Whether it's the tang of lemon zest, the warmth of bright sunshine, or the happy hello of a spring daffodil .... Oh, let's not forget melting butter dripping down a fresh cob of corn.... I bet you like yellow more than you think you do. And I'm here today to remind you of why, so you see its beauty through my eyes.
Yellow has so many different personalities along the spectrum where it lies between green and orange. It can be soft and warm, or bright and arresting. It mellows or it bellows! I am constantly reaching for yellow in my studio - using it alone or mixing in with other colours. It's the key ingredient in my favourite lime green, and the most delicate drop in a creamy white cloud. Being a primary colour its place on an artist’s palette is important - I couldn't paint without it.
Pulling together yellow color schemes can be an interesting challenge, and I find that yellow isn’t necessarily an easy colour to use on its own. You might have picked up through my work that although I love colour, I absolutely DO NOT LIKE a colour theme that looks ‘primary school’ or is intensely graphic in nature. This applies to yellow in a big way. My yellow paintings tend to lean a little 'autumn' (I Iove how orange and yellow fire each other up) but when going big with it, I prefer it toned down to a softer, prettier hue.
I have to admit, even though yellow was a favourite childhood colour, I shied away in using it in my work because it's not really that easy to use in an appealing and sophisticated way, and I think I was intimidated and/or just unsure of my ability to use it effectively. But then a few years ago a client came to me with a simple request. She wanted a big, yellow abstract painting - and the yellow spark in me was lit! It was through this painting that I discovered, or re-discovered, what a fabulous colour yellow can be.
I use yellow now more than ever, as a straight-from-the-tube dollop of joy in an abstract painting, or regularly mixed in and amongst my landscape colours as the warmth of a golden sun glows throughout a scene.
All this to say, do not fear yellow! There's a reason it's the colour of happy face emojis. Smile and enjoy it! 😀
