We know of colour through our experiences of coloured things. And this knowing is rooted to the contexts in which knowing occurs. That the daffodil is yellow is seemingly an objective scientific truth. However, that daffodils elicited a famous poem by Wordsworth could be considered testament to a subjective response to the daffodil’s yellowness in the context of its form and status as a natural object to which purpose and function could be ascribed. We have seen that, from Newton onwards, science has driven our understanding of what colour in fact is. Within the visual arts it is painting that has most powerfully applied this knowledge, putting it to use in the human world; offering up colour as meaningful and contextual. Explorations of colour often concern themselves with how it is that we take colour in, in a fuller experiential sense. Our responses to colour can be considered optical (or retinal); more to do with what it is that the eye sees (the result of the laws of physics and biology), or interpretive; more to do with how we use what is seen to alter and inform our world.
Select two objects from your possessions...one important and the other not very.
Looking closely, paint both objects objectively, rendering their true colours.
Paint the objects again, using colour to indicate specialness or else uninterest.
Emil Nolde.
Emil Nolde, Beach in Autumn I; Strand im Herbst I (1910) (oil on canvas) Bridgeman Images.
"Beach in Autumn I" or "Strand im Herbst I" is a vivid and striking example of the artist's use of colour. Nolde was known for his bold and expressive use of colour, often incorporating bright and vibrant hues. Nolde uses warm and cool colours to create a dynamic and atmospheric scene. The foreground of the painting is dominated by a deep, rich orange-red, which contrasts with the cool blues and greens of the sea and sky. This creates a sense of depth and perspective, with the warm tones drawing my eye into the painting.
The use of colour here is not purely symbolic because he evokes emotion and expresses his subjective experience of the scene. The contrast between these colours creates a sense of tension as if I am caught between two opposing forces.
He uses light to create a sense of movement and energy. The foreground appears to glow with its inner light, while the chilly blues and greens of the sea and sky seem to shimmer and sparkle. This creates a sense of motion and vitality as if the scene is alive with energy and movement. This is such a vibrant and dynamic celebration of nature.
Exercise 3: Objective and/or Subjective Colour
How can colour impact the viewer's experience?
How do colours interact with each other, and how can they be used to create depth, contrast, and emotion in my paintings?
Can colour influence mood or perception?
Can I create a deeper resonance and meaning?
First Object
I chose orchids. Why?
Orchids have delicate beauty and graceful appearance, creating a calming and soothing atmosphere in my home. My flying career was tiring; filling the house with serenity has always seemed important. Coming home, after being enclosed in an aircraft environment to the elements of nature, relaxed and calmed me, creating a tranquil setting.
Who else has painted orchids?
Georgia O'Keeffe
An American artist who became famous for her paintings of enlarged flowers, including orchids. Striking colours and detailed, abstract forms characterise O'Keeffe's orchid paintings.
"Colour is one of the great things in the world that makes life worth living to me and as I have come to think of painting it is my efforts to create an equivalent with paint color for the world, life as I see it".
Georgia O'Keeffe
Orchid is part of her flower series, inspired by her rural Wisconsin upbringing.
Georgia O'Keeffe Orchid Pastel on paper (1941)- Moma.org
Martin Johnson Heade
Another American painter was known for his detailed still-life paintings of flowers and orchids. Heade's paintings of orchids are celebrated for their scientific accuracy and vivid depictions of the plant's delicate features.
M.J. Heade (1902) Orchid and Hummingbird near a Waterfall - Oil on canvas - Moma.org
Materials
2 x Oval and 1 round board small, medium and large.
Acrylic paint
Various synthetic brushes.
Roller and printing ink.
Khadi Paper
Glue stick
Cutting tool (knife)
Gouache paint
Process.
The initial piece was faithful to the actual colour of the orchids (accurate or objective colour).
The second piece makes the orchids uninteresting by using monochromatic colours and abstracting the petals into shapes.
The third piece I wanted to make a more visually stimulating piece. Subjective colour. The opposite of calm.
I am using Khadi paper initially to paint a few abstract shapes and print (with a roller) a base texture with bright colours, not calm. Let's make the orchids zing and pop (the opposite of the serene atmosphere I feel when looking at white orchids).
Process Images.
Printing, layering, glueing, cutting and positioning the khadi paper to make a 3D element for my round board orchid piece.
Limes, purples, reds, oranges and yellows, a frenzy of vivid colours. I used these colours to accent the edges of the two oval pieces and make a triptych.
"Chromatic Orchids"
A Triptych Exploring Colour Theory Through Floral Beauty"
In metamorphosis, the orchids shed
Their pristine whites, a former bed
Each petal a canvas, a chromatic display
A symphony of colours, a vibrant array.
Martine Elliott.
Second object.
I painted what was in front of me, actual colours and a little rushed as I didn't care for the object or composition.
My second piece was more quirky and less traditional. The colour pink was one I didn't care for, and it made me muse over when it was first used. Artsy says,
'Under the umbrella of Japonisme, the 19th-century term for the influence of Japanese aesthetics and culture in the West, pink imbued the French Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist movement. From the sublime golden hours of Théo van Rysselberghe to Claude Monet’s lilies and Edgar Degas’s dancers, European pinks turned bold shades of musky rose, bright strawberry, and tropical cerise.'
Paired with a small amount of the complimentary teal green, 'The Hot Pink Pot' creates a more upbeat mood with a more modern atmosphere.
'The Hot Pink Pot'
Digital crop of Mixed media on A3 watercolour Paper
References
‘Georgia O’Keeffe Quotes’ (no date). Available at: https://www.georgiaokeeffe.org/quotes/ (Accessed: 12 March 2023).
Fig 1 - Nolde, E. (1910) Beach in Autumn I; Strand im Herbst I, 1910 (oil on canvas) [Oil on canvas 39x65 cms]. Available at: https://www.bridgemanimages.com/en-US/nolde/beach-in-autumn-i-strand-im-herbst-i-1910-oil-on-canvas/nomedium/asset/826263 (Accessed: 28 February 2023).
Fig 2 - O’Keeffe., G. (1941) An Orchid [Pastel on paper mounted on board Dimensions 27 5/8 x 21 3/4" (70.2 x 55.2 cm) ]. Available at: https://www.moma.org/collection/works/37328 (Accessed: 12 March 2023).
Fig 3 - Heade, M.J. (1902) Orchid and Hummingbird near a Waterfall [Oil on canvas. 38.2 x 51.5 cm]. Available at: https://www.museothyssen.org/en/collection/artists/heade-martin-johnson/orchid-and-hummingbird-near-waterfall (Accessed: 12 March 2023).
Bucknell, A. (no date) A brief history of pink. Available at: https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-history-pink (Accessed: 15 March 2023).
References
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