Red
- My Amaryllis
It doesn’t matter what tone or shade of a color a person sees, it has a psychological affect. Depending on what other colors a particular hue is displayed with it either has a positive or a negative effect. Red, a primary color is said to be a physical color, stimulating the pulse rate. It is the longest wavelength of light and so catches our attention first. This is why it is used in stop signs and traffic lights. Positively it can be perceived as a color of strength, energy, warmth, masculinity, courage and love. It can also have the negative effects of aggression and strain. In eastern cultures it can imply luck and prosperity. Red is the color of blood, of life.
I am watching my Amaryllis bloom on my kitchen table. Its large blooming bells are a stark contrast to the dull end of February outside. They are fiery red and glimmer when the light glows through their petals. The yellow pollen on its long extended stamens seems to balance all the red. I have never been initially attracted to red, perhaps because it seems like such an ordinary color but sometimes I find it indelibly beautiful, like these petals of my amaryllis. Red is indeed powerful, whether it be sea fan coral, lava, lipstick or a maple leaf in late fall.
