As a little girl, my favorite color was red for the longest time, but then the Power Rangers came along and I switched it to yellow (because the Red Ranger was a boy and I wasn’t about to be like every other girl who liked the Pink Ranger.)
Colors are clearly emotional for me.
Yesterday I was painting a landscape for my husband (see below). He picked out the photo for me to study, and I now take a few hours at a time to layer on the colors of various sections. I was a little grumpy yesterday because I had to tint a certain ocher into a grayer, blander shade in order to match the color of the bushes.
In my ideal world, all the colors would be bright, not muted.
In college, I wrote a short story about a woman who expressed how she felt through colors, and found it hard to meet people who understood her strange language. She fell in love with a man who dyed his hair a different hue every few days.
Colors speak to me on a level that many people don’t notice or feel.
The shades of green, black or gold around us all have an effect, whether or not we recognize it—at least this woman (me) who’s wearing the scarf that looks a stained-glass window seems to think so.
Does color affect your mood? Any stories about color changing your day or outlook?
Jan
11 Feb 2013Lovely musings, Elise. I’m always drawn into another dimension by white flowers. Sharp and vivid contrasts in colors always wake me up. Love your painting!
Elise
11 Feb 2013Thank you so much, Jan! I love that white flowers are the things that captivate you. They’re so delicate and striking, I agree! Thanks for sharing!
Jack Flacco
12 Feb 2013Color affects me in so many different ways. I also wear certain colors as a declaration to the world of how I feel (like cherry red when I’m in an incredibly cheery mood–like today)! I also love the subtle nuances of colors. They affect me, for sure. I’m more drawn to a mystery novel if the cover had muted colors. Notice how kids programs use those bright primary colors to draw in the audience.
I’ve been fascinated with colors for quite some time and always enjoy when I see a beautiful combination used!
Elise
12 Feb 2013Jack, that’s such a good point on the muted colors for a mystery book cover. It totally makes sense when you describe that to me. I like that you’re conscious of your clothes and your mood going hand in hand–I do the same thing, but don’t always notice till after my clothes have made the statement for me! Thank you for sharing!
D.Scott Phillips
13 Feb 2013For a long time, my warddrobe consisted entirely of black, grey, and white, mostly black. Several years ago, I bought a very bright blue button-up shirt, a sky blue color that really popped, and I’ve been broadening my color palate ever since, though my taste still inclines toward black and gray.
I noticed that my interest in color really developed when I bought a DSLR in 2008 and started taking lots of photographs. I think visual artists are more aware of color’s effects than most, both in terms of lighting, ambience, and mood (tone). And speaking of visual arts, I love your painting! The water seems to have a very mirror-like sheen to it. Great job!
Elise
13 Feb 2013I love that is was your camera that started changing your taste as you saw your surroundings more closely, that’s a very cool thing, and a great observation. Glad you like the painting! Drawing reflections is tough–I haven’t worked a lot with it before–but happy to hear it’s turning out!