Recently, it has become substantively more evident to me how much color is an intriguing and amazing element in our choices, moods, attractions and personalities, and yes, food selection, development and ingestion. This may be more so since I started picking up my camera nearly every day as I wander around here and there. Honestly, color has always been a serious factor in my life – going back to when I garnished my mud-pies with Forsythia flowers on an old cookie sheet of my Mom’s.
Color – we all take it so for granted, don’t we? We run roughshod over the most miniscule of decisions every single day – all the while making decisions by color. The sky, the sea, the landscape – all affect us so profoundly, yet we take them so for granted. And then there are the colors we select for our house, car, bedroom walls, paintings, and….. plantings. Color is a factor in the tiniest decisions me make – picking out a notebook, a pair of earrings, a scarf, a top to go with a skirt, the tone of jeans we select out of the range of indigo blues……. Mostly, I think we are oblivious to how many times a day we are affected by color. Close your eyes for a moment and imagine your life without color!
I remember, for instance when Volkswagen came out with their robin’s egg blue beetle – I loved that and then recognized how much I adored that color.
somehow, this picture just doesn’t do it, does it? you know what I mean.
And how about sex? Just think about all those male birdies who use their vibrant colors to attract their mates! We have a couple of pairs of cardinals in our yard and boy (no pun intended), do those males have what it takes! And, the bluebirds, oh my gosh, just intensely beautiful! I just spotted my first male goldfinch at the feeder today – newly adorned in his bright feathers. I would like to know who decided the male got the color? I suppose it is because his personality didn’t carry him by itself and so God decided he was the one who needed the help! But, we all know what I mean – we are attracted to people with a certain color hair and eyes, and so on. And so, color is a major factor in the carrying on of species the world over, as well – the continuation of life on this earth is determined by the attraction to color! Butterflies, bees! Just think of it. Seeing all these wondrous elements of life constantly reaffirms my faith in nature.
The subtleties and shadings in these Hellebores are amazing and beautiful, making them all the more attractive.
I love to go to the decorator’s shop for instance, and get lost in the stimulation of the multitude of patterns and colorways of fabrics and wallpapers – becoming drawn in by the subtleties of changes and how they pop up with instantaneous yesses or nos.
I have been carrying this fabric sample around the house for years.
Nothing reminds me more of the power of color to influence than to look out over the landscape about 2 weeks ago and again today – or to scroll through my picture inventory from last year. The morning glories, the roses……..For me, color has the power to make me happy!
On the other end of the spectrum (no pun intended) color also has the power to bring me to tears. I know, I know. But, I can remember how, twice, tears came to my eyes when seeing paintings – interestingly, both had a lot of blues and purples in them. (I must consult a psychologist about this and see what that means.) The first was the moment I laid eyes on my Lee Hughes painting, Irises, which now hangs in my entryway. I fell in love. And two weeks ago when I saw the full panels of Monet’s Water Lillies, I teared up as well. I can’t explain this phenomenon – I am not the crying sort at all! But such is the power of color – and, of course, image.
Color is a huge factor in the food world as well. Just think about it. By now we have all heard about choosing foods based upon the vibrancy of their color, as this is an indicator of their nutrient value and density. And so it has become that cruising the produce aisle is as much a matter of “what’s for dinner” as for seeking out the brightest color choices. Interestingly, this appears to be the same principle for the pollenators, hummingbirds and butterflies – the brighter and more vibrant, the better. Isn’t nature just loud and clear in its declarations and we have learned to ignore such obvious messages??? As my sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Anderson used to crow, “Pay Attention!”.
What’s appealing about a brown hamburger? We do all sorts of things to make them look appealing, don’t we? A leaf of green lettuce, a big fat slice of red-orange tomato, and one of purpley-red onion, a dollop of mayo and ketchup and a couple of pickles. These are not just taste elements – they not only make “the picture” better, they have the power to affect our brain and thereby our senses and salivary glands and palate. Wow!
Selecting by color is not for the market only, as this affirms. We create a dish, enhance a dish, and garnish a dish by color. We pick the greenest broccoli, the purest white cauliflower, the reddest, richest strawberries, the deepest purple aubergine eggplant. What wonder! And, what do all the famous Chefs do? So much of their work is design by color. After all, the cooking part is fun, but not so nearly as much fun as the creative part, right? If you zoom in on the details of the pictures below, you’ll see what I mean.
Creating a “picture” with food’s arrangement is fun . What’s alluring about a fruit salad? A garnish of parsley, sprig of rosemary? Even this soup is all the better due to the color enhancements of its garnish.
courtesy Joanne Weir
More pics from today:
So, each time I step outside, I try to take a little more careful look around me. When I go to the market and look at the foods I am going to buy, I will pay more attention. I’ll look at the clothes I picked out to wear today. I’ll do a panorama of my house and yard and surroundings. I’ll try to appreciate the impact of color in my life more fully.
Blast from the past:
I think color affects the appeal of these otherwise simple dishes:
And, more from today:
Love, love this cover:
Happy, Happy Spring!