Mixed Emotions

As an artist have you even purposely chosen a specific color theme for your work in the hopes of evoking a particular emotion in your viewer?

There are numerous articles written about what any given color means or what emotion it will arouse in a person, but take a moment to look again, or even read further within the same article, and you’ll be sure to find a contradiction to the “fact” it is purporting.

For example, I read in several articles that the color green is linked to emotions such as calmness, tolerance, and being agreeable with those around you (or just being agreeable in general.) The very same article stated that green was associated with jealousy and envy, as well. And, of course, we have all actually heard the very familiar phrase "green with envy" throughout our lives. That’s probably because it goes way back! It was first used by Shakespeare in “Othello”. Green is also the color associated with poison and toxicity. 

Now I don’t know about you, but I am thinking that calmness and tolerance strongly contradicts envy, poison and the like.

I read that the color blue is often described as being peaceful, tranquil and a sign of reliability and stability. Really? In the same articles it is pointed out that blue is very often associated with “sadness” or full-blown feelings of depression. I am sure you have heard that very common expression of “feeling blue”, which so aptly describes the experience of sadness or melancholy.  When all of this is considered, I am confused whether blue paint should be chosen for the walls of public facilities for its peacefulness or avoided because of the potential feelings of sadness it could possibly promote. Very confusing.

Does the color blue make you feel sad or do you find it peaceful and inspiring?

What about red? Now there’s a strong color that elicits intense emotions, whatever they are. Red, because it is so strongly linked to sexuality and intimate passion, can certainly draw attention and draw you near. But at the same time, it signals a warning to STOP, a warning of DANGER, pushing you away. Red is said to represent both love and anger. These seem quite contradictory to me, but I’m not to the point of “seeing red” over it yet. (Sorry, I just couldn’t help myself. LOL) But, it does prove my point, once again, that what each color represents is truly a mixed bag.

I could go on and on citing examples of other colors here, but this blog would just become too long. I think you get the gist of it, though. Colors can represent many different things to many different people. 

Artists can and do use colors quite intentionally to express their own emotions and elicit an emotional response (of one kind or another) from those that view their art. Color always has an aspect of feeling associated with it, but what exactly that feeling is can sometimes be confusing. Sometimes it is just “mixed emotions”.