Miss Scarlet in the Shed with the Knife͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ 

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Artwork by Kevin Tseng

September 2024 / No.14

Notes on my art and creative process

Lake Five Shed
(9x12-in. archival print)
Full print gallery on my website

 

I pass this charming red shed on the drive to my friend’s house in West Glacier. Depending on the season, weather, and lighting, I reflexively assign it a mood: bashful, spunky, steadfast, gloomy...

I’ve been surprised by an emerging pattern — many of my popular prints have a prominent red element. Naturally, I began to wonder what exactly makes red so alluring? Here are some of the findings:

> Aside from black and white (technically not colors), red was the first color to be named in most — if not all — primitive languages. It’s also the first primary color that newborns can see. Hello, Elmo!

> Since prehistoric times, artists have created paints from clay with red iron-oxide minerals. The materials occur naturally, are common in many soils, and the pigment is long-lasting.

> Red stands out from the two most prevalent colors in our natural surroundings: green (trees, land) and blue (sky).

> Of the visible colors, red’s long wavelength travels the farthest before being diffused by atmospheric particles. This makes it one of the most visible colors to our eyes — think traffic signals and fire engines.

> Red greatly affects us psychologically. Different hues conjure up concepts like danger, excitement, anger, courage, speed, and love. Even that short list contains a lot of extremes.

left: joyful red puppet on Sesame Street
right: scary red cake in local bakery

“It is a color with a strange gigantic life... Red confounds us surely in its many meanings, for it is magic itself.”
— ALEXANDER THEROUX

The mood of the shed near Lake Five probably has less to do with how it actually looks and more to do with how I am feeling at the moment I pass by.

Lately, I treat the shed as a sort of stop sign. I always seem to be in a rush and this spot on the drive presents a chance to check in. What’s the month and day, what’s it like outside — and more importantly — within me.

 

Instagram: @DrawKevinDraw
Website: KevinTseng.com
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Sources:
“Facts About the Color Red”
“Ochre: The World’s First Red Paint”
“Color Visibility”
“What Color Does the Human Eye Track Best?”
“Red Color Psychology”
Super books on color:
“The Primary Colors” / “The Secret Lives of Color”

 

Thank you for reading :^)

All content ©KevinTseng (unless otherwise stated)

8900 U.S. Hwy 2 #190791, Hungry Horse, MT 59919, USA

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