Shimmering Shapes: Paul Klee, Amish Quilt and Watertown

There is something wonderful about simple shapes and strong color contrast. I don’t know if Swiss born Klee ever saw an Amish quilt made in Iowa in the 1930’s. Or if the unknown quilt maker ever saw a Klee painting, for that matter. Both artists lived in the same era, on different continents.

I study both works and appreciate their deceptively simple compositions of geometric shapes. Both color palettes achieve harmony with a good balance of muted and intense colors. Both speak to my heart!

In painting, colored shapes which represent familiar things like buildings and roads can suggest a third dimension, drawing a viewer into the scene. We don’t always need rules of perspective to suggest dimension. Shimmering color and interplay of shapes can do this. I add a bit of gradation to color passages and the illusion becomes stronger.

Watertown, acrylic, 48 x 48″ by Karen Gillis Taylor

Painting by Paul Klee

Maker from Iowa unknown