Written by: Ray Oltion
Category: Abstract Painting
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BleacherUnderneath
As the name suggests, a view of opposing bleachers from below inspired this design. You can see the posts holding up the diagonal beams and the horizontal rows of bleacher steps. The railing at the top center marks a boundary with the opening at the top.

Probably the dominant form is the x-shaped cross brace in the lower 1/3 and horizontal center. Its much darker value calls attention to itself. The circle surrounding the cross is an extension of the small white hub in the middle of the cross.

The two other elliptical shapes on the left and right emanate from the hubs on the less dominant cross braces on the left and right. They provide a gradient in value from dark to light, similar to the central circle.

Van Gogh's Mulberry Tree painting provided the basis of the color scheme, although I did use some of the inverted colors in the color wheel.

The extreme symmetry provides a sense of balance and stability, which is what you would want with bleachers at a public ballpark, but the color choices add asymmetry with complimentary reds and greens changing places from the left third and right third of the composition. Think of these colors as competing teams in a ball game. This pulls the center of interest away from dead center, perhaps in an arc from vertical center in the left and right thirds, to horizontal center in the bottom third.

A few delicate lines emphasize the radiating energy from the hubs on the left and right cross braces, suggesting ripples spreading outward. Other lines tie the central cross to the upright posts on either side.

The multiple overlays and gradients, with different levels of transparency, provide color mixing and intensity shifts. They add a sort of "atmospheric" perspective that contributes to a sense of depth.

Also, the radial gradient on the central circle at the bottom suggests a solid sphere resting on a trapezoidal base. You could interpret this shape as an orb or crystal ball from Lord of the Rings.