Filed under: Creativity, psychology | Tags: Creativity, psychology, synesthesia, Thinking
Letter and Number Colors
As far back as I can remember I have always correlated, without conscious thought, numbers, letters and colors with each other. For instance, when I think of the letter A I immediately, uncontrollably think of the color RED. I have never really thought much about this as I always assumed that everybody thought the same way. As I got older and shared my mental process with others, I began to realize that not many people automatically made connections in their head as I do. After doing a little bit of research (I love the internet) I have found out that this phenomenon is referred to as synesthesia.
Here is a short list of letter/color combinations (although they can occasionally switch around on me if I think about it too much).
A = Red
B = Blue
C = Green (or sometimes blue)
D = Blue
E = Purple
F = Green
G = Orange
H = Brown
I = White (or sometimes silver)
J = Gold
1 = Red
2 = Blue
3 = Green
4 = Green
5 = Blue
6 = Red
7 = Orange
8 = Blue
9 = Purple
I also link letters and numbers together. The strange thing is that the letter/number combos do not have to have similar colors. For example:
H = 4
but H = Brown and 4 = Green
This can cause a little paradox in my head (again I restate that all of these thoughts occur without active thinking). To resolve this conflict I mix Brown and Green together like paint in my head and make a muddy, dark green that, for some reason, turns to a gray. Individually H is still Brown and 4 is still Green, but more often than not, when H = 4, color = Gray.
Another example:
F = 5
But F = Green and 5 = Blue
In this situation the green and blue do not mix to create a teal color when F = 5. Instead either Blue or Green will dominate; when F = 5, color = Green or Blue.
Strange, huh?
Filed under: Art, Creativity, Painting | Tags: Art, Charcoal, Collage, Creativity, Drawing, Etsy, Painting
I have finally started to get some new work going. This latest little series is mixed media including collage with acrylic paints and charcoal. All pieces were done on a cardboard substrate, and each include clippings from magazines as part of the base art.
I chose to work on cardboard as opposed to canvas because I wanted to convey a much simpler feeling with these quick paintings. To me, paintings on stretched canvas can create a sense of arrogance or pompousness, not because of the artist’s intent, but due only to the fact that this “professional” substrate somehow automatically elevates the elements upon it to some grander artistic state. This feeling can be pushed considerably further with the inclusion of any type of formal frame containing the piece. This push of formality not only makes the artwork more inaccessible to viewers, but also creates tensions for me as the artist.
This new set of work became a study of the use of the most bland, normal, informal substrate: cardboard. By using this substrate I could focus on the work and subject within these quick studies and remove any possible pressures of formality and traditional artistic practices which occasionally leave me feeling trapped.
Filed under: Creativity | Tags: Art, Creativity, Education, Music, School, TED
Perusing some old podcasts lately, I found on old gem from TED 2006. This presentation from Ken Robinson about creativity and the education system is still great and worth being pulled forward for another view.
