By Hannah Dillon

The theme of “White on White” seems simple enough, but this color scheme is more than a challenge to artists of all mediums.

The show opens at the Albert Lea Art Center at 6 p.m. Friday.

Bonnie Broitzman is a local artist who has three paintings in the show. She was an art teacher at Austin High School and grew up in Albert Lea.

Broitzman said there are three aspects that go along with the concept of white on white.

One aspect is understanding that white on white takes away a major component of art — value, or white to black — and the artist is challenged to be more subtle.

For a variety of opaque media, such as oil painting, collage and photography, artists put layers of white on top of each other to get a brighter, more vibrant white.

However, for transparent media like watercolors, it can be more difficult. Watercolor has no white paint, so the white in watercolor paintings actually comes from the white paper. White subjects are outlined with color so the audience can make out the objects.

Broitzman said the watercolor artist “has to approach white on white like a whisper, barely saying anything.”

Another aspect is that in nature, white attracts attention; white is an invitation. Painters look for white in nature because it is rare, Broitzman said.

Because of the lack of color and most values, white on white can be a challenge. Broitzman said this is the most challenging theme the Art Center has had.

However, to keep the audience’s interest, Broitzman said warm and cool tints can be added to white to create depth. For example, adding yellow or blue tints to white paint can be used to create either warm or cool shadows. This is the final aspect.

At the “White on White” exhibit, there are oil paintings, watercolor paintings, collages, reliefs, photography, sculpture and more. These pieces of art depict flowers, landscapes, abstracts and animals, to name a few.

Broitzman said while white on white might seem limited, it really gives the artist a chance to focus on the subject in a close-up manner instead of overviewing the subject as a whole.

The “White on White” show will be at the Art Center’s new location, 226 W. Clark St. “White on White” runs until July 11.