THE POWER OF COLOR

A series of short stories.....





Proudly Displaying Our Nation's Colors:

"The red stands for the sturdy qualities of hardiness and courage.
The white stands for the honest virtues of purity and innocence.
The blue stands for the durable qualities of vigilance, perseverance and justice."

Judy A. Lee




.....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes


Someone once asked me if my 'sense of sight' were to be taken away from me today, what would I miss seeing the most?  With little  hesitation, my reply was......color.

I'm being purely selfish here, however, as an observer of life, I've often thought about losing the ability to listen to the sounds of nature, as well as the man-made world around me.  Or, suddenly relinquishing the power to see the beauty of life that encapsulates every fiber of our being inside the complicated act of light receptors within our eyes.  Color: A property depending on the relations of light to the eye, by which individual and specific differences in the hues and tints of objects are apprehended in vision; any hues distinguished from white or black.  Courtesy of Webster's Dictionary.  Okay, that's as technical as I plan on getting.

 

Usually, I apply my observations towards certain characters that reside in my 'other world' of writing to see how they might react to various trauma and unfortunate circumstances.  I definitely  place myself in a precarious situation in the attempt to balance my 'real' world with my 'make believe' one.  Emotionally reaching-out to my characters has provided insight into my personal reaction to loss and failure.  And, without a doubt, this has greatly influenced my life.  How I choose to allow it to affect me is one of the main reasons I decided that abruptly leaving behind a world filled with brilliant color would turn my life upside down.

Once having had or experienced something positive and beautiful  makes the sudden loss of it even more devastating.  The 'designer' in me is shaking her head up and down right now. 

Wherever you happen to be standing or sitting at this very moment, take a long look around you; observe your surroundings.  Run your hand along the curvature of the  wooden desk you might be sitting at.  Take in the pronounced height and breadth of the room you occupy as you study the large framed painting on the wall hanging just to your left.  Step through the doorway to the outside and feel the warmth of the sun kissing your skin as you inhale the delicious sweetness of the flowers flourishing in your corner garden.  Concentrate on the vibrating humming sound of a honey bee in flight deciding which flower to feast on in order to  extract its sweet nectar and pollen before moving on. 



The Humble Honey Bee

Provided you are receptive of this imagery, each picture can elevate you to a much higher awareness of the world immediately around you.  The scenarios have taken our mundane existence and repositioned it in a loftier light through the use of words and colored visual images.  The glossy mahogany desk takes on its own style with a flair of sex appeal as it replicates the female form.  The room grows much larger in stature as you take-in the oversized silver-framed painting on the wall.  The power of the bright white sun is heightened by how warm your arm is becoming as your nostrils broaden to better inhale the amorous overtones of a single, red rose.  And, where would any of us be if it were not for the hard working honey bee, dressed in black and yellow striping, making his daily collections?

The power of color has always served to enhance and intensify the beauty of our world.

The power of color can illustrate the widespread devastation and havoc of natural disasters and wartime imagery.

The power of color illuminates and clarifies our surroundings via light and enlightenment.  The application of color transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary!  The use of color is an adaptation process that changes or modifies something to suit new conditions or needs.

Many artists will tell you, whether they apply paint, crystals, cloth or ancient stones to form their particular creations, that the personal adaption of color marks the individual set of emotions and style that characterizes their particular work.  From the brush strokes of a Monet painting to the many inspiring men and women who have an eye for the design and decorating of interior spaces....their use of color within their own style sets them apart from everyone else.

The power of color can be quite invigorating!

Have you ever seen a certain color and had it evoke a special taste or smell within you?  Perhaps the color orange conjures up the aroma of orange blossoms when you walked through an orchard in Florida.  Or, umber tones might remind you of the heap of cinnamon-sugar sprinkled on toast as a child.  The 'sound of color' can be just as real to us as a familiar song, reintroduced to our conscience mind, can elicit memories from our past. Walt Disney had a mission of bringing the depth and power of music to kids by introducing eight pieces of classical music and setting them to animation over seventy years ago.  The movie Fantasia has become a loving classic to many generations of fans.  From the deep blue, swirling darkness of the night sky a demon conjures up dark angels in "Night On Bald Mountain."  Mickey Mouse himself is the iconic "Sorcerer's Apprentice" who introduces us to marching brooms of golden straw and rising blue water that threatens his world.  This classic movie taught us to see the music and hear the pictures all in amazing color and stereo!!



Western North Carolina Mountains

Yes, losing the ability of enjoying first-hand the colorful, natural beauty of our world would terrify me after having walked among the deep green forests of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, photographed the smoky blues and grays of the Western North Carolina mountains,  observed at least forty shades of green along the Connemara coastline in Ireland and marveled at the azure seas of the Mediterranean off the southern coast of France!  If so, my memory and imagination would surely have to  become my best friends!

I have lived to witness the intense green and startling blues of my grandchildren's eyes!  I will never forget the picture-perfect rainbows arching high above the Caha Mountains along Ireland's Bantry Bay after a warm afternoon shower.  The myriad of colors that fill the burlap bags overflowing with fresh spices, oceans of sweet, cellophane-wrapped cut flowers (lavender, pink, yellow, red) and endless varieties of farm fresh cheeses displayed in colorful rows remind me of days spent at the open-air markets of France.

Life is color.  Color is life.  I will never neglect or take for granted the impressive power of color.  I have so much more yet to see.....

Farmer's Market in Asheville, North Carolina

Copyright © 2014 By Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved