Saturday, November 20, 2010

A GALLERY OF THANKSGIVING COLOR

"In everything give thanks........" -New King James Version
"Give thanks in all circumstances......" - New International Version

A WORLD WITHOUT COLORS
I can't imagine a world without colors. Recently , I went browsing in a boutique called White House/ Black Market. Every gorgeous, pricey and tempting stuffs for sale are in white or black. These are modern and popular colors today but not the kind that make me feel alive. The boutique has an excellent display and marketing strategy but somehow, nothing appeals to me to splurge on. Imagine a world without color, it's...DULL.
A WORLD WITH COLORS On the contrasting side, nothing makes me feel alive and grateful than waking up in the morning and seeing the gorgeous autumn leaves of our neighbor's maple tree just across the cul de sac. Late autumn's palette is the deepest of the four seasons here in the U.S.A. Before I immigrated here, I lived in Manila (Philippines) where there is no colorful autumn. Today, of course, I live in sunny Southern California where leaves have the good sense to stay on the trees almost year-round. But there are some areas here in California where we have autumn leaves, but not as distinct as in the East Coast. I will never forget those many exciting, fascinating and colorful autumn trips to Silver Springs (Maryland), Washington D.C., Connecticut and Colorado.
When Thanksgiving is around the corner, what comes to my mind are the myriad colors that dressed one of the richest feast of the year in America. I've always associated the colors of autumn with Thanksgiving. This feast celebrates also the transformation of season and color. Of course I also have a vision of the lustrous golden turkey. What is Thanksgiving without turkey fest and all the colorful trimmings? It's hard to resist comparing it to a a gallery of colorful impressionists paintings.
HOW MANY COLORS DO THANKSGIVING WEARS AND PARADES? Like a fashion show Thanksgiving parades in many gorgeous colors. They added depth and also visual appeal to the season of festivity. Let's not be color-blind to the beautiful world around us and take colors for granted. Now, it's time to count the many fashionable colors:

COLORS OF THANKSGIVING#1- MULTICOLORS. This photo was taken in Connecticut one fall ago, where I saw the most beautiful and colorful autumn in my life. Think like the famous impressionist artist, Vincent Van Gogh. He painted with gusto and used multiple colors in most of his paintings.
COLORS OF THANKSGIVING #2-ORANGE I've always associated orange with Thanksgiving. Now, thankfully, I can enjoy the orange color. Some of the sweetest and most distinctive taste of autumn come in the color of orange. Think pumpkins, sweet potatoes, persimmons, mandarins, clementines and satsumas. Let's add pumpkin pie.Yum....yummmmy!!!
COLORS OF THANKSGIVING#3-DEEP ORANGE- I can't imagine a world without deep shade of orange. Orange is the marriage of a little tint of yellow and more reddish tint added. Orange is a pretty color that makes things pop-out. COLORS OF THANKSGIVING#3- YELLOW This is a very happy color. No wonder, Van Gogh was crazy about it. Other relatives of yellow are lemon, ochre, buttercups, bronze and gold. If you want to be happy wear yellow. If you want to be healthy eat yellow fruits like bananas, mangoes and pears, and drink yellow juices like pineapple. Decorating the table with yellow leaves make the Thanksgiving feast very much alive......... like a painting.
COLORS OF THANKSGIVING#4- RED This color comes in many different names like ruby, scarlet, crimson, and vermilion. The red cranberry is the Tiffany touch on the Thanksgiving plate. The jewel-like quality of the color red adds just the right accent to one of the dressiest feast of the year. Red also compliments every other classic colors. It also brings drama to the mushroom-golden brown roasted turkey.MY "AUTUMN PAINTING" - 18"x 24" ( oil on canvas). This is one of my favorite painting which I lovingly donated to the Fil-American Association of Sta. Clarita during their 20th anniversary celebration and auction. This painting has a rustic, wide open door leading out to a leisurely pathway with colorful autumn setting of birch trees and Southwest vases.

GRATEFULLY, this THANKSGIVING I am also thinking of the many bountiful blessings God has given. We have so much for which to be thankful. So much to smile about & so much to share. The top blessing this year is the many opportunities to be able to travel with my hubby to our homeland (philippines) and cruise abroad (Southeast Asian Countries- Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hongkong, Singapore,Okinawa, and China). These travels had enriched our lives and enlarged our perspectives. This year, since I spent many hours on the road, sea and air, I didn't have time to do oil painting. Nevertheless I am grateful for those days to be home. Last April, we moved to our new condo here in San Diego. The past months were spent organizing & decorating our home. I am also preparing my little studio.

So I am thankful not just for one blessing but for everything, even for the bad things that had happened.
"Wishing all my family, friends, blog-mates and viewers a very colorful and wonderful THANKSGIVING DAY! GOD BLESS YOU ALL!"

22 comments:

harriett said...

This is a new perspective on the season. Good post! have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Ebb Tide said...

Harriet- thanks for your wonderful comment and for thinking this is a new "Perspective" about Thanksgiving.

Señor Enrique said...

I love that painting. Do you know who got it?

The awesome colors of autumn. I miss them. Great post!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your entire family :)

Lloyd Irving Bradbury said...

later i will post some riverside trees

Ebb Tide said...

Hi Eric! Thanks for visiting and loving my Autumn Painting. Yes, I know who bought the painting at the anniversary auction. He was a friend of my hubby. I am sure I'd miss autumn if I am in Manila.

Ebb Tide said...

Hi Lloyd! I will visit your Riverside tree soon.

Mari said...

Hi Ebb! A wish for a Blessed and a Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

Mari

Ebb Tide said...

Mari, happy thnksgiving to you too.

Lloyd Irving Bradbury said...

will ham it up iooday wish u well and all happy

Anonymous said...

you're right... give thanks to what everything we have now...

i love the colors of the autumn... and you did it great in your painting...

give thanks to the Holy One!

Nance said...

i love the color of Fall! our little town is nestled in the valley and i never get tired admiring the foliage hues.

Ebb Tide said...

Kneeko, salamat. I am also thankful for a blog-mate like you.

Ebb Tide said...

Hi Nance! Welcomback! What's the name of your little town? It must be really beautiful during fall because you never get tired of it.

Ebb Tide said...

Hi Lloyd! Thanks for dropping by. Been under the weather and hopefully I will get back on my feet after this week-end.

Lloyd Irving Bradbury said...

cold here and i am dragging my wagon

Ebb Tide said...

How nice to be dragging your wagon at this time of the year. Are you going to be a Sta. Claus this year?

dodong flores 도동 플로오리스 said...

Hello, Ma'am...
Those are nice and colorful photos up there. Your AUTUMN PAINTING is a Wow...
Happy Thanksgiving Day... :)

SandyCarlson said...

These are wonderful! I must link your blog to mine, if you don't mind, so I can visit more regularly than I do.

You asked me about the mural in Baltimore. We were passing by on our way to Fort McHenry. We jumped off of I95 and followed the tourism signs. It was on the left a few blocks from the fort. If that helps! (The city is well signposted, so this might get you there.)

Ebb Tide said...

Hi Sandy! Thanks for dropping by. Sure, you can link my blog to yours. I'd like to link you blog to mine too. Thanks for the direction for the mural site.

Lloyd Irving Bradbury said...

I am looking toward your christmas blog!!

Lloyd Irving Bradbury said...

Rah, Rah ,Rah!

Tessie M said...

I love your Autumn
painting, would'nt it be the perfect touch for you to donate a painting to PWU and UP to hang where current students and visitors can enjoy them?
Thanks so much for sharing. I needed the colors with all that blinding white stuff around me.