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| From wikipedia.com |
Before I owned a house, I used to think that white was well, white. Not so. When I went to the hardware store get white paint for the baseboards and trim of our first home, I got my first glimpse into the world of white. Snow white, linen, off-white, ecru, cream, Navaho white, ice white, eggshell, ivory and vanilla. All shades of white. In fact, there are more shades of white than any other colour!
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| Mont Tremblant - February 2012 |
Is white a colour though? As with black, there is a debate about this. Color Matters has some great answers.
Fresh, crisp, cool and pure, white is another colour imbued with much symbolism. The power of white tells us who the good guys are in movies. Brides in the Western world and Japan wear white, originally to signify their purity. A white flag is a symbol of truce. A white dove, peace.
If you buy a white car, it says that you are fastidious. Did you know that medical professionals started wearing white coats in the 19th century because they believed that it would bring hope and healing to patients?Medieval queens in Europe would often wear white in mourning rather than black. The ancient Greeks would wear white to bed to evoke good dreams.
How many of you start each month with saying "white rabbit" three times to bring good luck? Or told a white lie? Or have a white elephant?
According to Sensational Color, white also has some interesting affects on us physically. It "aids mental clarity, encourages us to clear clutter or obstacles, evokes purification of thoughts or actions, and enables fresh beginnings."
Some more fun resources about the colour white:
- Wikipedia White and Shades of White
- Sensational Color
- Gorgeous inspirational photos at Plenty of Colour
With my fear of white, I knew this month was going to be quite the challenge so I put it in a month that has a lot of colour outdoors...at least in the northern hemisphere. What would you do with this challenge? Snowflakes? Lights? Clouds? I'll put the linky party up on August 31st for those participating in this challenge.
Happy quilting!
I've seen white used for texture and folded samples and it looked great.
ReplyDeleteInteresting post! I tend to avoid white generally but am appreciating it more and more. It'll be great to see what people come up with!
ReplyDeleteHow about some white linens haning out on a line to dry in winter....with cloudy skys and snow on the ground.
ReplyDeleteSome more fascinating colour facts. I can't believe this is the eighth month already! I tend to avoid the pure brilliant white type of white and use off whites...this is going to be a challenge :)
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