A Color Autobiography

I love color. Really love it. You can't get enough color in your life, I say. Especially bright vibrant colors rubbing up against other bright colors. Like purple - I'm convinced as of late that purple is possibly the best color around - it goes with everything. Even orange.

When I was 5 I entered a coloring contest hosted by a department store. I remember it clearly: sitting at our round formica-topped dining table, carefully coloring in the airplanes that framed the page. I decided they had to be purple airplanes, with yellow accents. Mom questioned me on that (Mom has impeccable taste, mind you. You just can't argue with that - she's always right, but likes to play it safe). No, purple airplanes they must be, and wouldn't you know it, I won a $25 gift certificate to the store! I really wasn't thinking - I hated shopping at that age, and empowering MORE shopping wasn't the brightest move I made, but it was the start of my art career, so to speak. And it gave me a courage to go with my gut and use color with abandon.

I love the sugary, syrupy colors that show up in the Rococo period. VanGogh had a fearless love of color as well. A couple other colorists I admire are mostly in the textile realm: Kaffe Fasset, and Kristin Nichols (scroll down to see her house interior!).

How does color play into your life? Do you like to keep it "safe" - or do bursts of color energize you? Are there areas you keep it neutral? I'm discovering how neutrals can be full of life, too. An all-white room that is full of texture is beautiful. Not easy to keep clean, but beautiful!

Today's challenge: play with color today in a new way: think clothes, paintings, table settings, even getting out the crayons and experimenting with different color combos. Look to nature for inspiration. But most of all, have fun!