Thursday, June 7, 2012

what is color?



Just sitting here thinking about color... When I wrote the Wednesday 15 Minutes play COLOR CHALLENGE post about GRAPE, (click to visit post) my mind wandered about all tone and value of Purple.  I mentioned that I painted my loft a lavender tone, and as different people walk in they say, Oh you painted! they say the color is:


WHITE
PINK
GRAY
PURPLE



Some can't name a color for it.

I often find that when my husband and I and my daughter are sitting talking about color or a painting, we all describe a color with different words... We all perceive color in our own way.


This last quilt I made, Bouquet of Roses in Sunlight, my post was about the fact I had not used RED, in the quilt.  I can tell you, I had emails from at least 10 people who insist there is RED in this quilt...

So, What is red?
 

Which reads red to you?    Top or bottom?



The top bar certainly has red in it, one needs red to make pink, but to me it's clearly a HOT pink, and not an obvious red.  In my definition of PINK in my quilt, I have not used the bright CHERRY/TOMATO RED, that I normally do.  I tend to stay away from the PINK side of red...(my own color baggage, that I attach with PINK is to sugary sweet...which makes me feel nauseated. SO my challenge for myself was to stick to the PINK side of red, and avoid the Yellow red, to rid myself of that feeling...) Change my thinking about it, and then welcome another color to my palette for quilt making.  Good to keep my eyes open to all possibilities!

The bottom bar as blue red, orange red, pink red, etc etc... and definitely reads red, to me.
 
There is no right or wrong answer, I just thought it was VERY interesting how colors are perceived...I rather feel like it could be a language thing... It's said, that if you are not taught the words for your feelings, you have a hard time figuring out what your emotions are...So, would that be the same, not having a language for different colors?  Could be.. I'm sure science has a lot of do with it too... IF we can have more X and more Y chromosomes, then the next person, we may also have more or less color range(cones) too, right?



Just thinking...


Now I have a headache...  

From thinking?
Or from the fact Boo is home sick on the last full day of school, and now I may have it too?



??


15 comments:

  1. I say the bottom bar is red. Love your quilt! And your wall color, whatever it is called.

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  2. I say the bottom bar is a deep shade of red. When I was a kid, I had a coat this color (called it maroon way back then) with a faux leopard collar. Am I dating myself again?

    Mom says " Drink plenty of fluids and get plenty of rest..."

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  3. I'm with the others -- the bottom is red. that said, it's difficult to be definitive about any colour when it is mediated through a camera, a photo program, and then my screen. and then there's lighting. so what I see is not necessarily what you see. hope you feel better soon.

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  4. I figured my monitor color was off because it looked like you had used a touch of red, but today's picture clearly shows pink. Color is a very personal thing and it is interesting how I love some colors, but not others. Why? Who knows!

    I hope you are not getting what Boo has and that Boo will recover quickly!

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  5. When I read your last post, I too thought that you had used red in your quilt :)

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  6. My husband is red-green colorblind, so I never know what the things I make look like to him.

    Unintentionally offended a friend once when she asked my opinion of a new top. I said "what a gorgeous brown" and she freaked because she saw it as navy with a lot of brown in it. I saw a deep brown with lots of blue in it. For some reason this bothered her a lot. I didn't see the problem: it was a gorgeous garment, whatever color you call it!

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  7. Very well said. I have been struggling with that issue lately as well. Beauty/Color is in the eye of the beholder, eh?

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  8. OH and I hope you don't catch the bug from Boo and she is all better by tomorrow!

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  9. in that angled photo of the quilt I can definitely see that color as hot pink. but from farther away it read as a true red to me. funny, I have always loved cherry red, pinky reds in general, whereas orangy reds made me go bleah. I've grown much fonder of them, though you will never catch me wearing tomato. hope ya'all feel better!

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  10. They're all red. Hee hee. I think of pinks as reds, too. I think it's interesting, too. I have a shirt that I insist is red and everyone around me tells me it's purple. Ha! How do you like that one?!

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  11. Okay, yes I am one of the offenders yesterday. But I must say that this new photo does read pink. That said there is still one fabric in there that reads red to me. As far as the bars are concerned, the bottom definitely is more of a true red. The top has pink in it. I am with Mom... lots of fluids and plenty of rest!

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  12. This a terrific topic to discuss. Thanks for sharing Victoria! I think the bottom is red.

    Sometimes when choosing colors though I feel color blind and have to ask the hubby. He always says "Who knew, the art guy knows his colors!"

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  13. I love reds of all kinds and wear a lot of red clothing too. Hey even my granddaughter has RED hair :0).
    I do think there is a lot "emotional charge" about color, that is why we all see it differently. It is a very interesting subject V. :0)

    Oh poor Boo.......I hope you are both feeling better soon.

    Happy sewing

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  14. I too would say the bottom bar, but that being said, when I put together reds for a quilt I will include all the variations of reds from orange-ish to pink-ish to blue-ish. Big happy red colour family:)

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  15. I've had similar discussions about color. As a former painter, I see color as components.

    For example, there was a bag that to me was clearly a dark blue-violet shade, everyone said was purple. but I saw the blue more than the violet. Behind that was the amount of blue it took, to make that violet less prominent.

    Makes sense? I think it's fascinating how folks perceive color.

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