At the age of seventeen, William H. Johnson left his home in Florence, South Carolina, to pursue job opportunities in New York City. Three years later, he applied for and was admitted to the art school of the National Academy of Design. There, for the first time in his life, Johnson worked closely with people of different races, nationalities, and religions. Johnson's instructor, Charles Hawthorne, emphasized the importance of spontaneity and encouraged his students to explore the expressive possibilities of color.
Many people find that the red apples attract their attention first.
One reason for this is that red, a warm color, appears to move forward, while blue, a cool color, appears to move back. Experiment with this color theory on your own by drawing red and blue shapes with crayons or colored markers, or by cutting shapes from construction paper.