Developing An Eye For Color
photographs and text by Jessica Stammen
For the past few winters, during the weeks that are made of the dark cold days between holiday festivities and mud, I have been lucky enough to join a dozen or so eighth graders at the local middle school for a special class exploring color.
This month we’ve focussed on color vibration, a phenomenon caused by the eye’s inability to focus simultaneously on two opposing or complementary colors, so the edge where the two colors touch appears to vibrate. Working with ColorAid paper cut into stripes and dots, students were asked to select two vibrating colors to show off in a geometric composition of their own design. They were given the additional challenge to pick two more colors that, when incorporated into their composition, would hardly be noticeable; and so each of the student works pictured are made using four colors, not just two! The result: great examples of both vibrating colors and vanishing colors.
Comments
I hated art classes in grade school — how I wish I could have had something like this. There was never any attempt to teach — just expectations that somehow paper and crayon/paint/??? would turn into art. Since I never caused any trouble, I got reasonable grades, but it left me with a very low opinion of (and no interest in) art of any kind.
Sr. Mary Elizabeth, I’m so sorry to hear this! It’s unfortunate that so many young people are permanently deterred from a subject or discipline because of an adult who’s heart isn’t really in love with what and how they teach. I had the same experience with music; singing specifically. I pray every day that I can be the most enthusiastic, engaged and loving teacher for my students. I believe that what I teach and how I teach makes a difference in the world – at least in their world.