Rick Janson Art Studio

Years ago I responded to a call for entry to a show at the Eastern Front Gallery that explored the colour blue. The invitation came through my involvement with the Riverdale Art Walk, having participated for several years in a fundraiser for them.

I recently signed up for the Artists’ Network, the same group of artists, which has since expanded its activities to a second Art Walk and operation of the Leslie Grove Gallery. They also do regular workshops with their membership, much like most others artist associations.

To my surprise, their colour-themed shows continue. The colour this year: pink. Blue or green I could just walk into my studio and pull out just about anything, but pink? That would require something new, but what?

I think pink is a much maligned colour, but as the Gallery has pointed out, internationally it has different meanings, including being associated with masculinity in Japan, or in Korea, it conveys trust.

It also symbolizes calmness and compassion, tranquility, tenderness, and innocence.

But what about Christmas?

Last year I took a series of photos around our neighbourhood that could be the basis of future holiday cards. I came across one house with a display of red floodlights. To me, they looked pink against the trees and snow.

After roughing out a painting based on it, the first reaction I got was, yeah, but where’s the pink? I think I accidentally hit upon the idea that the context of how we see something can deceive us into seeing something different than how it actually presents.

The red lights turn into pink because at this time of year the traditional colours are red and green, and that’s what we expect to see. Not pink. So our brains compensate for what we are seeing. We also give some slack that red diluted with white light will cast more of a pink colour.

Literally, the painting still wet, I sent off the application yesterday — thankfully at this point I only needed to submit a digital image.

Meanwhile, it has got my head whirring — what else could I do to explore that theme further?

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Don’t forget to subscribe — its free and it frankly it helps my site to be seen by others. If you don’t want to read all the blah blah blah, feel free to go straight to my gallery of recent work by clicking here. If you are anywhere near the Eastern GTA, just a reminder that the Rare Form show is now on at the Station Gallery in Whitby. You’ll find me at the official opening December 17 from 7-9 pm.