Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Some Fun With Color

by Judy



In my last post I was lamenting the absence of Spring in my neck of the woods, and expressing my need for some color!  Sadly, I can't say that Spring has found its way to me yet, although I do see some buds on my plum tree and my forsythia, so I do know that it will show up soon. Fingers crossed.

I live in the Northeast, New York to be exact.  Our winters can seem to last a life time.  By the middle of March I've HAD it with the dull landscapes, grey days, and lack of color (other than beige.)

According to Certified Color Therapist, Eleyne Austen Sharp, " color is a vibrational energy that is absorbed through the eyes and the skin, so the colors you see instantly affect you on a physical, mental, and emotional level." I can't imagine that absorbing the color beige for three months straight can do much for my physical, mental or emotional well being!

Since ancient times, cultures around the world have understood the power of color.  Native Americans used colored crystals to heal.  In the Middle East, the color blue was used for protection, and in China, the color red symbolized celebration and luck.  The Egyptians and Chinese practiced chromotherapy, which is the use of colors to heal.  This is sometimes called light therapy or colorology, and is still used as a holistic treatment today.

Although I've been known to swoon over some of the soft, monotone photos I see on flickr and Instagram, my photography style is usually that of vibrant, saturated colors.  While perceptions of color are somewhat subjective, just for the fun of it,  let's look at some of the colors and see how they are said to affect our mood.


Purple is the color of spirituality, healing and deep calm.  It's best to stick to lighter shades of purple, ranging from soft lavender and lilac.  Darker purple, like eggplant or royal purple, can make you feel negative and fearful.  We definitely do not want that!


White symbolizes the Divine and can  make us feel fresh, and clear the mind and soul.  Be sure to choose warmer shades of white so that your room doesn't have a clinical feel to it.


Green symbolizes harmony, healing, regeneration, refreshment, and freshness, and is both calming and uplifting.  It is advised to choose shades like sage, seafoam, mint, jade and celery as opposed to Hunter or Kelly green.  The darker greens can cause moodiness and obsessive tendencies, and that's no good!


Blue is the color of peace, serenity, communication, and truth.  In the bedroom, blue inspires tranquility and is ideal for insomniacs, but just as with the other colors, beware!  Darker shades of blue, like indigo, may make you feel depressed or claustrophobic.  Bleh.  There is anecdotal evidence that installing blue-colored streetlights can lead to reduced crime in those areas.  That's something to think about...


Red is the most emotionally intense color and can actually stimulate a faster heartbeat and breathing.  As we all know, it is also the color of love.  Red clothing gets noticed, and makes the wearer appear heavier.  Note to self - empty my closet of all red things!

So, what do you think?  Do you feel that color therapy is a whole lot of hooey, or do you notice that colors do affect your mood? No matter what, I love color.  I'm drawn to color and I can't wait until I begin to see some color around my neighborhood!









6 comments:

Dotti said...

I have always been very drawn to colors and, like you, this is generally characteristic of my photography. In my humble opinion, colors, like weather, can definitely impact our moods. It's always fun to read about the influence of colors on our mood. My favorite is red, with yellow a close second, and you'll find a lot of both in my house. I have no intention of purging the red in my wardrobe but yellow is not one of my best colors and I haven't much of it. Strange isn't it, how these things happen? But fun to ponder!

Cathy H. said...

I'm also drawn to rich color in photography. I know color effects my moods. I tend to stick to lots of blue. Give me a blue shirt and I feel just fine! I don't even own anything red. I don't like to stand out in a crowd! There's a whole other story there! I love seeing all these colors this morning!

terriporter said...

Yep, I'm a color lover too! As I scrolled through your post, when I stopped at each photo I would think, "Oh, yes, this is my favorite color" until I scrolled to the next and said it again! But I have to say when I got to the red dahlia, my heart did skip a beat! My photos are usually pretty saturated with color, as is my wardrobe. However, I haven't given a lot of thought to the affect each color has on me. I only know that I love color! Right now pink, in all shades, is my favorite but that can change from season to season. Thank you for the colorful post and I hope color arrives in your neck of the woods very soon!

kelly said...

I think the return of color my be my favorite thing about spring! So fun to know why now. :)

AFishGirl said...

So interesting to read (and see). Bring on the celery, bring on the celery. All those gentle greens and the teals and the blues.

Anonymous said...

I'm with you Judy. I live in Buffalo, New York. I'm still waiting for the color. We just got a few inches of snow last night and today.

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