Colours of Fine Arts

Tempered by FIRE

BY SONAL RAJE OWNER, BLUE AMBER ARTS

Gold: the precious metal, a standard of highest quality or achievement, and the colour that embodies our authentic power. A power that is abundant and purposeful. How do we come to own or discover this power?

We have heard the famous quote by William Shakespeare, “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.”

I was given the name “Sonal” by my parents. The meaning of Sonal in my Indian origin is “Golden”. So the standard was literally thrust upon me at birth! Born in a family of talented artists, given this name to live up to and every support to follow my passion of learning art, I rode the gentle waves of success on my artistic path for a long time.

But wait, gold has to go through a tempering by fire to be revealed in the purest form. Similarly, we need to go through a tempering of our base self to be revealed as a spiritual self. This tempering in my artistic journey was through many challenges, physical and emotional. The fire burnt away all the unnecessary chaos and confusion, revealing the purest form of inspiration.

Artists are required to have their artist statement or mission statement, and expected to have a signature style that is as unique as it is personal. I found my mission and a style that resonated closely after this tempering. In terms of art style and career path, the change was drastic and visible, tangible. I moved to a more abstract style of expression and worked with frequency and energy of colour. I was painting moods, emotions and I was inspired to teach art in a way that balanced energy through mindful use of colour.

In the context of the energy centers or chakras within our physical bodies, Gold is the colour that combines the creativity and water energy of the Sacral chakra and the wisdom and fire energy of the solar plexus chakra. A mix of orange and yellow. A good piece of art is a culmination of creative inspirations and wisely crafted techniques. More often than not I find myself using gold in my paintings, in the form of accent strokes, bold patches, gold leaf, or even pouring the colour directly on the canvas, sprinkling gold crystals or dust.

Using powerful colour can give you a little taste of the alchemy of creating the actual mineral. Suddenly there is a sense of opulence and authenticity in the expression. The best examples of an extravagant use of gold in art can be seen in Gustav Klimt’s works during his “Golden Period” (1862-1918). The richness of the gilded gold was his signature style. His famous paintings “The Kiss” and “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I” can be good examples of his way of using gold.

The best examples of an extravagant use of gold in art can be seen in Gustav Klimt’s works during his “Golden Period” (1862-1918). The richness of the gilded gold was his signature style. His famous paintings “The Kiss” and “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I” can be good examples of his way of using gold.

But the change within me was the real transformation. I can now say with confidence that I have found my purpose as a creator, and can give value to my art and teaching. Every artist strives to present that perfect solution to a challenge faced by the society, be it personal or communal. The programs I have developed are through the inspirations that were an integral part of the tempering process.

So I think the only real way towards greatness or abundance is through achievement, accomplished with the tempering through the fire of life experiences.