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.

 

MDBC Sustainability Awards 2011

I just had the great honour of having 4 of my paintings selected to be the first prizes in the MDBC Sustainability Awards 2011, awarded by Malaysian Dutch Business Council to prominent businesses in Malaysia.

The event took place at hotel Crowne Plaza Mutiara KL on 2 November 2011 with prominent guests participating including MDBC Patron and AirAsia Chairman Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, MDCB Patron and current  Malaysian Minister of International Trade& Industry, Sri Mustapa Muhamed and H.E. Paul Bekkers, Netherlands Ambassador.

The award winners with Charlotte centre stage (yes, I’m the colourful one) next to the Minister!
The painting “Freedom” given for Best Practices in Sustainability of a Malaysian Partner:

The painting "Freedom" given for Best Practices in Sustainability of a Malaysian Partner

The painting “Freedom” was awarded to Biodome for Best Practices in Sustainability of a Malaysian Partner (nominated by Bell  Group of Companies). I suggested this painting for this prize because the turquoise leaf in this painting is coming out of the blue, so to speak, it’s very alive and vibrant! The indigo, or midnight blue, is indicating internal communication while the turquoise in the leaf is indicating strength. Both colours are good for communication which is a must for business partners to succeed on any level, in any endeavor.  Amongst partners, the best practices will only surface when both partners feel the freedom to communicate what is right.

The painting “Sustainability” was awarded for Corporate Sustainability for Environment:

The award for Best Corporate Sustainability for Environment was won by Basis Day and their prize painting was “Sustainability”. This painting was the obvious prize for this particular award because this painting instantly says environment, nature and green beliefs. Furthermore, green is also the colour of the heart chakra, the energy of our heart. When we’re talking environment it’s important to make it a habit to simply move the decisions as little as 30 cm… from the head to the heart! So the green is both for the environment and for the heart!

The painting “Symbiosis” was awarded for Best Corporate Sustainability in Human Ressources and was won by Guiness Anchor Berhad.

The painting “Symbiosis” was chosen as the Human Resources award because it is showing a threesome of leaves symbolising our relationships with others, just like in human resources. Each leaf is a symbol of a group and having more groups/leaves, it signifies the diversity we meet in different groups of people, in different departments of a company, in different divisions, in different parts of the world…. Yet all part of the same system. All in balance, living in symbiosis. The orange is also the colour of our sacral chakra, the energy that governs our relations and creative endeavors.

The painting “Purity” was awarded for Best Corporate Sustainability in Community Development.

The painting “Purity” was chosen to be the prize for Community Development because white instantly communicates purity and being good in community development demands a pure heart and pure thinking. Community development is all about giving and serving without any thoughts of self gain or financial return.
All the paintings are painted on 2011 and are mixed media on canvas including a little piece of Mother Nature.

The sizes are 51 x 51 cm. Contact me if you are interested in similar style paintings (I NEVER make copies!!!) or need something special for your corporate award ceremony.

For information about MDBC, please check their web site on http://www.mdbc.com.my