If you have seen the movie "Girl with the Pearl Earring" .. Johannes Vermeer .. you probably know where I am going with this .. but, it does have a connection to gardening .. and not just because it is Dutch and the Dutch are amazing gardeners and plant breeders.It is the subject of colour .. and yes .. Canadians spell colour that way due to our British heritage and it's impact .. so try and get past it ? wink wink
The question the artist asked the "maid" (while looking at the sky one day) was at first glance, how many colours did she see in the sky and the clouds ? ..
Her first answer was of only basic colours, blue , white .. that type of observation .. but when he pressed her to go beyond her first impressions .. that is when it gets interesting.
So do the colours in our gardens .. we can press past those first basic colours and see so much more to the "whole" colour picture .. sometimes it is subtle , other times it is "why didn't I notice THAT before ?!"
So once we get into full swing with our gardens again .. really take a few moments and truly look past the obvious .. it can be surprising !
11 comments:
Yes, it can open a whole new interpretation of colors when you really look...nice suggestion here.
So very true. At first glance a color is but a color. But really seeing, reveals a multitude of hue and tone. Changing light helps us with that too.
Oh, a very interesting post, Joy! I am going to give some thought to this and remember your words. There is always so much more than meets the eye at first glance!
I agree, whole-heartedly as you can see here:
http://beyondmygarden.blogspot.com/2010/04/what-color-is-sky.html
By-the-way, My grandmother was from Toronto. My Virginian mom learned many British Spellings which she passed on to me to the distress of my elementary school teachers. I write this while having tea (yes, from loose leaves in my teapot).
So, long live "colour!"
nelie
It's a beautiful observation to make. When I was worrying before my eye ops I thought about such questions and the fear of never seeing again. Now as a photographer colour is everything I love it and in the garden - oh it is so exciting to choose what we want to surround ourselves with. Love the title photo xxx
Very nice post, Joy. I can say I've actually had to do this. Color was only part of it, however. As I really don't have too much color yet, our first year I had to use my imagination and really see not only the colors that I probably wouldn't have noticed had I had lots of plants, but I had to really look at shape. In fact it was mostly about shapes, how they flow, how color could change the flow or enhance it. Although our new property has good 'bones', I still see it as starting from scratch and it is a challenge, but exciting!
Hello Darla girl !
I just did a Y&R e-mail for you and Grace. It is almost like shooting shadows once you start really looking for subtle colours you didn't see before .. and yet on the other hand we can't get too distracted by it either ? a fine balance to keep ;-)
Hello Donna .. how true is that too!
That is why we should make a point of watching the garden in different degrees of light as the day passes .. it can make us change our minds about certain plants .. it is all quite an eye full !
Jan girl hello there ! .. yes .. we first look at the basic colours to begin with and then as the plant matures .. add the light value throughout the day .. and it can become very complex can't it !
Hello there Nellie ! .. i just saw your post on the nuthatch and its bilingual capabilities .. that is amazing ! Great pictures of it too!
Hey I like hearing from other Brit spellers girl : ) and the loose leaf tea ! LOL .. I have to check your reference post out with our colour topic yet .. thanks !
Carrie girl : ) isn't that another glimmer of truth too ! in our gardens we surround ourselves with colours we love .. our gardens and homes are the only places we can do that and feel so comfortable with them eh ? and as photographers it opens yet another direction of "seeing" the big picture! I'm so glad you have that back for yourself : )
Hello Tessa girl !
It can e almost overwhelming when you move into a new home and "garden' .. you have no idea really what is there until you go through a full season and YES! shapes are so important too.
We moved into this home with 2 dead trees and a dying lawn .. a sand pit in the back corner part of the garden .. I am sure the original home owner would be shocked with the inside and outside of this place NOW! haha
Your new place is a challenge but you are more than up to it girl !
Hi Joy,
I did see this movie and loved it. I have totally changed my mind about color in the garden. I love them all and they all seem to get along, except very dark colors -don't like. Maybe, I just haven't learned to use them yet.
Eileen
So true Joy! Your musings go hand in hand with my word of the year - espy...being present in the moment and really seeing what is around you! Beautiful sky shot.
Let's see, blue and white of course, but also black, brown, gray... beautiful shot, Joy Dear.
Eileen girl isn't it amazing when you can take that moment and really feel everything in your garden .. looking at the colours .. feeling the air .. smelling the scents of the different plants .. truly living in the moment!
Thank you Whimsy girl : ) that is what I just said to Eileen .. your motto ! it is so true that we rush a little when we are in the garden .. we work hard to bring it up to what our standards are and some times we miss those moments .. they are precious !
Grace girl : ) hello there ! .. yup .. it takes a little more concentration but so many other colours can be seen when we take that moment in time !
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