Red… the colour of passion

Everything in nature is a vibration and every colour and tone of colours have their own frequency and wavelength as well. Our eyes perceive colours that vibrate with a wavelength of 400-750 nanometers and that fits right into the middle of the spectrum of light. The visible colours from lowest to highest frequency (longest to shortest wavelength) are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet.

RedFlower

However, our body absorbs colour not only through our eyes but also through our skin, aura and energy field. The vibrations are subtle yet powerful as we simply by visualizing a colour can change how we feel about a situation.

Take the colour red, some people literally see red when they notice this colour… no wonder as it actually increases the pulse and heart rate AND raises our blood pressure. Oh yes, there’s proper research behind this statement! So beware of what you wear if you suffer from high blood pressure…

Red also increases our appetite by increasing our metabolism. This makes it easy to understand why a number of restaurants use this colour including what I think of as junk food corporations, such as McDonald and KFC!

Red is generally a colour of life, vitality and strength. It stimulates and vitalizes the body and it promotes heat as it increases the heart rate so it’s great for tiredness and depression. It also stimulates the will power and courage while it builds confidence and initiative. Just think of what a red sports car would mean or do to a lot of people!

Red is the color of blood and fire and is associated with meanings of love, passion, desire, heat, longing, lust, sexuality, sensitivity, romance and joy. Then of course there are what is normally known as masculine traits such as strength, leadership, courage, vigor and willpower which are also associated with red…  as is action, vibrance, radiance, and determination.

On the more negative side, rage, anger, danger, malice, wrath and stress are all red traits, which makes perfectly sense when we know that red actually increases the pulse! We even have expressions to that extent, for instance to be red with anger or seeing red, red flag being waved in front of us (warning of danger), being in the red (deficit on the account) and so on.

Red is a highly visible color and it seems to get people to make quick decisions. I suppose that’s why fire trucks and fire engines normally are painted red. In the same line, stop signs and lights are red to alert people about upcoming dangers while on the road.

This always makes me think of red as a bit of a paradox as it’s definitely means danger (fire) but then again it also means passion (fire) and sex and romance. I suppose romance and sex could be dangerous…?

For the Chinese, the colour red signifies good luck, joy, goodness and is normally used for happy occasions such as right now during Chinese New Year, at weddings and other celebrations. It also associated with good fortune. ChineseBride
Red can be a very useful colour as it can ward off evil… says the Chinese, as it’s also symbolic for fire, one of the important 5 elements on which they base their life and everything. And just so you know it: Evil spirits can not wear red. In short, red is the passion and pride of the Chinese!

In other cultures red means other things. For me, red is also associated with Christmas while I hear that in South Africa red is used for funerals.

Red is also used in politics where it is the colour used for socialist or communistic political views or for social democrat parties, in general.

So how to use red?

Wear it, surround yourself with if, look at it, hold it, eat it, drink it, think it… or breathe it!

Or buy a red painting like this one by me:

0110 Embrace

This painting is called “Embrace”, acrylic on canvas 81×81 cm and painted 2012 with this message:

Life is such a gentle creature yet we sometimes forget to pay attention to it. Sometimes we even take life for granted and completely ignore the beauty in the moments we experience. It is the small moments that makes our lives uniquely ours… whether we consider a particular moment good or bad, it’s still a moment and it has a meaning for us.

In reality there are no good or bad moments, they are all there for us to embrace because they shape us into who we are. It could be a child’s smile on a rainy day, the kindness of a stranger, the tear of an elder, the death of a friend. It could be a door opened… or a door shut… but it’s a moment and that moment could be our quantum leap in life.

Are you embracing the moments in your life? 

Use red if you feel cold, tired or lack energy. Play with it if you lack enthusiasm. Go to bed with it if you would like to feel sexy. Make it your companion if you feel insecure, fearful or anxious.

Have fun with red! It’s a great balancer of our sexual energy, our true life-force as well as creativity.

 

Workshop “Painting from your Heart”

Check out my next workshop in KL… it’s on 23-24 Feb 2013 from 9.30 am to 5 pm at my studio and garden.

This workshop is for you who would like to explore art as a tool to get in touch with yourself. It’s all about you and HOW you can let your feelings out on paper and canvas and what it means the stuff you’re creating. Suitable for both beginners and intermediate painters.

I will touch on WHY it is so important to be able to express the inner most feelings creatively. I will guide you through some exercises and meditations, which will help you create even if you haven’t painted before. And you will learn intuitive methods for painting and how to express yourself from the inside out through painting.

When you’ve created your artwork, I’ll help you analyse WHAT it really is that you painted.

Course fee includes 2 full days workshop, all materials, lunch and coffee/tea.

Standard price: RM600 per person
Early Birds before 5 Feb 13: RM450 per person
Fee must be paid in full latest 18 Feb 2013.

Book now… or call if you have any questions. For online bookings and more details:

www.paintingfromheart.eventbrite.com