Every moment of our lives we are surrounded by color. It is ‘a common thing’ and we are used to its appearance, maybe take it for granted, and we easily can forget about its beauty and the impact it has on our lives emotionally. It is however one of our senses and it deserves more attention.
This morning a Robin was hopping through the garden, and I immediately saw its red breast showing up. The vibrant red/orange is something we can not deny. The Robin has no idea of his vibrant presence and think it can hide in the bushes without being seen. Only the idea is so endearing.
It’s natures colors that moves me most, all its hues are countless. And natures colors are never dull. I believe that every color has its vibrancy, colors can strengthen or weaken each other by placed next to each other. We can look at color in several ways, psychic, emotional, technical or scientific, I wrote about it in another post, and yet it is almost impossible to describe what you feel about one specific color. There are always two sides of a story, and that’s the same when talking about color. Which makes it to one of the most difficult subjects when it comes to choosing.
burnt umber
Hundred Days of Color 1
Every day again and again, I feel inspired by colors. Besides the fact that I work professionally with color, it feeds my creative soul. But I was given a push to the movement to start ‘Hundred Days of Color’ when observing the stunning colors of the Hydrangeas in the past few weeks. They start blooming in July in the most beautiful colors in many shades. Maybe the fact that, in Autumn, every other colors of nature begin to fade and these Hydrangea colors stand out so beautifully, is the reason that I feel touched by their beauty in another dimension. That I am a color addict doesn’t need any further explanation, it’s quite clear that color is more than a visible appearance to me, every color moves me and each of them in their specific way.
Throughout time my preference of color changes, the way I approach color changes, but the impact colors has in my life didn’t change. Let’s say I see and feel through colors. When I started to explore color professionally I did a lot of research, wrote about it, and as it is a natural act for me to work with colors I am interested in the way it affects people emotionally. Why do we feel more attracted to one color than the other. I can not speak for others, but to begin with, I would like to speak for myself. I am asked so often about my use of color so why not document more about this subject. So I am starting today with this project of Hundred Days of Color with no other intention than to express my perception of color and trying to beware of what I experience on an emotional level. To be continued…..
Inspired by Hydrangeas
Of course I was inspired by all these wonderful colors of the Hydrangeas, as I am very sensitive to colors in my surroundings. I am often ask about my use of color, and not the colors I use but how I come to my choice of color. Well, I never think about what color to use, it’s some intuitive process while painting, I paint and my brush picks up the color I am leading to. No plan, and no complicated color scheme before I start. What I do is I use lots of water, I may even draw with water and then let the watercolor paint flow into those areas, wet in wet. Or I might do it afterwards, paint with the color and add some water while it’s still wet. Or I let the first layer dry completely and go in with my brush. My favorite colors to work with are phtalo blue, quinacridone violet, chrome orange, burnt umber, indigo, and opera rose. When blended with each other they make the most beautiful shades.
