Travelling Colours
We live in a world steeped in colours, vibrant and ecstatic. Colours are a language, a silent lexicon of feelings and emotions. Fiery red whispers of passion, deep blue murmurs desolation, bright yellow shouts jubilation and happiness. While the interpretation of colours may vary from person to person, they are universally relatable, evoking shared experiences of happiness, sadness, celebration, and more. It is fair to say that without colours, the world would lack life.
Colour is also a measure of time. It is not precise like a clock, but a means to sense the passing of days. The changing palette of the seasons is one of nature’s greatest masterpieces each year. The shift between hues, intensifying and decreasing, dance to the beat of nature. Just as spring doesn’t vanish into summer overnight, colours transform based on nature’s rhythm.
When we think of spring, certain colours come to mind. For me, the colour is pink. Pink appears as plumes of cherry blossoms and as the first buds of many blooms. I often think of spring as the awakening of colours from winter’s monochrome slumber. Thus, spring marks the start of my yearly colour pilgrimage.
But colours don’t linger. As cool weather yields to the warmth of summer, pink leaves spring behind, shedding its hue – falling to the ground or being carried away by the wind. Pink is traded for the verdant green of summer leaves rustling in the breeze. The humidity and heat keeps the foliage lush and vibrant all through to September.
As the moist summer air turns cool and dry, green loses its vigour and the rusty hues of autumn creep in. These leaves release their firm grips on branches and fall to the ground, forming a somber yet beautiful carpet. Though the air is frosty, the reddish brown tones all around subtly warm the spirit.
As snow falls, the ruddy autumn hues get concealed by a carpet of white. All colours eventually disappear and temporarily lose their trace. I see winter as a blank canvas, the final stop on the colour journey – the point of reset before a new beginning.
Our worlds often mirror our preferences, filled with the colours we love. Is a colourful life about constantly surrounding ourselves with our favourite shades, or is there a deeper richness in appreciating that every colour has its own time and place? Perhaps true vibrancy lies in appreciating each hue’s fleeting beauty that it will eventually fade.
Text and images by ANATOMY OF THINGS
ALSO FEATURED IN ABSTRACTS – ISSUE ONE: IMPERMANENCE