It's been a spectacular fall, the weather and the colors of this season seem far more intense than in recent years. The natural beauty has been the topic of many conversations, Instagram pics and Facebook posts recently, so before it’s gone, I want to share some thoughts on the colors, and the beauty of autumn. Artist Andrea Bonfils captures the season's colors and texture in a combination of oil and encaustic wax. Falling Leaves, from her Nature in Wax Collection,
Orange is the color mostly associated with fall, mixed with the many hues of yellows, to golds to browns. A recent Sunday morning walk revealed all of these colors, contrasted with the incredible rich colors and reflections in the lake at a friend’s picturesque Northern Westchester home
Artists have always been inspired to capture this natural beauty. I love how Wolf Kahn expresses nature in his work, Orchard Patch is his view of fall,
Orange is named for the fruit, but has come to mean many things, different in various cultures. In a recent yoga class, my yogi talked about the 2nd chakra, as the source of creativity. In another breath, she, like so many of my friends referenced the incredible colors around her during her morning walk, "there is orange everywhere -- like the trees are on fire"
Many Masters have been known for their use of orange, among them Gaugin, van Gogh and here is Venice Twilight, by Monet
Octave is one of Anne Raymond's orange canvases, inspired by the natural colors near her Hamptons home,
Color consultant and Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute, Leatrice Eiseman, explained the choice of orange last year as Pantone’s Color of the Year 2012, as “a spirited reddish orange...continues to provide the energy boost we need to recharge and move forward.” Orange feels that way, it has energy.
I have described Kerri Rosenthal's color-filled paintings as happy and full of life - an example is Nice 2
It's a classic color, it works as a beautiful contrast to quieter shades. Orange has become syononomous with the luxury retailer, Hermes.
A search of "Hermes Orange" brought up 62,110 posts on the home decoration and renovation site Houzz!
Orange as a fashion statement has found its way into popular culture this season. The name of the new series, “Orange is the New Black” has started a marketing trend, being used as a reference in interior design and fashion and I imagine in other fields as well.
In the NYTimes Style section last month, Bill Cunningham captured Le Grande Orange
Elle Decor referenced it recently, about the a pair of vintage Italian armchairs upholstered in pumpkin orange leather, in designer Cynthia Frank's Southampton home
And of course, this week is Halloween...a celebration of fun and scary things, all in orange and black. Feng Shui, attributes orange and black used together for the holiday because they are on the opposite ends of the energy spectrum. “Orange is a very lively and happy color, the color of fall bounty and the warmth of fire, it is often called the ‘social color’. Whereas black reflects mystery and void, the color of a space with no beginning and no end, filled with mystery, it holds the energy of power and protection.”
Photographer Elisa Keogh captures this contrast in Norwalk, CT orange-black,
and how fun is Tiffany’s "Spooktacular" wink in this past Sunday's NYTimes?
The leaves are starting to fall, it ‘s time, it was a beautiful and long fall season, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did...
Happy Halloween!
