This month the "Warm and Cool" theme for the artists at Gallery One is a play on words, with the artists contemplating the chilly temperature outside and warmth to come. The artistic rule of juxtaposing warm and cool colors to make a balanced composition applies.

In her description for "Looking South, Bethany Beach," Laura Hickman captures both ideas perfectly. "On this cold January morning in Bethany Beach," she writes, "the warm colors of the rising sun mingle with the cool colors of the dunes in shadow. In some areas, even the colors in the shadows of the sand are warm due to the reflection of the sky above, creating a calm composition of warm and cool hues."

Artist Lesley McCaskill’s acrylic painting, "View from the Trail," captures the drama of early morning light. The low light tense fires the warm colors against the cool shadowed areas.

In "Warm Bodies, Cold Feet," an acrylic painting by Joyce Condry, sanderlings are seen skittering along the water’s edge while contentedly cooling their feet in the surf despite the chill of winter.

"Daydreaming," an acrylic painting by Jan Moffatt, illustrates how perfectly nature’s palette randomly mixes warm and cool colors in a field of wildflowers.

Artist Cheryl Wisbrock’s watercolor painting, "Rising Tide" brings us back to summer’s warm afternoon light, making these gold and tan grasses glow against the cool grays and blues of the changing tide on the bay. This painting depicts another beautiful day at the edge of the marsh.

"Checkerboard Kids, Sledding" an acrylic mixed media painting by Mary Bode Byrd, is part of a series of whimsical paintings depicting winter fun. This painting is done in predominantly cool blues with a "pop" of yellow to lighten and warm up the picture.

"Ocean Side Village" is an acrylic painting by Eileen Olson. Eileen’s abstract painting is an exercise in color theory with a focus on cooler colors with hints of warmer colors to create a sense of harmony. The warm colors of peach and rust evoke warmth reminding us the sun or fire. The cooler colors, like the grays and blues, remind us of the coolness of water and sky.

"Morning Surf" is an acrylic painting by Dianne Shearon. Dianne’s painting has a perfect palette with the natural cool blue of the ocean balanced with a sunrise done in nature’s warm palette of oranges and saffron. What a way to start your day…a morning at the beach! The beauty changes each day so enjoy and tell your family and friends it’s the best way to start any day.