THE COLOUR BLUE

    

January the month of blues it may seem, however delving into the history books you will find a colour that has influenced and inspired many artisans and designers.

Tints, shades, tones, hues and colour saturation alter the characteristics of this wonderful colour. From Cobalt used in Chinese porcelain and also favoured by the great impressionist painters; Ultramarine used during the Renaissance or Indigo being the colour of choice for the first denim jeans.

Our emotional response to blue also stimulates our senses dependant on our own perception of the colour; for example, dark blue can be seen as elegant, rich and sophisticated, stimulating clear thought, royal blue can represent superiority; whereas engaging colors such as electric or brilliant blues express exhilaration and light teal blues are calming and relaxing.

Between the 19^thand 20th century, many artists such as Picasso and Van Gogh recognized the emotional power of blue, and made it the central element of their paintings. During the 19th-century Japanese woodblock artist, Hokusai used Prussian blue, a synthetic colour in his wave paintings where as Vincent van Gogh during his infamous “Blue Period” of art stated: ‘Cobalt is a divine colour and there is nothing so beautiful for putting atmosphere around things…”

In the fashion world blue has also been a massive influence on designers; the most influential in history being Mr Levi Strauss in 1873 inventing the blue jean made of denim fabric and coloured with indigo dye. In 1935, blue jeans they were raised to the level of ‘high fashion’ by Vogue magazine and continue to be worn throughout the world today.