Monday, September 14, 2009

The Colors We See

While working on our monthly e-newsletter, I was searching for something funny or inspirational to put at the end of it.  And, during my search I found something that I thought was so perfect to write about.  

"They'll sell you thousands of greens. Veronese green and emerald green and cadmium green and any sort of green you like; but that particular green, never."
Pablo Picasso, 1966.


It took me reading it twice to realize what it meant.  There are so often times when we're searching for a particular color... it's in our head, and we know exactly what we're looking for.  But, we can never find it.  This actually happened with me when I was painting my kitchen.  We were painting it red, and I searched and searched for the red that I knew I wanted.  My husband later decided that I make colors up in my head that don't actually exist.  But, I ask you... if the color doesn't exist, how can I envision it?  There must be a way to figure out how to make it, "right"?  

What a relief that an artist like Picasso suffered from the same problem.  
His quote also made me think of a discussion that I had with a friend a few months back.  "I may see the sky as blue, and you may see the sky as blue, but isn't it cool that neither of us see it as the exact same blue."  She didn't quite understand.  I explained how our minds perceive color differently even though it may seem that we all see exactly the same thing.  She still didn't understand.  (And since she's a very close friend, I decided to leave it at that rather than argue).

Color is such an extraordinary thing.   It's amazing how it can affect our ideas, moods, and senses.  It's where I realize my passion for the visual arts begins. 
- Bianca

1 comment:

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