Happy Valentines Day

Color Tip of the month is Red
by Diantha Harris

Did you know that red is a color we gravitate to when we are first born? Red is the first color our eyes can see.Does that mean you should paint a nursery red? Not if you want the baby to sleep.

Red causes a physiological reaction of the release of epinephrine in the brain. This hormone speeds our pulse and heartbeat and raises our body temperature. So although red is a great color to promote excitement, and is easily seen by infants, we wouldn't want to use much of it in any living environment, especially a bedroom. Touches of red can liven your life, but too much can overwhelm. Red represents life force, energy, passion, the will to live and the concepts of sacrifice and courage. Challenged, it can mean anger, frustration, stubbornness and being stuck.

It is a dramatic color when it is a cherry red, but can be more sophisticated as it darkens or becomes muted. Generally speaking, the darker the color, the more sophisticated it becomes, appealing to fewer and fewer people. But it can be a rich, sumptuous color as it deepens, retaining the qualities of the cherry red and adding some of its own, depending on what color(s) are added to deepen it.

For example, if blue is added along with a bit of black, you bring in the qualities of those two colors as well, creating a color of mystery, magic and depth. Red is obviously the color we associate most often with Valentines Day.
Please check out my good friend Diantha Harris at: Lifenet@aol.com
For a more in-depth look at colors and their messages, see her book, Simply Color, now available in its updated, second edition.