“Am I Blue? You’d be, too.”

Yes, one more lament before I hang it up and get back to the business of blogging. My once trusty camera has “given up the ghost.” Made of plastic, the threads for mounting on a tripod are stripped, the plastic cover for conducting battery power has come unhinged; and quite frankly, so have I. Why is that such a big deal? Because I can’t upload any photos or paintings until I purchase a new one and it’s a low-budget month. Doesn’t every crisis, especially financial ones, come in threes?

Now about that title; since paintings are usually made up of color, I thought it would be fun to discuss color’s history, effects, and uses. The color for today’s blog: Tada – blue! Did you see that coming?

Blue is the most popular color on the planet. Over 50% of people choose blue as their favorite color (it’s certainly one of mine). Over the centuries, blue has come to symbolize trust, truth, faith and heaven; most of us know blue from the sky overhead and the oceans and seas around us. Is it any wonder then that blue has come to mean depth and stability?

Technically, blue is a “guy” color and the favored hue among men, analytical people and professionals. Light shades of blue remind us of health, healing, peace and understanding. Darker shades give off the feelings of empowerment, knowledge, integrity, and seriousness.

I have used blue often in my paintings of birds. They appear calm and beautiful in their natural setting. Many people use Cerulean as a base color for sky; sometimes as their only color. I’ve found it a bit flat for my tastes, and usually add part cobalt or viridian to the mix. Of course, flashes of yellow or Alizarin Crimson along the horizon never hurts, either. I’ve received many compliments on my sky colors so I must be doing something right.

The color blue has inspired paintings like The Blue Boy, music (The Blue Danube, Blue Moon, etc.), flags, religious icons, clothing (blue denim) and songs (Blue Suede Shoes). The down side is that the color blue can calm you down to the point of depression if you surround yourself with too much of it. What’s your favorite color?

Once I get my new camera, I’ll upload the completed “portrait “from my recent class and the last painting in my 1920s series. Standby!