(Photo - Ali Davies, Karekare)
Throughout my life, I've had colour phases. There are periods where a certain colour or colour group is what makes me feel 'right'. I don’t think of colour as something we consciously choose a lot of the time. I think it chooses us. It’s like a hint of the next journey. Over time, I’ve come to understand these phases as more than a preference. Colour can reflect a state of being — something internal looking for a way to express itself. It can steady us, soften us, or bring a sense of balance that’s difficult to articulate in any other way.
(Photo - Ali Davies, Artwork Ali Davies)
Green is a colour of many voices. I have explored multiple shades and feel that I have only scratched the surface of the possibilities. But there is a particular shade that is always present. I can say now that it’s been a steady companion of my creative language.
This shade of green took me a few mixes to get just right - back in the day of hand mixing my own printing inks. Since then, I’ve explored different Pantone colours in prints, and it landed as my ‘Olive’ shade. I know there can be many shades of olive green, but this is my version.
Feng Shui principles describe green, being a Wood Element, as having positive associations with optimism, freedom and balance. It is both restful and balancing. Put in the wrong place or overused, it can also create negative feelings, jealousy and envy. Like anything, colour requires balance. I’ve chosen a few images that, over the years, have been part of my relationship with green. Suffice to say, green is life.
