Art Adventures - by Patricia Banks©
Published Ferbruary 2018 in Nanaimo Magazine and Voyager Magazine
Published Ferbruary 2018 in Nanaimo Magazine and Voyager Magazine
Passionate, dynamic, and stimulating, the colour red is “indelibly imprinted on the human mind to connect excitement and high energy.” Eiseman. It is the colour of blood and fire and represents power and courage, confidence and action, danger and emergency. Red produces the highest arousal threshold in humans. We’re hardwired to spring into action. When we see the colour red, we produce adrenalin, our heart rate goes up, and our blood pressure and breathing increase, among other things. It’s automatic!
On St. Valentine’s Day, it is customary to communicate our passion and love with a gift of red roses. Candies and chocolates are wrapped in red foil and red hearts appear on romantic greeting cards everywhere. Red helps us express the excitement, desire, and amorous feelings we hold in our hearts.
Most artists are aware that every colour has its own volume to speak. The use of colour in painting is a non-verbal communication tool that artists successfully employ to infuse energy, emotion, and feelings into their works of art. Colour helps the viewer to see and understand the message, meaning, or story an artist is telling with their art. It does this through the associations we hold when we see various hues. Red, blue, and yellow are primary colours from which all other colours are derived.
As a comparison to red, blue is the colour of the sea and sky. It gives us a sense of depth and stability, sincerity and trust, unity and serenity. Blue stimulates feelings of confidence and wisdom. It is beneficial to the mind and body as it slows our metabolism and produces a calming effect. Yellow is the colour of the sun. It resonates with the left side of the brain and stimulates our mental faculties. It makes us feel warm and cheerful, uplifted and enlightened, optimistic and enthusiastic. We associate freshness, happiness, and joy with the colour yellow.
Red, in all its glory, is hard to ignore. It demands attention and quick response. Pick the colour of your mood and enjoy your Happy Valentine’s Day, every day!
On St. Valentine’s Day, it is customary to communicate our passion and love with a gift of red roses. Candies and chocolates are wrapped in red foil and red hearts appear on romantic greeting cards everywhere. Red helps us express the excitement, desire, and amorous feelings we hold in our hearts.
Most artists are aware that every colour has its own volume to speak. The use of colour in painting is a non-verbal communication tool that artists successfully employ to infuse energy, emotion, and feelings into their works of art. Colour helps the viewer to see and understand the message, meaning, or story an artist is telling with their art. It does this through the associations we hold when we see various hues. Red, blue, and yellow are primary colours from which all other colours are derived.
As a comparison to red, blue is the colour of the sea and sky. It gives us a sense of depth and stability, sincerity and trust, unity and serenity. Blue stimulates feelings of confidence and wisdom. It is beneficial to the mind and body as it slows our metabolism and produces a calming effect. Yellow is the colour of the sun. It resonates with the left side of the brain and stimulates our mental faculties. It makes us feel warm and cheerful, uplifted and enlightened, optimistic and enthusiastic. We associate freshness, happiness, and joy with the colour yellow.
Red, in all its glory, is hard to ignore. It demands attention and quick response. Pick the colour of your mood and enjoy your Happy Valentine’s Day, every day!
