The Energy of Color
Interesting stories of the origins of pigment abound. There has been a structure created around the use of color. Color wheels have been developed. We’ve learned which color combinations are eye-popping.
Research shows that each color has its own distinctive frequency and that our eyes are the receivers through which these frequency waves travel. Our brain then translates these frequencies into the colors we see. We know that red has the lowest frequency and violet the highest.
We know that the effects of color differ among different cultures. For instance, white is the color of death in Chinese culture, but purple represents death in Brazil. Yellow, though sacred to the Chinese, signifies sadness in Greece and jealousy in France.
An entire field has been developed surrounding the psychology of color in marketing. For instance, fast food restaurants are decorated with vivid reds and oranges, encouraging diners to eat quickly and leave.
Bright primary colors are used for toys, books and children’s web sites because young children prefer them and respond more positively than to pastels or muted colors.
In North American mainstream culture, the following colors are associated with certain qualities or emotions:
Red: Excitement, strength, sex, passion, speed, danger
Blue: (Listed as the most popular color) trust, reliability, belonging, coolness
Yellow: Warmth, sunshine, cheer, happiness
Orange: Playfulness, warmth, vibrant
Green: Nature, fresh, cool, growth, abundance
Purple: Royal, spirituality, dignity
Pink: Soft, sweet, nurture, security
White: Pure, virginal, clean, youthful, mild
Black: Sophistication, elegant, seductive, mystery
Gold: Prestige, expensive
Silver: Prestige, cold, scientific
I believe color can affect us even more deeply than our emotions. Oscar Wilde said, Mere color, unspoiled by meaning, and unallied with definite form, can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways. Kandinsky said: Color is the keyboard. The eyes are the hammers. The soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand that plays, touching one key or another, causing vibration in the soul.
Humans are made up of various frequencies of electromagnetic energy relating to the colors of the rainbow, all variations thereof, and to light.
Each of our energy centers and each of our internal organs vibrate and harmonize with the specific frequencies of the many colors in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Awareness of the impact of color and intention means that we can communicate feelings of joy, beauty, inspiration, spirituality, etc. Artists are a light in the world and that light shines through our work.
