CASSI CUNNINGHAM

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Finding Balance

Hello all!

Let's talk about balance. That’s one thing that seems hard to find right now, regardless of who you are. Balance in staying up-to-date with the issues of the world while trying to keep afloat as individuals, families, and communities. It's a lot to do and a lot to ask for. But like a painting, if you focus on one thing too closely you never see the bigger picture.

Take a look below!

2020-L16-Unger-SummerEmerges-8x10 / ‘Summer Emerges’ / Oil on Canvas / 8x10 / Cassi Unger

When painting, sometimes it feels like I'm dancing. I paint a few strokes and take a few steps back to look at how it affects the colors next to them. It's a back-and-forth game- trying to find color harmony and balance within the composition. It can be found in the most curious of ways; sometimes through trial and error and sometimes through muscle memory.

In this beachscape, I found balance in the simplest of things. The clouds were moving a lot and were quite heavy overhead, causing a lopsided or heaviness towards the right side of the painting. But by adding a stroke of blue in the upper left-hand corner, the clouds quite literally opened and provided the balance I was looking for. Balance normally doesn’t happen by chance- it’s something that you have to work towards.

Have a colorful day!

xxCass