Blue sky thinking

Week 7 is Sky Blue, Forest Green, Lime & Raspberry

As an antidote to the grey, cold dampness of February here in England, I’m sharing a painting for this week’s prompt. The clear blue skies and the sunny garden scene draws you in: it is uplifting.

Roger Mühl (1929-2000) was a French painter best known for his light-drenched landscapes of the south of France, paintings that are able to capture the essence of a location with just a few brushstrokes.

Born in Strasbourg, then part of Germany, Mühl studied at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs before settling in Provence, where the region’s famous light was central to his work. Unlike the bold, chaotic energy evident in much of the modern art of the time, Mühl’s paintings embraced a softer, more refined aesthetic. Landscapes and architectural forms were reduced to their simplest elements with impasto surfaces in warm earth tones, pastel and airy blues creating a dreamlike atmosphere.

“Cap D’Antibes’, oil on canvas, Roger Mühl, ~1985

Colour Combination

I love landscapes as a theme for paintings and that’s why it’s the theme of my upcoming art retreat in Portugal in only five months’ time. Landscapes can be interpreted in so many ways and a multitude of different techniques can be incorporated, perfect to explore materials and processes.

Two thirds of the available spaces are sold out, if you’d like to immerse yourself in a week of creativity in sunny Portugal click here for more information.

The colours I’ve chosen are Sky Blue, Forest Green, Lime & Raspberry. Use them together with neutral lights and darks to create an artwork in any medium or style.

As always, I love seeing what you’ve created. If you’re posting on Instagram, please tag #coloricombo and #estemacleod and join us in the private Facebook group Creative Prompts

Collage Makers Summit 2025

I'm happy to announce that I’ll be teaching once again on the annual Collage Makers Summit. It’s a virtual gathering of collage artists from around the globe where top instructors share their secrets, insights and techniques, giving students of all levels a chance to step up their skills.

Mark your calendar, classes begin on Monday 17 March and end on Sunday 30 March with a pre-recorded video lesson released each day.

Add your name to my priority list to make sure you’re the first to get all the details of the Summit plus including Early Bird pre-sale pricing of $77, saving $20 on the full price.