ORANGE

Today I was contemplating the color orange because it is the background color of my latest painting. I asked my friends on Facebook to share their thoughts on the color orange. Most of the comments I received were positive associations. Some said it was a happy color that exudes warmth and energy, while others associated it with caution. Orange tends to be a very assertive color that demands your attention. Orange has only been recognized as a color in and of itself since the 17th Century. Before then oranges were either described as reds or yellows. Historically orange has been associated with disparate concepts such as harvest, novel ideas, and spirituality. Artistically, I find it to be a very challenging color. It must be dealt with carefully in a painting or it will steal the show and overpower all the colors around it.