The Delight of Color

Holding an x-acto knife in my right hand, I snap the blade down a level until it is razor sharp. The coarsely pitted handle secured in my grip, I press my left fingers down on the cold medal of the cork-backed ruler and firmly slice along the edge through one of my brand new Color-aid cards. The pungent scent of paint that had washed over me the first time I opened the box completely overwhelms me while slicing the card. I repeat the process over and over again, one after another, in a range of colors. I am vacillating between sight and smell and touch. Once I complete my selection, I play with the pieces layering them in a variety of patterns and ultimately piece them together with as much precision as I’d used to cut each one. I meticulously glue them down, one next to the other. I am seeing things I’ve never noticed before—how my eyes glide over some sections with ease or vibrate in other places without any physical movement. Somehow noticing, using, and looking for color, has brought to life every one of my senses. Changing how I see makes me more acutely aware of everything in the world around me. I feel more alive, and I love looking at the world through my newly discovered sense of wonder. This experience came to me through my first class on color. I took several other classes, but none that effected me this profoundly.

I love looking at everything now. Noticing the colors of the sky heightens my awareness of how the air feels on my skin. Taking in art at a museum, I recognize how quiet my voice becomes, as well as the squeaking of shoes shuffling along the polished floors and the muted conversations of other museum goers. When I see a rainbow of food, I notice how it makes my mouth water. And when I think of the kinds of gut-wrenching smells I’ve taken in to paint my fingernails or color my hair just to change the look for a moment, I’m flabbergasted at what we are willing to overcome in one sense (smell) to beautify another sense (visual.) On the other hand, maybe we are so drawn to flowers not just because we find their shapes and colors heavenly, but their fragrance is so irresistible that we mirror it in potions to adorn ourselves and our spaces. I think that we often use our eyes as portal to our senses.

Seeing in full spectrum is a joyful process. Though largely impacted by what our eyes observe, seeing is so much more than that. It is how we feel, not just in our senses, but in our hearts and minds. In my first color class I was constantly tickled, sometimes frustrated, and often in awe. I notice the same feelings now when I really use my eyes to be awake to the world. There’s nothing more inspiring than observing a toddler dress themselves in all sorts of color and pattern, or watching a tree as it slowly transitions from its brown hibernation to bright spring garb and months later from its summer clothing to autumn shades that mimic the sky above before camouflaging with the earth below. A change in color changes our feelings and our perceptions. Replace a muted rug for a vibrant one and your room transforms. Eventually, your feelings transform in that room. I love these subtle and profound changes. They reflect who we are and who we want to be, and have a role in who we ultimately become.

Playing with color is a delight. I embrace using it in my work and in my life and am currently challenging myself to use it more creatively. I try to keep myself open to seeing it everywhere in the world around me and letting my responses effect the choices I make.