Harness the Dynamics of Color with Mary Padgett

Artists, designers and crafters, can learn how color works in the world

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Crayola Sunflowers, by Mary Padgett

CAZENOVIA, NY (09/10/2010)(readMedia)-- Local artist Mary Padgett, known for her work in pastels, will share her knowledge of 'how color works" in a class at Cazenovia College on Mondays from 6 to 8 p.m., Oct. 18 to Nov. 15. Padgett's color theory-based course, "Color: Making it Work for You," will help artists, designers, crafters, photographers, anyone who works with visual media, make effective color choices. Highlights include a close look at color interaction, the importance of value in creating variety in design, the diverse effects of color combinations, and the messages and meanings color communicates.

Participants may choose to work with paint, paper (a materials list will be supplied), or digitally if experienced with Illustrator/Photoshop. The class size is limited to 18, and tuition is $185. To register Contact Sherri Benedict at 315-655-7107. Visit www.cazenovia.edu/extendedlearning to view the fall brochure.

Padgett notes that "color is pervasive in our visual world, and the way we see colors varies with ambient light, other colors in the environment, and our own personal physiology. Understanding how the many variables affect color is vital to creating the intended visual effect."

There is more to color than its visual aspects, Padgett maintains. "The meaning of color changes over time," she says."One example is the color green, which once referred just to the many shades of grass and leaves, and was associated with springtime, summer, and freshness. Now, in addition to our experience of it visually, green has come to be synonymous with the conservation movement, with what we refer to as environmental sustainability."

IMAGES: Padgett's sense of color is visible in her work. She says, "'Crayola Sunflowers' pairs the complementary colors orange and blue for a vibrant color experience, while muted hues of similar value in 'Poplars' create a soft atmospheric effect."

Cazenovia College, named one of "America's Best Colleges" by US News & World Report, is an independent, co-educational, baccalaureate college, located near Syracuse, N.Y. Cazenovia College offers a comprehensive liberal arts education in an exceptional community environment, with academic and co-curricular programs devoted to developing leaders in their professional fields. For more information, visit www.cazenovia.edu.

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