Tuesday, January 5, 2010

The Random Use of Color

That is where my mind is at today...I'm thinking about the Random Use of Color.

Question: Is color generally random? or has "something" planned the colors we see in nature?

Question: Do human eyes see colors differently? There are people who are color blind, who can see color, but not the same color everyone else sees. I wonder, is everyone just a hint or maybe one or two degrees off from each other?

Question: Can random color work in a quilt without any thought as long as a neutral color is added? What if a neutral color is not added? What are the limits to random use?

I am giving a talk to the Northern Lights Quilt Guild on Wednesday January 13th about the Random Use of Color. Today I am preparing for it, reading books on color and traditional color theory, but mostly spending time thinking about how I go about using color. I want to present a non-technical approach to using color for those people, like me, who just dive into color. Also, I'm interested in appealing to people who are neutrals, or pre-set patterns to encourage them to try something different. I want to make it fun, too!

Ah, time now to paw over my past quilts, to tear open my fabric closet and look at and try several mock-ups. Who says preparing for a talk isn't fun?

See ya.
Ode to Color

Colors are electrons

Visible, they occupy one octave of the
electromagnetic spectrum

To reach you, their rainbow vibrations move
at the speed of light

Yet, they require no medium
for transmission

Learn from your colors, for they are part of you:
mind, eye, sensation

Use your colors, for they are your personal resource
from the universe.
- Dorothee L. Mella

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