Whoo-hoo! Some big fun this week over at Tine's Studio Friday! I say that because I suggested a topic and she's using it this week! Thanks Tine! :-)
The topic is "what does the color yellow mean to you??"
Even though I love shabby pastelly hues of pinks and robin's egg blues, I am still drawn to yellow. For me, yellow is epitome of summer and happy faces. Yellow is hot summer sun and mustard! Yellow just makes me happy and I wonder how other artists interpret this color.
When I think of the word yellow, it just makes me happy. It's bright, cheerful, sunny, and happy. Of course there's some negativity associated with the color yellow, i.e., the whole "don't eat yellow snow" thing, but we just won't go there today. :-)
This is but a short list of reasons why yellow is a good, happy color for me. There could be more and probably are.
Yellow is the color of sunshine (this is pretty much worth 1,000,000 points right here!)
Yellow is the color of mustard on a hot dog (or veggie dog!) at a baseball game.
Yellow is the color of corn on the cob.
Yellow is the color of ice cold lemonade.
Yellow is the color of Slip 'N Slides.
Yellow is the color of daffodils.
Yellow is the color of a Cheerios box.
Yellow is the color of leaves in the Fall. Sigh...I love this time of year.
Yellow is the color of mellow, i.e., "they call me Mellow Yellow..."
Yellow is the color of Lemon Cooler cookies. Yum!
Yellow is the color of buttered popcorn at the movies. (BTW - We went to see Ratatouille last night...SOOO cute!)
Yellow is the color of The Simpsons.
Yellow is the color of hat of the man that takes care of Curious George.
Yellow is the color of fire hydrants. (They always make me feel safe.)
Yellow is the color of bananas!
Yellow is the color of happy faces...
I painted this little happy face about 25 years ago. Remember when statuary first came out? Yep, I was on that band wagon. I'm sure I even painted one of those tennis shoe planters and a little tray for my bubble gum.
So as I was looking around in my studio, I realized, save for the happy smiley face, there isn't any yellow in there! Oh I did find this art journal page I made when I was on the justjohanna Design Team.
I just now realized, I hardly ever use yellow in my art unless I'm painting with pastels! So...let's go there, shall we?
Oh yeah, this is my happy yellow. Warm, rich, wheat. I painted this from a picture I took during a visit to Paso Robles, September 2005. Glen, Miranda, and I went down for what turned out to be a family reunion and pretty much one of the best weeks of my entire life. My mom, all my sisters and brothers and all the nieces and nephews all gathered in one place. Color me happy. I love this picture SO much because every time I look at it, I am reminded of how HAPPY my family makes me.
This is a picture I painted a few years ago from a black and white photo. (Who says the sky has to be blue?)
Okay....this is an interesting exercise for me. I don't use yellow in my abstract art but yet, it is a dominant color when I paint landscapes. Yellow is a foundational color for me. When I see it, it has a centering effect on me. It just makes me smile.
Hope you have a great, happy Friday filled with all the good kinds of yellows! See ya!
This has to be one of my most favorite posts you have done! I love yellow even though it not my first choice of "fav" colors ( which, happen to be the same as yours!) but "buttered popcorn, mustard on a hotdog at the game... corn on the cob..., fall leaves..sigh. I LoVE yellow!
Posted by: Regina | July 19, 2007 at 11:17 PM
Wonderful thoughts on yellow! Vincent did very well with the color in his later years, didn't he. Still love your "happy face."
Posted by: GMa Jean | July 19, 2007 at 11:20 PM
If anyone asks what's my favorite color, I will answer YELLOW without hesitation. But somehow, I don't use YELLOW a lot in my works...I will soon!
I enjoy this post a lot!!
Posted by: Emilia | July 20, 2007 at 06:38 AM
Thanks for this topic!! Love all the yellow inspiration!
Posted by: Stephanie | July 20, 2007 at 07:16 AM
What a great list!
Posted by: Alisa Noble | July 20, 2007 at 09:31 AM
Mmm, another yellow lover here (tho my favorite is still red...). Had a yellow and orange bedroom in high school, now have a yellow/orange, green & purple bathroom! Truly a happy color :)---I'm more likely to use it in my watercolor paintings than in my pastels---tho lately with the cut fields, it's become a real player in my landscapes. Fun to see your pastels---the one with the two trees looks like a scene I've painted at Finley Wildlife Refuge south of here---a real deja-vu :).
Posted by: Jana | July 20, 2007 at 11:47 AM
Love the color Yellow. I painted the exterior of my house Yellow. Not quite sunshine yellow but a shade lighter. It gives me that happy feeling turning the corner on my way home from work and seeing my yellow happy house :). Great color. Though the interior walls are all sorts of other colors that I like, Greens, Peach, Burgundy, some more yellow (golden yellow), blue.
Melissa :) happy Friday
Posted by: Melissa Merrill | July 20, 2007 at 12:07 PM
Great post! Love your yellow is... list and and your artwork is beautiful =)
Posted by: Jill | July 21, 2007 at 07:59 AM
I think I might be the only one who deosn't like yellow but I do like your list of all things yellow! :-)
Posted by: susan | July 21, 2007 at 08:04 PM
My mom and aunt absolutely both love yellow. I am beginning to like it, too. It makes me happy just looking at it, I love the art journal you did, excellent.
Posted by: Malou | July 21, 2007 at 11:31 PM