What Is True About The Color Blue?

Blue is a color of speculation; the color means different things to different people. For instance, some find the hue mellowing while others find it encourages strength. Today we dress boys in blue, but until the 1900s it was known as a girl’s color. More so, the amount of blue shades can seem overwhelming. From sky blue to navy and even electric, each blue shade can be interpreted in a unique way.

Diving into the history behind the color blue shines light on its checkered past, but it doesn’t necessarily explain why we feel blue or are drawn to blue humor. Nevertheless, knowing the history of blue can help us understand how this color influences the world we live in today.

Biblical Blue

In biblical times the color blue was seen as holy. The Old Testament notes how the High Priest wore a blue robe and the Ark of the Covenant was covered with a blue cloth. Similarly, in the book of Numbers, God instructs Moses to tell the Israelites to “…make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them…” (Numbers 15:40 NIV). More so, recall early paintings of the Virgin Mary. She was often portrayed wearing celestial blue.

Blue Laws

However, by the early years of Colonial America blue had taken on a different meaning. In short, blue meant bad. At this time, there was something called, “Blue Laws.” According to First Amendment professor David Hudson, these laws were put in place to “…encourage people to go to church, and to prohibit people from engaging in secular activities.” A shining example of a Blue Law is the prohibition of alcohol sales on Sundays.

Blue Humor

Today, many of us fear the pink slip, but years ago comedians feared the blue envelope. In the early 1900s, traveling comedy groups were handed blue envelopes before they entered new venues. The envelopes contained notes on what material ought to be cut from the show so no local audience members would be offended.

What Do You Think About The Color Blue?

Believe it or not, the rich history behind the color blue continues. Have you ever wondered why people sing the blues? And do you know what a “blue devil” is? The NPR article, “Sacred, Sad And Salacious: With Many Meanings, What Is True Blue?“ continues to unravel the history behind blue. But this story cannot end until we know what the color blue means to you.

Do you have a strong connection to the color blue? If so, what shade speaks to you? And how do you use this color to brighten up your world? Share with us by leaving a comment in the “Leave a Reply” section below.

Read more Segmation blog posts about art and color:

Blue is for Boys, Pink is for Girls

Blue Trees in Seattle

Fun Facts About Familiar Colors

Be an Artist in 2 minutes with Segmation SegPlay® PC (see more details here)

Segmation

Join us on FacebookSegPlay® Mobile iTunes now available for iPhone and iPad

www.segmation.com

Advertisement

Emulate the Romantic Style of William Blake

Artists have varying traits and abilities. Still, there are many common threads that tie this community of talented individuals together – one being that artists feel as if they are different. This isn’t too farfetched; artists are often misunderstood by society and even their peers. This story is especially apparent in the life of William Blake.

Regardless of how others viewed him and his art, William Blake’s work has gained notoriety. Unfortunately, Blake died nearly two centuries ago with no money and little recognition.

The interesting life and work of William Blake could be discussed for hours on end. However, this post is meant to recognize his mystical style and some major pieces. For those who want to read more of Blake’s story, visit this link: http://www.segmation.com/products_pc_patternset_contents.asp?set=WBL. Also, Segmation is proud to offer 24 digital William Blake patterns. By downloading these paint by number masterpieces, you can emulate one of the most fascinating artists who ever lived.

William Blake’s Style

Romantic. Mystical. Radical. Non-conformist. These words attempt to describe William Blake, but they barely scratch the surface.

Blake lived during the latter half of the 18^th century an up to 1827. He was both an artist and poet. During his life, he and his wife worked as engravers to make ends meet.

Today, Blake is recognized as one of the founders of the Romantic Movement. He approached the content of his art as if it all took place in a dream. It seems he was fond of stories from the Bible in addition to great works of literature. In studying his work, it is clear that these characters were alive to him. He paints vivid pictures that could have only been birthed from his imagination.

The Work of William Blake

On the day William Blake died, it is said that he was working on illustrations to go along with Dante’s Divine Comedy.

Before that, at the age of 65 he pursued a project that consisted of 21 copperplate illustrations purposed to breathe life into the Old Testament Bible story of Job.

His life was riddled with disappointment and depression. One story that exemplifies this truth comes from a time he shared an idea with a publisher. He wanted to illustrate Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. The publisher liked the idea but chose to have another artist complete the work. Still, Blake moved forward with creating his own illustrations and planned to sell them at a separate exhibit. Unfortunately, very few people attended the affair and he did not sell a single painting that night.

Despite a life of hardship, William Blake never stopped creating art. Poetry and painting were his passions and engraving was his trade for nearly 50 years.

It can be assumed that Blake had delightful seasons of life, even though they didn’t come in the forms of dollars or fame. Nevertheless, happy stories about William Blake are hard to find these days. Today, William Blake’s joy can only be seen in his paintings.

Enjoy the 24 William Blake Patterns Segmation has for you and continue to learn and celebrate the life of a great artist.

Read more Segmation blog posts about other great artists:

Joseph Mallord William Turner – Great Painter of Light

French Floral and Portrait Painter – Henri Fantin-Latour

Albert Bierstadt: Painter of the American West

Be a Artist in 2 minutes with Segmation SegPlay® PC (see more details here)

Segmation

FREE Newsletter

Join us on FacebookSegPlay® Mobile iTunes now available for iPhone and iPad

www.segmation.com

Rembrandt van Rijn – 17th Century Dutch Master

http://www.segmation.com

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (July 15, 1606 – October 4, 1669) is regarded as the greatest artist of Holland’s Golden Age and one of the most important in European art. A prolific painter, draftsman and etcher, his portraits and artistic interpretations of the Bible remain unique. By the end of his life, Rembrandt had produced over 600 paintings (including nearly 100 self-portraits), around 400 etchings, and 2,000 drawings.

Rembrandt was born in Leiden, the Netherlands, the fifth son of a miller. Despite coming from a relatively modest family, his parents attached great importance to education, and Rembrandt began his studies at the Latin School. At the age of 14, he was enrolled at the University of Leiden. But the program did not interest him, and he soon left to study art first, a three-year apprenticeship with a local master, Jacob van Swanenburgh, and then, in Amsterdam, with Pieter Lastman, a local master known for his historical paintings.

Under Lastman’s tuition, Rembrandt became exposed to works of Caravaggio and the Italian masters. His interest in religious and mythological subjects was most likely a result of Lastman’s influence. After six months, and having mastered everything he had been taught, Rembrandt returned to Leiden, where he was soon so highly regarded that, although barely 22 years old, he took his first pupils.

In 1631 Rembrandt moved to Amsterdam and settled there permanently. He became a leading portrait painter and received many commissions for portraits as well as for paintings of religious subjects. His works were characterized by his mastery of chiaroscuro – the theatrical use of light and shadow. He used luxuriant brushwork and rich colors, generous flesh tones, and a lively presentation of subjects that lacked the formality favored by his contemporaries.

Of all the Baroque masters, it was Rembrandt who evolved the most revolutionary technique. By the mid 1630s he had abandoned the conventional Dutch smoothness and his surfaces were thick with paint. From the Venetians he learned to use a brown ground but despite a palette that was limited even by 17th century standards, he was renowned as a colorist, combining tones of light and shade with vibrant colors.

In 1634 Rembrandt married Saskia van Uylenburg, the beautiful cousin of a successful art dealer and the model for many of his paintings. He was, by then, a wealthy, respected citizen, and in 1639 he purchased a large house (now the Rembrandt House Museum) in the Jewish quarter of Amsterdam. This was the period in which he painted masterpieces such as ‘The Blinding of Samson’, and his most celebrated painting ‘The Night Watch’, a group portrait of one of the city’s militia companies. His studio was filled with pupils.

Rembrandt’s family life however was not so successful. Saskia died in 1642, a year after the birth of their son, Titus. His affections then turned to his housekeeper, Hendrickje Stoffels, who modeled for him and bore him a daughter. And despite his financial success, Rembrandt lived expensively, and was declared bankrupt in 1656. He was forced to sell most of his paintings as well as his house and printing press. Eventually, he opened an art shop with Hendrickje and Titus.

Rembrandt’s new poverty had little effect on the quality of his work however, even if they did become more somber. Some of the great paintings from this period are ‘The Jewish Bride’, ‘Bathsheba’, and ‘Jacob Blessing the Sons of Joseph’.

Rembrandt outlived both Hendrickje and his son, and was buried in an unmarked grave in the vicinity of Amsterdam, in 1669.

Read more Segmation blog posts

Sunflowers are Summer’s Glory

Summer Sand Castle Challenge

Be an Artist in 2 minutes with Segmation SegPlay® PC (see more details here)

Segmation

FREE Newsletter

Join us on Facebook SegPlay® Mobile iTunes now available for iPhone and iPad