soon evolved into more complex abstract paintings for me and I have not stopped since!

Currently, I am still mixing greens and experimenting with shape and composition. I have a detailed record of every painting that I have made since I wrote that workshop and I can easily take a trip down memory lane. Want to take a tour with me? I’ll show you some of my favorite green paintings.

“Through the Trees”, abstract art by Julie Prichard. April, 2021.

“A personal favorite” is written on the pages for this piece in my journal. I took a walk in a regional park near my house before I painted this piece and there was beautiful light filtering through the trees near a creek at the bottom of the trail. Every time I see this piece, I am reminded of that day on the trail and how happy I was.

“Parakeet”, painting by Julie Prichard. December, 2022.

The next batch of greens would not leave my mind while watching “Emily in Paris”. I remember the fashion in the show being so vibrant and colorful (unlike the all black wardrobe that has become my uniform as of late) and thinking about how I could incorporate a handful of colors into my art instead of my usual monochromatic and minimalist palettes. Once I mixed the green, I wrote, I knew immediately what the painting would be named. That does not happen very often. Usually, I jot some ideas for the title of each piece while I paint. The title for “Parakeet” was a very strong message and the colors and shapes developed accordingly.

Paintings inspired by an edition of my “Card Club” teaching program.

My Card Club program challenges me to come up with an important topic to share every month. I write a painting lesson and paint a 3.5x5” card of the lesson to mail to over a hundred people all over the world. Painting that small is often difficult, but I love it! At the time, this lesson was my favorite and it inspired me to carry the lesson a little larger onto these 5x7 wood panels. I can’t tell you how many times I have mixed this same palette to work with since it debuted in “Card Club”.

“In a Roundabout Way”, by Julie Prichard, 2024.

“In a Roundabout Way” is one of the few pieces I have completed thus far in 2024. I have been striving to incorporate more shape into my abstract paintings, but I have been fighting with the “softness” of the shapes. This piece is the closest I have felt with accomplishing that discovery. I used a wood panel to make this painting and subsequently, I feel there is a lot of energy captured here.

The greens bring a sense of calm to me more so than any other color I mix at the moment. I find myself looking at the images for these paintings frequently throughout the day and I dream about new combinations of green that I can work with. A long time ago, someone told me that I painted too many blue paintings. I remember that really hurt my feelings at the time. It is with my growth as an artist, I can confidently say that I mix whatever color I want to and feel really good about it- and that feels really really good.

The “Expanding on Color” workshop remains one of my most recommended classes of all time. Click here to take a look at the information regarding that workshop and to see the two paintings (class samples) that spawned my mixing frenzy and changed the way I paint forever.