Love of Colour
“Evening Light” Watercolour R. Hayes 13″x20″
I love to apply colour like words that shape poems like notes that shape music.
Joan Miro
It’s often colour in a painting that will evoke an emotional response to a painting.
Rothko made use of the concept in his beautiful abstract colour work. The Impressionists used colour and light as a basis for many of their paintings. It is February and close to Valentine’s day and red seems to be the colour of the month.
Red or any colour can hold varied meanings for each painting and individual.
Having a training in art therapy I often come across studies or will be asked the meaning of a particular colour. That is so unfair to the colour! To focus on red in honour of valentine’s day it is obviously associated with love, romance, and passion.
From there it is also life giving, fun, and if you are five a favorite colour.
If I am five I might want the red balloon, the red lollipop and love the red paint.
At thirty five dripping red paint across a painting could find me accused of hidden rage and anger.
Is it in the painter or a projection of the viewer? Red is only red.
As a painter all the colours are unique and the response evoked in each viewer can be different and complex. The painter might put forth one particular meaning but the viewer might find another.
It’s time get back to splashing my cadmium red across a white canvas.
I’ll let the red speak to me and see what colour it might like next.
Perhaps that’s mad or just being an intuitive painter.