The most striking characteristic of the first impressionists' paintings is perhaps their cool, blue or violet general tone. This is partially due to those impressionists decrying the uses of orange-sepia-varnished offerings of the painters of that time who tried to give their works a false age and a museum respectability.
However, it is chiefly the accidental result of the impressionists' habit of painting out-of-doors. Shadow tones on the bright days, when painters work out-of-doors, are likely to be blue or violet. And it is the color of the shadows, not of the lights, that determines the general tone of the painting.
In my painting shown above "Sunset at Baca House" this is clearly demonstrated, as the shadow tones would never have been duplicated working with a photograph or slide. Though somewhat exaggerated, it is still closer to the effect or mood that standing inside the scene creates.
"Sunset at Baca House" (20 " X 24") Oil on Canvas
