Masters Touch Color Mixing Guide Hunt

 

I haven't shared much about my art background because it was always my story and something I wanted to leave in the past.

But when I picked my art back up in 2019, I couldn't help but think about the private classes I took in Mt. Vernon, Washington.  

I grew up in Skagit Valley, with an empty connection to the area other than family roots. Rainy days were spent calculating how long it would be till I could let my wings fly.  

Those feelings changed somewhat when I began taking art classes.

The drive to Mt. Vernon consisted of traveling through farm fields down the old highway where we passed a blue house with a gravel driveway. 

There was a sign for art classes and one day we stopped to see what that was all about.  A new world opened; someone other than family saw my gift and for the first time I felt like I had a purpose.  

I was a teenager, and the feeling was pretty incredible.

My new instructor was Vivian Marie Williams.  She studied art in Europe for 7 years and painted in oils.  

To watch her create was like magic, almost effortless and her eye for color and detail was incredible.

She started me with pencil drawing and later moved me to oils.  A medium that I didn't like at the time because a conflict surfaced. I wanted to paint abstract, and she wanted me to center in realism.

As an adult I understand her point of view but as a teenager who thought she knew best, I failed to appreciate what she was trying to teach.  

We parted ways and for most of my life I have looked back with positive thoughts.

She could very well be the reason why I decided to pick my art back up in 2019.

Needless to say, we lost contact and I would be shocked if she was still living.  

But every now and then I search the internet for Vivian's art to see if just maybe it's out there somewhere.  

I always come up empty handed until recently when I found this color guide for sale on eBay.  

Her signature immediately grabbed my attention, almost falling off my chair, I was excited.   The gentleman on the cover was Bob Williams, known for mug paintings and oils on canvas.

You can only imagine my level of emotion until I noticed the auction had ended.  

So, I did what any crazy person would do and contacted the eBay seller to see if they had another. Empty handed again...  

Next, I examined the pages from the listing remembering everything she instructed me about color mixing.

I was taught the importance of correct color mixing, the beauty and how the right mix can make all the difference.  I loved how she would put warm hues with cool for a compelling contrast.

In all my conversations and interactions in the art world I have never met anyone who understood color as she did.

I also never knew she published this booklet on color mixing.

So why am I sharing Masters Touch Color Mixing Guide by Vivian Marie?  Because I am on a hunt to find my own copy.  

I have searched the internet high and low only to come up empty handed.

I printed the pages you see in these images, which allowed me to reconnect with greatness.  But really having my own copy would be amazing.  

I have never stopped thinking about her and always wondered where she went.  If you know or have a lead, please reach out.  

I am not going to stop searching no matter how crazy that may sound.

Encouraging Goodness,

Carole West