Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Monochrome or Kodachrome

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We live in a small house on the river. We built this house about 24 years ago but only lived in it for three years before building a larger family home next door. It was in the big house that we raised our family of four children, a cat and a dog.

A number of years ago we bought the little house back and moved in while we renovated the big house ready for sale. Our plan was to demolish the little house and rebuild a contemporary architectural statement.

But things changed in the intervening period. For starters our nest emptied almost completely.
But more importantly we began to love this little house.

From the street it is a small unassuming cottage but once in the front door your vision flows right through the glass elements of the house to the green of the river and the trees on the bank beyond. When the house was originally built the extensive use of glass and the open plan design were quite radical concepts.

So we tidied it up and stayed put. Surrounded as we are now by contemporary architectural homes, the odd Mc Mansion and mausoleum, edifices to questionable taste and aesthetic merit, our little river house sits quietly on the river's edge and is an abode of peace and serenity.



If you had asked me about the interior of the house I would have told you it was monochromatic - white walls, a white painted timber high raked ceiling and blond timber flooring. The light floods through the house by way of the exterior shade structures creating ever changing patterns on the white surfaces. The white colour scheme enhances the light airiness and creates a feeling of spaciousness.

But when I wandered around the house the other day with my camera as my third eye I noticed something surprising. The house has erupted in colour just as the Australian outback, after the rains, bursts into a riot of wild flowers the colours of an artist's smeared palette. Everywhere I pointed the camera I found splashes of colour like a Margaret Olley still life.

If you come with me I'll tell you about a few of these corners that are not self explanatory.












When I think back
On all the crap I learned in high school
It's a wonder

I can think at all
And though my lack of edu---cation
Hasn't hurt me none
I can read the writing on the wall






Kodachrome

They give us those nice bright colors
They give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world's a sunny day, Oh yeah
I got a Nikon camera
I love to take a photograph
So mama don't take my Kodachrome away




This shot is the corner of a painting done by Ari Vanderschoot, I was going to tell you the story behind this painting but Ari deserves a blog to herself so I will put her aside and add her to my to do blog list.






If you took all the girls I knew

When I was single
And brought them all together for one night
I know they'd never match
my sweet imagination
everything looks WORSE in black and white




I found this patchwork throw in Kauai, Hawaii.




Kodachrome
They give us those nice bright colors
They give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world's a sunny day, Oh yeah
I got a Nikon camera
I love to take a photograph
So mama don't take my Kodachrome away








Mama don't take my Kodachrome away
Mama don't take my Kodachrome away
Mama don't take my Kodachrome away





A section of his collection of Hawaiian Aloha shirts.



Another corner of Ari's painting




Mama don't take my Kodachrome
Mama don't take my Kodachrome
Mama don't take my Kodachrome away


Mama don't take my Kodachrome
Leave your boy so far from home
Mama don't take my Kodachrome away
Mama don't take my Kodachrome


Mama don't take my Kodachrome away





One of my daughters made the little koala, sitting on this shelf, at kindergarten when she was about 3 years old.





One of my many journals, collections and List books.



Kodachrome
They give us those nice bright colors
They give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world's a sunny day, oh yeah
I got a Nikon camera
I love to take a photograph
So mama don't take my Kodachrome away







So I suppose that you could more accurately say that my house is a white canvas strewn with tropical colours.
We know that colour can effect our moods and alter our emotions. We use colour to describe feelings, mind-frames and physiological states. We say things like: in a blue funk; I saw red; his face turned yellow, she turned white as a ghost.

I have always thought of myself as a blue person but I've noticed lately that I have become more of a green person. I'm attracted to the colour of green - I like the feeling that it generates in me, I don't wear it often but I think green and feel green. I have green moods and a green outlook. And even though I am slowly but surely moving into the autumn of my life I am feeling, deep down inside, a very green growing, evolving, natural and earthy, alive, connected to the land, the trees and plants, and shooting fresh young buds sort of a green -
I feel full of hope and awe and life.



What colour are you?





Kodachrome is performed by Paul Simon and appears on the album There Goes Rhymin' Simon (1973)

24 comments:

  1. I've always been partial to green. I think it's my favorite color.
    Beautiful post, so full of color!
    Thanks so much for your help on the texture rules.

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  2. Kate. a pleasure. I'm in the same basket as far as the credits thingy goes, we don't want to offend anyone do we...

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  3. Oh Kate - if you take a look at my Dogs thru' the ages post there is a little comment about George!

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  4. Delwyn I think I am a yellow person.

    I am wondering do you like the maple because it is in the middle of the Canadian flag? That is what I am thinking because Canadians and Australians love each other. We are like the same people.

    I love the colours in the house.

    xoxo

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  5. What a unique, beautiful blog!!! I noticed that I've read almost every book on your favorite list on your profile...I don't see Women Who Run with the Wolves on many lists...excellent choice! :)

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  6. Renee: I think it's more my love of all things Japanese..but I'm ok with your theory too...
    What does yellow mean to you?

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  7. Andrea - welcome and how nice to have a kindred reader. Thanks for your nice compliments too.

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  8. Andrea P.S. did you see my doggie post?

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  9. I love having a peek into homes but have noticed that since I live here curtains,fences everything is behind closed doors,not much out in the open,this topic has come across in many conversations you see I grew up in a place where you can look inside everybody's home they are glad to show of!
    I love the poems that went along your story I was really walking through your house for a moment thank you Delwyn you are a colorful person,
    I always pick the color blue,wear a lot of sky blue,paint in blue do I think in blue?

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  10. Mona: There is a tendency here to erect high walls around homes, in fact the people across the road are having one built as we speak.
    A 'blue Mona' interesting...

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  11. Green, green, green. Funny thing about green: it's associated with envy, immaturity, and money (at least in America) and it is in spite of all this that I like it.

    Green is the color of the noblest life form: plants. It's the color of chlorophyll. It's life's way of turning sunlight into food for all of us animals. So that's why I like green.

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  12. Wow! What colors! What an eye! I have told myself for years that I should just go around the house taking pictures of just stuff but think it would be too boring. Silly me. Maybe this will inspire me. I particularly like the clothespins, the shirts, and the spoons.

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  13. B&B
    That's how I felt as the camera became my eyes...and the 'stuff' became wonderful colour... and there's always a theme you can thread the images onto.

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  14. People used to tell me I had too much colour in my place! They should check out your colourful abode.
    I tend to go in themes and co-ordinate my rooms. At the moment I am still into plum, turquoise and sage green. With a bit or orange thrown in during the autumn.

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  15. I love, love color! I couldn't just choose one. Fun colorful post, Delwyn.

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  16. Good morning Doll:

    Oh yes, I have been compiling that list my whole life. God and his representatives are two of my absolute favourite subjects.

    I have a million thoughts on the subject.

    Love Renee

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  17. Violet: I love the way that you can change the themes if you have a neutral canvas. I have a thing about Turquoise and sage at the moment too. It goes well with a dash of red or orange.

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  18. Willow- you are a little rainbow of ideas and inspiration

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  19. Renee: hi there,It is a never ending internal dialogue isn't it? And more gets added every day. We have a case in Brisbane where a hugely popular priest has been sacked for allowing his congregation to take part in the delivery of the sermon - women and gays - (horror of horrors) but his parishioners refuse to let him go because he was an immense asset to the community. The hierarchy see it otherwise. When will they learn?

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  20. I love your comments and photographs. By your description I think you have the perfect abode. As far my color ... I've always loved purple, but at this point in my life I seem to gravitate to greens. I'll have to take some photos around our house and show you our colors. I'll offer explanations as well. Thanks for this post ... it has sent me in a new direction.
    Cheryl

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  21. Lizzy, I am glad to have sent you on a new mission... And I am learning about Texas. My husband has visited your state quite a few times buying old cars which he restores. So far I haven't accompanied him, maybe one day..

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  22. Delwyn, what a lovely post. I would love to see some pics of your pretty little cottage you describe :)

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  23. Lorrie - another post do you think???

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