The Color Green: Many Shades, Many Meanings

When people share their favorite colors, green seems to be a popular pick. But it doesn’t need to be favored for people to notice it. Green is everywhere.

The Many Shades of Green

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In its natural form, green is seen in the grass and trees. What about the shades of green that exist in between?

When green is combined with hints of other colors it can be powerful. For instance, green with some blue creates a vibrant shade which is often associated with growth. Here are some other shades of green that evoke strong feelings, too.

• Green and brown is a popular choice when it comes to camouflage patterns.
• Green with hints of orange and yellow is a great shade in springtime. It is often seen with fruits and fresh foods.
• When purple is added to green, the hue becomes rich and stylish. Certain fashion trends ensure this green is often the focal point of seasonal lines.

Green is everywhere. It is evident in almost anything. It can be warm or cool, dark or bright. But the roots of this color go deeper than what meets the eye. In many cultures, green is a symbol people hold dear. Green represents great characteristics of nature like balance, harmony and stability.

Using Green for Home Décor

Ancient traditions are known to use shades of green in their décors. Feng Shui is a popular practice that calls on the natural elements of green. The Chinese philosophy of Feng Shui relies of harmony. This means that green is used often to offer perfect balance to other elements.

One place where it is recommended to use green is the front door. It is believed that the front door sets the tone for the entire house. In China, green is linked to an abundant life. Growth, sunrise and other signs of renewal are also associated with green. Painting a front door with this hue is a great way to share positivity with the world.

What do you see when you are face to face with the color green? Do you take time to appreciate the color of nature all around you? Stop and look. Green is everywhere. When you take time to notice it, recognize the effect this color has on you. Does it renew your energy and refresh your soul? If yes, it may soon become your favorite color.

Read more Segmation blog posts about the color green: 

Green Represents Saint Patrick’s Day

Welcome Spring with a Freshly Painted Front Door

Studying the Shades of Green

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Blue Trees in Seattle

Which one of these blue trees doesn’t belong? The residents of Seattle have been wondering just that. Those who visit Seattle’s Westlake Park this summer are sure to witness a unique change of scenery.

Australian artist, Konstantin Dimopoulos is responsible for transforming the usually brown bark on these trees bright blue. No, she didn’t climb these trees and paint them blue. The blue coloring comes from biologically safe pigmented water.

As simple as the process may seem, its end result is quite complex. In fact, the park is other worldly. Anyone who witnesses these blue Seattle trees is sure to feel as if they have entered a strange new world. It’s a fairyland where one’s imagination can run free.

Another amazing aspect of this art project is that the blue trees will revert back to their natural color. The pigment will fade over time. The trees were turned blue on April 2, 2012. It is expected that they will remain blue for several months.  Visitors to this Seattle Park can see these blue trees for themselves throughout the entire summer season.

According to Dimopoulos, “Color is a powerful stimulant, and means of altering perception and defining space and time.”  Blue is definitely not the color that we associate with trees.  The striking color contrast forces one to consider what must be out of place and what has changed in the world. 

How does one relate to this type of change?  The phrase; stop and smell the roses comes to mind.  Maybe it is time to stop and experience how we relate to the natural world.  Thanks to Dimopoulos and her creative artistic expression, art has once again encouraged individuals to appreciate the art that nature provides us every day.  She has definitely put a new spin on the natural art we tend to believe will never change.

We all can agree with Dimopoulos that color is a powerful tool of perception.

Do these unordinary blue trees spark any emotions in you?  What do they cause you to consider?  Does the color blue make a different kind of statement than yellow or purple trees would?

Do you want to know more about Dimopoulos and her project?  To read more about the blue trees in Seattle’s Westlake Park visit the website provided below.

Images and story available at: http://weburbanist.com/2012/04/03/blue-trees-surreal-spectacle-coming-to-seattle-parks/

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Marketing Art in the Digital World: An Introduction

By nature, artists are creative people – we are visionaries and dreamers. Artists are usually more comfortable behind the easel than in front of a calculator or spreadsheet.

Yet to be a successful artist in today’s world, you need to be a smart business person as well. It is important for working artists to have some degree of business knowledge in order to thrive in today’s art market. If this sounds daunting, just remember that art and business do not have to be like oil and water. When it comes to marketing and promoting your artwork, you have the advantage of using your imagination to conjure up innovative methods for selling your artwork.

These days artists have the advantage of pursuing both traditional and modern ways of marketing their artwork. Thanks to the Internet, it’s easier than ever for artists to share their work with a wide audience all over the world. Artists no longer have to wait for their “big break”, because they can create a buzz themselves. The Internet allows artists to take their careers into their own hands in a way that was never before possible.

How can artists use the Internet to market and promote their artwork?

A few examples of Internet marketing include: having your own website; writing your own blog; posting on related blogs; participating in social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook; joining online art galleries and artist forms that are devoted specifically to the needs of artists… and the list goes on.

In future articles we will discuss various aspects of art marketing in greater detail. In the meantime, feel free to post any questions or ideas that you may have on the topic of marketing art, whether traditional (off-line) or contemporary (online).

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Where Urban Life Meets Natural Art

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The image above may look like a gardening project gone wrong, or a lot of effort to set up a unique photograph. However, neither of these options can explain the image.

Art can take on many forms and serve many purposes. The photograph above showcases the collaboration of art and nature. It serves as a medium for discussing the importance of growing awareness for both nature and art in urban areas.

This photograph is just a tiny piece of a larger project. The French village of Jaujae celebrated the 10^th year of its Arts and Nature Trail program by spreading 1,400 feet of living turf throughout the community.

In this urban city there is little room for art or nature. This extensive stretch of turf weaves its way throughout the city; up stairs, around corners and down streets calling one and all to experience both nature and art.

The 3.5 tons of natural, living turf grass is meant to bring both art and nature into an urban area that would otherwise be overwhelmed by its stone structures. The goal is to provide urban dwellers with a link to all things artistic and shine light on the beauty of the natural world. This winding band of grass serves as a connection for the individuals of Jaujae with the place where art and nature meet.

This endeavor forces individuals to take a moment away from their everyday activities and appreciate that which is creative. It urges the public to support both the arts and projects that bring the natural world into the city. This creative, artistic idea definitely calls for attention and support in a way that a simple garden never could.  It literally attempts to use art to connect man with the environment.

The grass path that runs throughout the city is only a temporary installation. However, it will be interesting to see how this artistic effort works to inspire not only the people of Jaujae, but also others who wish to discover artistic ways of bringing communities together through nature.

Image made available by Web Urbanist – Local Designs to Global Destinations

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Related articles

• Green Carpet: Grass Trail Winds Through City Streets (weburbanist.com)
• The Slow Transformation of Growing Grass Sculptures (mymodernmet.com)
• Walk the Green Carpet (dirt.asla.org)

Ice Sculptures

Ice sculpture photographed by G.Goodwin Jr. and Snark

In a previous blog post we took a close look at the art of making monumental sculptures out of sand. Now let’s take a look at another natural material used to make art: ice!

Solid ice provides a compelling substance for sculptors. The ensuing artwork is ephemeral, because the ice will inevitably melt. Ice sculptors are always aware of the fleeting nature of their artwork, but at least their ice sculptures can always live on in photographs.

Although some may see ice sculptures as more of a novelty than a fine art, there’s no denying the amount of extreme craftsmanship that goes into creating an ice sculpture. There are even schools and classes that teach the art of ice sculpting, where artists can learn how to use chainsaws, hand saws and chisels to create their masterpieces.

To create an ice sculpture that doesn’t break or melt prematurely, a sculptor must become intimately aware of the qualities of ice. The ice must be frozen in just the right away to avoid impurities that may blemish the final appearance of the sculpture. Once the artist starts working, the slightest chisel in the wrong place can ruin hours of work, so careful attention and patience are necessary.

There are many ice festivals held around the world that showcase a dazzling variety of ice sculptures – from ice “castles” that are large enough to walk through, to delicate ice sculptures of mermaids with flowing hair, to modern sports stars and other celebrities. Ice sculptures are also a fun decorative addition to events such as weddings and other ceremonies.

The next time you drink soda or water with ice, just imagine how those floating ice cubes could be transformed into an astonishing work of art!

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