Colour of today - Yellow

In exploring color, I have decided to work my way around the color wheel and do a little exploring that way. In my last post colouring events I talked about one of my favorite events "When Life Gives you Lemons" - a concept that was originally written in 2009 when we could not wait for the economy to turn around - and that was about finishing their conference with a lightness that looked toward the future. When it came to life, with great jazz, lemon tree centrepieces, the wine fairies and bright yellow tones through lighting and florals and candlelight - it really was magical.

Yellow is a primary color, meaning that like red and blue, it exists alone. It is abundant in nature, and signifies hope, such as in the song "Tie a yellow ribbon around the old Oak tree" from the time when women wore yellow ribbons as they waited for the men to return from war. It is a cheerful colour generally, one we associate with the flowers of spring, and sunshine.

In art, visual merchandising and display work, yellow is often used as a contrast or feature point. When used sparingly it can create visual texture and light, a subtle energy and excitement.  When used in its muted forms it is an excellent neutral that works well with an earthy palette. For a more natural event we often find ourselves incorporating yellows, from sunflowers in a market stall, to elegant uplit orchid centrepieces.

Yellow also signifies caution, such as its use in traffic signs and lights. It is not stop or go, but "be careful". It can also be the colour of fear or cowardice as in "(s)he has a yellow streak". It is associated holistically with the third chakra, the solar plexus, and is the colour of ego or personal power, associated with being internally strong and accepting of our place in the world. It also is where our "gut instinct" comes from, something we should always listen to.

Yellow is a perfect color to provide you with a lift, whether it is smelling a flower, wearing a yellow shirt, painting a wall yellow so you always have lightness to look at... it is even the color of the original post-it note, so if your computer looks anything like mine, there is always yellow ideas floating nearby!

As seen at a Toronto Home Design Booth several seasons ago, and still fabulous!