The complexity of yellow

Yellow.  

What comes to your mind when you think of this colour? 

What do you see?  

As I embarked on my run this morning, I asked myself the exact same questions. 

The weather over the last few days has been especially wet, windy and downcast. I could not help noticing how aptly it seemed to portray people's current feelings and fears, myself included. 

Although it was Christmas time - the season of perpetual hope – I thought many folks were not only losing theirs, but also patience and sanity as Covid was soon to enter its third year. 

I tried to keep mine by moving my body regularly; running being one of the options. 

But, given the recent downpours of rain, I seriously considered practicing my front crawl on the pavements instead! 

The low hanging murky grey clouds loitered around and their thick masses enshrouded daylight like a massive, brooding hangover. Sometimes, the wind blew them confidently around in short energetic gusts, but it was not enough to make way for the turqouise blue sky, which hid behind that wall. 

When would the sleeping sun be tempted to tease us with a few of her invigorating rays again?

Rain started to drizzle down exhuberantly and without a care in the world. The tiny droplets settled as lightly as morning dew on every surface. There they got stuck like crazy glue and clung to it as tightly as if their lives depended on it. 

Just as I dodged a big puddle; I noticed only one other person braving the dismal Christmas-grey. 

A Lady had also ventured out, dragging her adorable Yorkshire terrier on a tight leash behind her for a blustery stroll. 

The drizzle became heavier and clearly neither were impressed to be outside. But when “you have to go, you gotta go”, no messing around there.   

It was so funny to see her encouraging him to do his business as quickly as possible. The little pooch though, in typical yorkie fashion, did things his way. 

Amused, I stopped jogging and watched on, as the dog sniffed excitedly at tree stumps, hopped around in circles and finally disappeared into bushes, searching for that perfect spot.  

All his owner could do was wait, as there is no such thing as rushing a Yorkshire terrier.   

What made the scenario even funnier, was the bright yellow raincoat the dog was wearing. 

I could hardly believe my eyes - it came complete with a hoodie!

Only five minutes ago, I wondered how to brighten up my gloomy day and along came this wonderful, quirky little dog!

Dressed to thrill - in his snazzy, YELLOW raincoat!  

He most certainly not only put a smile on my face, but also a spring in my step! 

Everything happens for a reason, right?  

The wonder of the little Yellow Yorkie

As I entered the woody park, I was amazed how many "yellow things" I spotted at this time of year.

Suddenly I found myself playing "I spy with my little eye"... all things yellow!  

The rain had made everything look really shiny. It was as if God had spent a few hours in his workshop, dipping all of nature in a couple of coats of lacquer. 

This made the colours appear more vibrant - they literally popped!

 I spy with my little eye... 

Such beauty.

Funny, I had not noticed so much yellow before – but, when you look for "it", "it" always shows up. 

Now I was able to direct and focus my thoughts on all things yellow.

Eventually I decided to settle on exploring the meaning and symbolism of this stunning, show stopping colour in this blog, whilst I ran and ran and ran...

" The sunflower is mine, in a way." (Vincent van Gogh) 

I couldn’t possibly write about this colour without mentioning one of my favourite painters, as he is as associated with yellow as “peas are with carrots" and “salt with pepper”.  

The Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh adored yellow and said it stood for the sun.   

Truth is, he not only adored it, but worshipped it. 

His love for this vibrant colour is evident in so many of his paintings such as the sunflower series, which feature amongst his most famous works.

These five large canvases were created with only three shades of yellow “and nothing else” between 1888 and 1889 in the South of France. (Arles) 

It was Vincent’s way of proving it was possible to paint images with numerous variations of a single colour without losing impact.  

Because of this colour choice, the paintings held a special significance for him: 

“They communicated gratitude”, he wrote. 

 "Sunflowers", Still Life, Oil on canvas, Arles 1889 

Another wonderful example is his painting “Quinces, Pears, Lemons and Grapes” from 1887. 

It was painted in almost exclusively one shade of yellow (as opposed to three for the sunflowers) and still made a coherent Still Life.    

 "Quinces, Pears, Lemons and Grapes” Still Life, Oil on canvas, Paris, Winter, 1887 

His close friend, painter Paul Gauguin (1848–1903) said of the effect yellow had on van Gogh: 

“Oh yes, he loved yellow, this good Vincent, this painter from Holland — those glimmers of sunlight rekindled his soul, that abhorred the fog, that needed the warmth.” 

Sadly, sometimes Vincent longed to feel this happiness so desperately, he literally ate the yellow paint instead of using it on his canvases.

 Self-portrait with Straw Hat, 1887

Colour Psychology 

If yellow meant gratitude (and so much more) to our good Vincent, what do we make of it today? 

Colour psychology suggests that particular colours are capable of evoking certain moods and may even have an influence over our behaviour and well-being.  

While colour associations can be impacted by several different factors, including past experiences and cultural connections, some colours do tend to simply stir up certain feelings within us. 

There is no doubt – yellow is a complex colour and has a complicated psychology.

All of the above reasons make it even more intriguing - and a colour of great paradoxes: 

Positive:

• Because of its associations with sunlight and summertime, yellow is often seen as a warm colour, instilling happiness and optimism in many people.  
• Yellow also stands for knowledge, spontaneity, faith, and intelligence.  
• It may be used to help invigorate people who might be suffering from depression.   
• Yellow can quickly grab your attention.
• It can seem fresh and comforting (think fruits, veg, cheese or crisps..)
• Yellow is a highly energetic colour, so closely linked to optimism and amusement.
• In the physical  dimension, it can also increase your metabolism and it is effective in digestive problems.
• It is the colour of hope. 
• Yellow activates the motor nerves, makes you feel happier and brings energy to muscles.

Negative: 

• Yellow is also the colour of ambivalence and contradiction and is connected with betrayal, duplicity and jealousy. 
• It has been shown to irritate the eyes which could explain why it makes some people feel uneasy.
• Yellow can also be abrasive when overused and lead to visual fatigue. 
• This colour can appear intense, overwhelming, or even brash and forceful in its energy. 
• Equally, it can also create feelings of frustration and anger. 
•  While it is considered a warm and cheerful colour, people are more likely to lose their tempers in yellow rooms. 

Reinforcements, so we can continue to make Lemonade out of Life's Lemons. :)

Yellow has diverse meanings across cultures and continents:

Religions:

1. In ancient religions, yellow was a sacred color. 
2. Many worshipped the sun, and the sun gods were depicted wearing yellow. 
3. Yellow, like gold, was seen as eternal, imperishable and indestructible. 
4. For Hindus, yellow is a sacred color that represents knowledge and learning.
5. Yellow is also an important color in Buddhism, signifying humility.

Europe: 

1. In France, yellow signifies jealously, betrayal, weakness, and contradiction. In the 10th century, the French painted the doors of traitors and criminals yellow. 
2. In Germany, yellow symbolizes jealousy.

Asia: 

1. In Japan, yellow represents bravery, wealth, and refinement. It is also a royal colour that represents courage and prosperity.
2. In Thailand, yellow is the lucky color for Monday, and it’s considered the most important shade of the week because it represents the King of Thailand. 
3. In China: the colour is associated with Emperors of ancient China as they were often depicted as wearing bright yellow robes. The very first Emperor of China was called the Yellow Emperor. When the Song Dynasty ended in 1279, the emperor was the only person allowed to wear bright yellow. The Yellow River is the second longest river in China and has nurtured Chinese civilization from its beginning. Yellow also signifies neutrality and good luck.

Ancient Egypt: 

1. Yellow was associated with gold and was commonly used to paint mummies and tombs before the deceased were sent to the afterlife, making it symbol for mourning.
2. The Ancient Egyptians believed the gods had gold skin and bones and used yellow for their skin tone in art.

Africa: 

1. Yellow is reserved only to people of high rank in many African nations, because of its close resemblance to gold, which is universally associated with money, quality, and success. 

 Yellow was often associated with Gold

North America: 

1. Yellow is significant to three Native American nations, the Navajo, the Apache, and the Iowa. As it is the color of gold and corn - it stands for wealth and prosperity.

Interesting facts about the color yellow:

• The word “yellow” comes from the Old English term for yellow, “geolu.”
• Renaissance and Medieval artists used “Indian yellow” — a pigment obtained when a cow eats only mango leaves. This color was used to show a person as an outsider, especially Judas Iscariot from the Bible.
• “Yellow journalism” is journalism that is exaggerated, sensationalist and not legitimate.
• The regal association of yellow in China changes completely when the word "yellow" is being used to describe entertainment products such as books or movies with sexual content. The meaning is not originated from the Chinese language but English. It was adopted from the phrase "yellow journalism". (see previous bullet point )
• In Russia, a colloquial expression for an insane asylum used to be "yellow house."
• Bright “marigold” yellow may be associated with death in some areas of Mexico.
• Those condemned to die during the Inquisition wore yellow as a sign of treason.
• Yellow is the only color that reacts badly to black: Add a little black and it becomes a sickly yellow-green.
• In the US, it is illegal to dye margarine to make it look like butter.
• The expression “yellow-bellied” in English refers to someone who shows cowardice. It may have originated from chickens (“Don’t be a chicken”) and the rich yellow of their egg yolk.

Where to use yellow? 

Naturally, yellow is a sharp and intense colour, and therefore, it is the easiest colour to the human eyes. 

Experts suggest using yellow when you want to make people smile and feel joyful. 

• If you’re designing a place that needs to bring people a sense of positive feelings and cheer, yellow is a great choice for either walls, furniture or decoration.
• Infants also react the most to this colour, hence we find many baby products in shades of yellow.
• Yellow evokes feelings like hunger, too. Therefore, if you’re offering food products or you own a restaurant, including yellow in your logo will go a long way.
• Using yellow objects and accents can be an effective way to attract window shoppers. 
• Yellow is used in traffic signs, lights, road signs because it demands our attention. 

“Hope - the lessons of grief” 

In conclusion, the colour yellow is a very complex colour.  

It can be bright, full of energy, but it is also an intense and confrontational colour, which is perhaps why it can often invoke such strong feelings.  

So, after much rumination, what do I think of the colour yellow?  

I whole heartily agree with Vincent and still only associate positve feelings with this colour. 

To me, yellow represents happiness, joy, knowledge and hope; it reminds me of sunshine and warmth; something we all need. 

I have not experienced any negative emotions or any overload with yellow. 

Quite the opposite - it tends to revitalize me every time, hence I often utilize it in my paintings.  

Sometimes with complementing, at other times, with contrasting colours. 

In “Hope - the lessons of grief” I chose to use it as a complementing colour.  

The aim was to create visual dissonance.

I combined the energizing and positive meaning of  yellow with a despairing and downhearted posture of grief, thus hopefully creating a thought-provoking painting.  

The earthy colours of brown and copper serve as a stabiliser when our world is turned upside down and everything is uncertain. 

The red and orange highlights demonstrate our passion, even when they are only visible as little sparks at times.

Yellow reminds us of three constant and faithful undercurrents - hope, knowledge and warmth.

There is always hope, however small.    

And this hope sustains us and will eventually transform into knowledge, so we can grow and continue with our lives as best as we can.

 "Hope - the lessons of grief" 

 But wait!  

What happened to our adorable, headstrong little Yellow Yorkie from this morning? 

Where did he go?!

There he is! 

Beddy-time for our little Yellow Yorkie!

He just had his dinner, splashed around in his bath and is now all ready for bed! 

Nighty night, sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite! :)

Until next time!