Noticing Turquoise

At different times in life, different colors seem to speak to us. Sometimes we notice it immediately and at other times we only realize it in retrospect.

In 2011, I wrote a blog entitled “Trend Blue”.  I showed how Blue, representing communication, was making itself heard in various areas of daily life as the newly acquired voice of the collective, aided by technology and most importantly the rise of social media.  

During the past two weeks, I have been working on a piece entitled “Yellow Notice”. The reasons for the title could fill another blog post. I mention it because despite its title, its main color is turquoise.

Summer fashions for 2014 are being dominated by the color turquoise. As the color trends, luxury fashion brands are even bringing out handbags and shoes in this color.

Turquoise is also currently trending in home decor and design. I discovered that especially popular is a combination of turquoise and yellow mixed with gray! Said to be daring it apparently nevertheless works. The boldness of the turquoise and yellow is neutralized by the gray.

In color psychology, turquoise is said to open the lines of communication between the heart and the spoken word. It encourages inner healing as it is said to enhance empathy and caring. The color of the evolved soul, it is believed to heighten intuition and encourage spiritual growth.

In our interconnected world, these qualities are needed as we learn to embrace and acknowledge our differences, as at the same time we find our sameness. Online, in here2here space, mindful use of technology has become imperative.

The word “turquoise” dates back to the 16th century. It is derived from an old French word meaning “Turkish”, because the mineral was first brought to Europe from Turkey, from mines in a province of Iran. In Iranian architecture, domes of palaces were covered with turquoise. Its intense color symbolized heaven on earth.

The people of Turkey used the color as decoration in many of their buildings by using turquoise ceramic glazed tiles. The color is often found in Islamic art and architecture.

While in Dubai this past week, I wandered around the creek (see gallery), exploring streets I had not visited before. It was early morning and I felt surrounded by raw life as I watched pedestrians buying freshly baked bread from little sidewalk shops and groups of friends drinking tea together in the souks.

I reached the Imam Hussein Iranian mosque on Ali Bin Abi Taleb Street and stood for a while admiring its doors and beautiful mosaic tiles. As I rounded a corner I noticed a young man sitting in front of one of its doors. There was a look on his face which caught my attention. On an impulse, I asked him if I might photograph him. He nodded.

Only after posting the image on instagram, did I realize that the colors turquoise and yellow were prominently there.

Further research into turquoise revealed that the southwest United States is also a significant source of this opaque blue-to-green mineral. New Mexico is said to have some of the oldest mines. Wandering down the corridors of cyberspace, I came across a lovely blog post with this passage: (I allow it to speak for itself)

“Turquoise represents stone of sky, stone of water, stone of blessings, good fortune, protection, good health and long life. To the Native Americans, turquoise is life. There are turquoise stones medicine men keep in their sacred bundles because they possess powers of healing. Turquoise is known for its positive healing energy, an aid in mental functions, communications and expression and as a protector.

If by looking for turquoise, I see more turquoise, I wonder what would happen if I begin to be more aware of other people's acts of kindness and courage and gratitude? I am sure these acts are already there. I would hope that by looking for them, I will see more of these acts of kindness and courage and gratitude. I will start looking for them and celebrate them with a deeper awareness and appreciation.”

Draw Mindful

“true beauty results from that repose which the mind feels when the eye, the intellect, and the affections are satisfied from the absence of any want”. Owen Jones

Yesterday’s activities included a visit to the exhibition “Reconnecting East and West” which “traces the groundbreaking documentation of Islamic ornament and design by European scholars, artists and architects who traveled to the Middle East in the 19th century”.

Captivated by the magnificent color lithographs from Owen Jones’ “Grammar of Ornament”, I was reminded how much I am fascinated by Islamic patterns. The repetition of certain forms and patterns lends itself to a feeling of spaciousness, ongoing possibility and all encompassing beauty. Pattern in Islamic Art is a website with some beautiful examples of this art form.

A book of Geometric Patterns in an art shop had been “jumping out” at me for a while now, so after the exhibition the book was duly purchased. I came home, chose a pattern and decided to color it in as an exercise in mindfulness. 

To begin the process I chose colors simply on their appeal to me but noticed that later I had to take note of placement and harmony. It was interesting to observe how at first I kept wanting to go back to perfect sections. Instead I simply moved on, reminding myself that I could only focus on the section in front of me. The past ones were past, the next ones still to come. After some time, conversations started to play themselves out in my head. I noted them then returned to the drawing.  Memories popped up - back to the drawing! After a while the shading had a peaceful, calming effect. 

It is my intention to continue this practice with all the 11 remaining cards in the booklet. I will put the results up on Twitter with the hashtag #drawmindful, as well as put them into a gallery on #here2here. (Suggestions for names for each piece will be welcomed). 

My love for this form of design started back in the late 1970s when we visited England and I came across a book entitled, “Altair Design Book 1”. Unaware of this at the time, I later discovered that these designs were based on a unique and unusual Islamic design which consisted of the arrangement of close packing circles of various sizes. 

Upon our return to South Africa I made use of these designs in my Mathematics classes.  Every week I would hand out a design to each pupil. They had one week to color in the design if they so wished. Some of the pupils were in their final year of high school, but even they participated. The resulting creativity was amazing and these works of art were proudly displayed on the classroom walls. 

M.C. Escher was also drawn to the works of the East and incorporated their principles into his masterpieces.

In “Grammar of Ornament” Jones established 37 guiding principles for the “arrangement of form and color, in architecture and the decorative arts”.

It would be interesting to know if these principles are being applied to web illustration which should attract attention but complement not control content. 

We decorate our homes, and the arrangement and choice of furniture, ornaments and art pieces influence and reflect our inner lives. With the acquisition of online homes, we need to remember that their layout and design features will require our attention as well.