October 22
Today is National Color Day! As an artist, designer, creative…COLOR is my passion. While blue, especially the shade of blue glass, is my favorite color, there are so many amazing colors out there. Most people don’t even stop to consider what our world would be like without color. Not only is it a powerful tool to communicate, it can affect our mood, draw attention and even cause alarm.
This time of year, nature gives us a spectacular display of color as the leaves on the trees change from shades of green to yellows, oranges, reds and browns. One of my favorite things to do this time of year is drive through a park or wooded area and just breathe in the color.
Looking outside can give us an indication of the weather and, often times, temperature by the colors we see. For instance, look at the two photos below. If you look at the first one, you would think it’s a cold dreary day at the end of winter. The second looks a bright sunny day in spring. Oddly enough, these two photos were taken on the same day only hours apart.
The flowers and sunsets outside my home were absolutely beautiful this year!
All over the world, there are amazing blues in the oceans, oranges, reds & purples in the canyons, browns and golds in the desert, greens in the highlands & forests, and tulips in just about every color of the rainbow in Holland.
Animals sport some awesome colors too.
We use color to signal safety and caution with street signs and traffic signals turning red, green and yellow. Even within nature, the color red can be a warning color because it stands out most vividly against a green background. It’s also the color of fire and blood.
Interestingly enough, the color red isn’t just a warning color. We associate certain colors with feelings and memories. Red can represent not only anger but also love, warmth, comfort. It is used a lot in kitchens and around food. Food is one of the most colorful things we can enjoy and our bodies are healthiest when we eat the rainbow.
Holidays are another thing that we link color to. If you see a combination of red and green, most people quickly think of Christmas, celebration and family.
Halloween is associated with orange and black. Orange symbolizes the warmth of autumn and the last of harvest season, while black represents the cold, dark, and long winter.
I really enjoy how Día de Los Muertos is celebrated in Mexico. It is such an explosion of color and celebration of life. Disney’s Coco is one of my favorite movies because of all the color.
Like many art forms, architecture can also be a place where people express themselves though color.
There are so many varying skin tones and eye colors in this world that make us so unique. I myself have a birthmark that covers most of the right side of my face and makes my eyes two different colors. I’ve been lucky enough to be surrounded by people that see that as me being unique. Doctors can check a patient's health by the color of their skin. When we get embarrassed, our cheeks can turn pink or flush when we are exercising.
The color of the clothes we wear can say a lot about who we are and what we are feeling. We even tend to gravitate towards certain colors and tones during different seasons.
On special days or days when I feel like I need that little bit of extra, I put on my red shoes.
When a couple gets married, wedding colors tie into almost every facet of the wedding, from the invitations to the floral arrangements, table linens, attire and cake design. Just like our everyday wardrobe, wedding colors often take into account the time of year and the flowers that are in season. A bride’s dress can vary in color depending on traditions in that part of the world.
We also connect colors with our schools & sports teams. Those are some very strong connections for some people.
Because of our strong connections with colors and meanings, the psychology of color plays a big part in advertising. Companies select colors for their logos and branding that play on those associations.
The company I work for uses the bright medium blue, which is often used by companies that work in cybersecurity. We paired it with a vibrant purple which has historically represented authority, power and wisdom.
Take time to enjoy and celebrate color today! It plays an important role in everything we do even when we don’t realize it.
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