ArtistsNetwork.com 25In another painting featuring movement, the swirling
motion and curvature of the man’s arm in Window
(above) powerfully draws the viewer’s eye to the center of
the composition. “As artists, it’s important to establish
what we know to be the center of interest,” explains
Whyte, “and that we don’t allow anything to compete.
Everything else should enhance it.”
Th e artist wasn’t able to make sketches of the window
washer because he was moving so fast. Positioning herself
on the other side of the glass, she memorized and photo-
graphed him. “It was so interesting to look at him through
the soap suds,” says Whyte. “When I returned home,
I soaped up a window to study how I could see through it
and how the water ran down. It was great fun. He had
actually worked on ground level, but I made it look like
he was up high, and I changed the colors of the background
and his shirt to make him more eye-catching. I never hes-
itate to change the color, shape or size of anything. When
I’m painting, things are never set in stone.”THUMBS UP
Th e artist takes great stock in simplifi cation, distilling her
idea through a series of thumbnail sketches and studies.
“Th e simpler the composition, the stronger the result,”
says Whyte. “I often think about what makes a powerful
painting with strong emotional content. In order to
achieve that, I ask myself: What’s essential here? What’s
essential to keep, and what’s essential to leave out?”
Underscoring this point, a series of thumbnails com-
bined with two previous paintings led to the dramatic,
expressive crescendo in Aspen Leaf (on page 26). WhyteToolkit
PAINTS- M. Graham: azo
yellow, burnt
sienna, cadmium
red light, cadmium
yellow, cerulean
blue, cobalt blue,
cobalt teal,
Hooker’s green,
maroon perylene,
quinacridone rose,
raw sienna, sap
green, ultramarine
blue, yellow ochre
SURFACE - Arches 300-lb.
cold-pressed
BRUSHES - Mary Whyte Series
801, size 6 squirrel
cat’s tongue - Mary Whyte
Maestro size 8
round Siberian
kolinsky red sable
PALETTE - John Pike
Window (watercolor
on paper, 38½x28½)