The color blue is the incontestable darling of the pigment world. Ask just about anybody their favorite color, and the answer far and above will be…blue!
And it’s everywhere, both in nature and the man-made world. The sky, distant mountains, blueberries, clouds, crashing ocean waves, walls in our homes, sapphires, jewelry, forget-me-nots, blue spruce, turquoise minerals, Paul Newman eyes, flames, Neptune, butterflies, and countless other creatures and things are graced with the color blue. From greenish to vibrant to eye-popping Crater Lake blue. Sultry, moody crooners of song express how we feel sad, low-down, and quarter-to-three blue.
Perhaps nowhere else in nature is this color more prevalent than in the world of birds. Blue jays, periwinkle blue-footed booby, indigo bunting, and Indian pea-fowl are all stunning examples of Mother Earth’s proficient sorcery with color harmony. With these birds, blue is immediately visually apparent. However, nature is more cunning with others and can hide the distinguishing marking from the naked eye.
Rare and Wonderful Coastal Resident, Cormie
Nowhere else is this phenomenon more evident than the Double-crested Cormorant. Cormie, our resident Educational Ambassador at the Astoria Wildlife Center, boasts a mouth with varying shades; cerulean in the breeding season, shifting to a lapis lazuli hue during the offseason. She came to the Wildlife Center in 2015 as a nestling when a bald eagle plucked her from her nest then dropped her into a tree in Astoria. Wounded, she was determined not releasable to thrive in the wild. The decision was then made to add her to the education program.
As you can see, this incredible bird boasts a hidden secret: a fabulous electric blue hidden from sight – right inside its beautiful throat! When a cormorant feels the need to compete with another (over the choice of a mate or competition over a nest site for example) they face-off, stretching their necks and opening their bills to show off their secret power. This is nature’s way of demonstrating its marvels and most particularly – of the color blue!
Earth and Ocean Arts Festival in Cannon Beach, September 16-19
The upcoming Cannon Beach, Oregon Earth and Ocean Arts Festival (September 16-19) revolves around the Cannon Beach Gallery Group’s collaboration with local environmental nonprofits. A portion of the proceeds will go towards assisting these organizations. Bronze Coast Gallery will focus on the Wildlife Center of the North Coast to fund a new enclosure for Cormie and develop a comprehensive interactive educational program.
Sorcery Modello at the Festival
My piece, Sorcery Modello, and other donated paintings and sculptures are included in a special raffle at Bronze Coast Gallery. Proceeds will go to help fund the Cormie project. Tickets are available from September 1 to September 19, and there is no need to be present to win. This painting was created for my Iso-lace-tion project during the lockdown months. All details about the event and raffle tickets are available at Bronze Coast Gallery.
Other special activities during the weekend of the festival include live performance installations and roving performers, a Farm to Fork dinner, a We Players Performance with Iron Chef Jonathan Hoffman, Dueling Easels, and Art for the Sky who will create the world’s largest sea star…out of people!
Everyone knows Cannon Beach is our favorite coastal town in Oregon and this event won’t disappoint….and not even close to feeling blue!
Beautiful….as always!
Thank you, Wanda.
I had no idea the cormorant’s throat was that color!
Me too! I loved the shades of blue and how it changes during the breeding seasons.
Greetings Margret,
You are not only a very talented artists, but writer as well!
Yes, Lapis Lazuli is a coveted color as well as YlnMn Blue, a special Gamblin color recently offered, not shown on their regular catalog of colors available.
Do you have any green favorites, other than the ones you mix yourself?
Have you tried YinMn yet? I have read about it but have never tried it. I do love lapis lazuli in all forms, especially jewelry! Greens are a real challenge in the natural pigment world. Most, such as terra verte or Nicosia, are very low pigmentation and it takes heaps of it to get rich color, and then it is still very subtle. In the synthetic paint lines, I like chromium oxide green. It is completely opposite and very powerful so use with caution. Mixed with burnt sienna it makes a great muted color. Let me know when you try the YinMn. I would love to hear about it. Margret
Your stories and descriptions of your paintings invite intellectual thoughts of how important art is in everyday life. Brava!
Thank you, D.A. Short. Your comment is much appreciated.