The Summer of Color has begun and I’m delighted to be playing along again. This annual challenge hosted by the sparkly Kristin of Twinkle, Twinkle invites folks to create something (anything – the sky is the limit!) using a particular palette announced each week. In this year’s iteration we’re coloring by number, and this week’s equation is 1 Blue + 1 Blue + 1 Green, meaning we get to choose 2 shades of blue and 1 shade of green and have at it. Sounds like a formula for fun to me, and I do hope you’ll consider playing along as well.
I had fun last year creating small little journals each week using the prescribed colors and then filling them with notes and photos and scrappy little bits of what happened during the week. And when I was done I had a nice little series capturing my summer. I loved that practice on so many levels and so I’ve decided I’ll return to it again this summer.
It’s my intention to include at least one bit of handmade paper in each week’s journal, and of course the fun for me is to use scraps and bits and stuff readily lying around my work table and studio. The intention is to be inspired by what’s there and not “work” at creating something precious or perfect – this is strictly creating at its most basic fun.
And so here’s my first journal:
The inspiration was actually this vintage glass flower cab, a simple example of a millefiori (thousand flowers) piece of glass. My mind has been racing with garden metaphors lately and so what better way to start documenting my summer that with a pretty flower?
While I was putting together the journal, I started wondering how blue came to be associated with sadness. What if instead we used blue as the Egyptian god Amun did – to color his skin so he could fly across the sky invisibly? Wouldn’t that be fun?
And how did green get connected with envy? Well, it’s more likely the association was actually with jealousy (and this is definitely how Shakespeare meant it with his phrase green-eyed monster) but I’ve read suggestions that as far back as the ancient Greeks working with the system of four humours – blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile – felt an excess of yellow bile provoked envy and jealousy. There is a substance in bile which in certain medical conditions can build up in the body and turn the skin yellow/green, which perhaps is where the association first has its origins.
Now that I’ve been thinking about it I have to admit the green I chose for my journal isn’t the most fabulous shade I might have chosen, veering somewhat into the realm of bile. Sigh. However, it did meet my criteria of being handmade and I thought it went rather well with the two blues that matched the cabochon colors, so I calling it perfect.
Speaking of perfect and blue flowers, now that my peonies have faded for another year, I’m delighting in my blue tradescantia, a lovely example of spiderwort. Butterflies love these beauties as well so I’m hoping they’ll attract plenty of visitors of the bee and butterfly variety.
And so there you have it, my first journal along with two facts (or is it fancies?) about blue and a fact about green. The Summer of Color has officially begun in my world. What about you? What treasures are coloring your world today? Feeling blue? Green with envy? Wish you had a thousand flowers? Do tell – you know I love to hear.
What a great piece and I love your thoughts. They also say green eyes mean envious people. I don’t know if that’s true or not. My eyes used to be hazel, now as I’m old and gray, tee hee, they seem to be brown. I don’t remember being jealous when I had hazel eyes though. Who know, may I was. tee hee. Have a great day and great piece again. Nice to meet you Debora. Happy SOC day to you.
I love the idea of changing eyes Gloria – I think that’s fabulous. So glad you stopped by to say hi and I look forward to spending a colorful summer with you.
oh how beautiful!!!!! lovely work!!! Happy SOC!!!!
Thanks Diana. Let the SOC fun begin!
The blues are sad songs – but sung so beautifully. Such a contradiction!
Love that you are making a journal a week, and so pretty too!
Beautiful sadness – it’s such a fascinating thing isn’t it? Thanks for stopping by Lisa, and happy SOC.
I love your idea of mini journals and look forward to seeing more of them this year. x
Thanks Sue. I’m delighted you stopped by and wish you a fabulous SOC!
very nice work!
Thanks. I’m glad you stopped by Christine and wish you a wonderful SOC!
That little journal is absolutely precious. What a creative idea for SOC! (Loved your saturated blue flowers, too— such a lovely plant.)
Thanks. And I was delighted to see we share a love for blue flowers. Thanks for stopping by and happy SOC!
I’m thinking that green is perfect. Bile didn’t leap to mind until you mentioned it. I went back and had another look and am still thinking it’s perfect. You really do create special moments, Deborah. Each time I visit I am reminded of that. Thank you.
LOL – I’m happy to be bile-free. And thanks for the kind words Kelly.
How lovely. Never thought of being blue or green with envy. But I sure like that tiny journal.
Thanks for popping by to say hello Elizabeth – and best wishes for a fabulous SOC.
What an interesting post! I like the idea of making a small journal to illustrate the colour choices. Beautiful!
Thanks Debs. One of the things I love most about SOC is seeing all the different interpretations of the challenge. Such fun!
sweet little journal and I love that cab you used!
Thanks! I can never resist a lovely little flower cab.
I loved seeing your journals last year and look forward to seeing all of them again! This one that you made for week one is fabulous! I love it! And thanks for sharing the photograph, too! HUGS!
Thanks Sharon. I’m looking forward to another fun SOC, and am excited to see what we all create.
Gorgeous work, beautifully done..perfect for SOC colors!
Victoria
Thanks Victoria. Glad you stopped by and wish you a wonderful color-filled summer.
I have always surrounded myself with colours that have spiritual meaning… Can’t seem to live without it!! Your journal is gorgeous and unique!! Love it!
Hugs Giggles
That’s a very beautiful way to dance with color Giggles!
I love your journal and I think that the colors go together really well. Keeping a small group of summer journals is a great idea. I’ll have to try that. I’m feeling wonderful about blues and greens lately. We have been having a rainy warm spring and everything is lush with growth. I have blue phlox growing in my garden which are lovely .
Lush garden colors are the best aren’t they? How lovely you have phlox – I was just thinking I should add some to my garden. Thanks for stopping by Janelle and happy SOC.
I say !! Today I learned again something new to me. I didn’t know much of the colours as you told in your article, that is marvellous. Thank you EVER so much for this.
Your paper / ART is so fantastic…. I am in awe..
Thank you so much for sharing both the ideas of the colours and for sharing your ART ..
Kind regards
Mariane
Thanks for your kind words Mariane. I love what we’re all creating with our chosen palettes! Happy SOC.
Yes indeed the color green was first used to describe illness. Sources such as Who Put the Butter in Butterfly by David Feldman claim the early Greeks interchanged “green” and “pale” to mean sickly. The Greeks thought that when you were ill or jealous, the body produced too much bile, giving the skin a green tint.
Love your artwork – how splendidly the crinkly homemade paper contrasts with the shiny cab. Fabulous work. Happy PPF
I’ve felt a little green sometimes – I think the Greeks had it right. Thanks for stopping by and happy SOC.
I love your idea!
Thanks. Happy SOC!
Thank you for playing! xo
I’m so delighted you’re hosting this challenge Kristin – I know involves a great deal of work. But it’s such fun for all of us playing! So big thank yous all around. And thanks for stopping by to say hello.
fabulous – love the idea of a mini journal for each palette
SOC is such a delightful challenge and it’s wonderful to see what everyone creates each week.
Deborah, Color, oh yes. This was my first week of the monthlong Women’s Art Institute. I am flipping back and forth between a white project and a black project, which I find to be a curious process. And my black piece is filled with little dabs of brightly colored, light-filled hand-dyed fabrics, SO satisfying. Love your process, your little journal & your blue-blue spiderwort! Beautiful.
Oh Janet – your projects sound fabulous. I so look forward to hearing more about your summer intensive.
Such a sweet little journal …. Love reading about the origin of the meaning of the colours. Very interesting… And your blue flowers are gorgeous!
It’s going to be a fun SOC isn’t it?! Thanks for stopping by and saying hi.
your journal and flowers are so lovely ~
Thanks Tammie. Wishing you a wonderful SOC.
so beautiful! Love the colors and design you created!
Thanks Melinda, and I appreciate you stopping by to say hello. Wishing you a fabulous SOC!
I love your journal Deborah! What a fun idea! I like the idea of working/playing with materials you already have in your studio. Please keep posting your little journals so we can all be inspired:)
Thanks Nancy. Materials-at-hand is always a fun way to play isn’t it? I’ll definitely be posting my weekly journals – I love playing in this challenge.