When friend, colleague and client Debbie Josendale  founder, creator, and president of 3C Marketing Group LLC contacted me to get my opinion on the colors in the graphic below, I dove in headfirst, and delivered an analysis of not only the colors, but their placement, qualities, and distribution.

It is a process I find fascinating, and I never tire of both studying, and analyzing how, why, and where colors work best  for the purpose they are being employed…or not.  When the colors are “not working”, sometimes a slight tweak will do the trick; changing the placement, value, chroma, or saturation of a color, or how much of it is being used.  Other times, a greater overhaul of the color palette may be requited.

Debbie knew that something was not right in the graphic above…not in balance. She knew the feeling she wanted communicated wasn’t quite there yet.

I saw immediately that the central “bar” of color, surrounding the word “AUTHORITY” was too dark, and needed some brightness and warmth to fully communicate the idea of “AUTHORITY” as a positive, powerful, and in essence, beautiful thing to the viewer.  I suggested that instead of the deep, almost blackish green (on my screen, and in this age of individual internet screen and printers, who knows what any given pair of eyes is seeing…), that a a mixture of the top green, and bottom blue, IE, a warmer, clearer, yet still strong,  teal be used, to distill the message of positive leadership, and problem-solving.

I also suggested that the lighter, brighter green, used at the bottom of the graphic be moved to the top, and the deeper blue at the top be used at the bottom, to “ground”  the “page”, as is done in architectural color consulting. Deeper, darker, and stronger color used on the foundation, or lower part of a building can “ground” it, making the building as a whole look more rooted, stable, and solid. By moving the green to the top of the “page” or view, I felt a more expansive, airy, and optimistic feeling could be created.

Finally, I advised that the top blue block, encasing the Map Marketing (TM) Method lettering be altered in some way that again, would make it less heavy, and also differentiate from the blocks of color below.  This is challenging, as this lettering/text serves as a logo, and thus changing even its scale could be tricky.

Well, Deb  and her team made the majority of the adjustments I advised,  to the graphic.  Above you can see the beautiful teal color which replaces that dark blackish-green surrounding the word AUTHORITY”,  relieving it of that “black hole” feeling. Not only was the green from the original moved from the bottom of the piece to the top, but a cooler hue of green, closer to the central teal, and less yellow, is used, bringing the piece as a whole into greater color harmony. The blue at the bottom is also adjusted to be closer to the teal, a greener blue, rather than the original “royal” blue, and is now separated from the “title” color bar/block at the very top.

We are still working on what can be done with that top color block, which I feel still, is too strong and heavy, visually “bearing down” on the rest of the graphic. The left side of the top color “block” overhangs the words in color read sideways, which are surrounded by the white background, giving it the sense of being off-center, and bearing to the left.

Enlarging the white text inside that top blue block would alleviate this to some extent, but my advice would be to lose that top block of color altogether, and make the text itself blue, and maybe a bit larger and heavier, to fill the space.
We will see what 3C decides to do!

In any event, the general consensus is that the graphic as a whole is much improved, and better communicates the feeling its creator wants to project. Voila the power of color, how much of it is used, and where!

You can hear our “Color Muze” discussion on Rebecca E. Parsons‘s blog talk radio program, “Artistically Speaking Talk Show” on this subject, preceded by a wonderful interview with paper artist Helen Hiebert.  you can also catch previous “Color Muzes” here, in Cre8tive Compass Magazine.

From all of us to all of You: here’s wishing all of You the  right color mix for You and Your color needs…today!

Green tea leaves shimmer in the midday sun as our trolley rambles along a sandy path on Wadmalaw Island. The sky is bluer than I have ever seen against the straight rows of tea. Cindi Bigelow stands to share her Tea Moment Memories…a tear fills my eye. I am here. I am moved. I am blessed.

I remain in a peacefully happy state, daydreaming of my new Tea Moment Memories created this week in Charleston, South Carolina as a guest of the Bigelows. What a beautiful journey we took from the fields of the Charleston Tea Plantation to the piazza of a majestic pink mansion on The Battery. The people, the time, the tea all melded into a once in a lifetime experience…a lasting Tea Moment Memory indeed!

I will be sharing more throughout this holiday weekend. I am off to enjoy my cup of tea…Check back often.

It is 90 degrees on my tiny island today and I am sipping my third glass of Bigelow Plantation Mint iced tea. And I am dreaming…oh yes, daydreaming about my soon to be dream come true. Now you may think I am exaggerating my daydreams…but they are really about to come true. Next Tuesday, HIMself and I are traveling to Charleston, SC as a guest of the Bigelow Tea family.

Tea Moment Memories

The three day excursion promises many delightful Tea Moment Memories. We will be meeting the Bigelows the first evening and having a tea tasting with Cindi Bigelow the next morning. Be still my heart!!!

And if that is not amazing enough, {this is the dream part}  I am going to have my cup of Plantation Mint tea at the actual plantation…the Charleston tea Plantation. I wrote about this earlier:

Everyday Moments and Daydreams

I recently discovered that Bigelow Tea Corporation has a tea plantation in Charleston, South Carolina. I once lived in Charleston. I love that city and I always thought that I would return when I retired. Many special moments happened there. I am just imagining another…sipping a cup of ‘my’ Plantation Mint at the Bigelow Tea Plantation…aaahhhhh, a girl can dream can’t she? Oh yes, that would be a good dream.

And that particular daydream is coming true next Wednesday. I hope to share images of moi, with my cup of Plantation Mint, at the Charleston Tea Garden…and so much more!!!

Several other bloggers will share in my dream.

We have been deep in discussions about what to wear. Do you think this dress is too much?

Summer is a time for lazy days, picnics and ice cream. We start looking early for ways to cool down here in Florida! I imagine you do too. I love to entertain and make beautiful tables and food for my guests. I found these wonderful and beautiful ways to serve a summer favorite at Shop Sweet Lulu’s. They are certain to be on my tabletop this year.

SOURCES:
push pop containers $15 USD for 10 at Shop Sweet Lulu
giant ice cream cups and lids $5 USD for 10 at Shop Sweet Lulu
ice cream cone holder $45 USD for 16 cone holder

I have lived many lives. All of them within this lifetime. I am a master of reinvention only by the grace of God. One after another my life lessons teach me, craft me…allow me to grow. And I have learned to always ask myself, “Do the events of my life define ME or refine ME?”

“Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards.” -Vernon Sanders Law, 1960 Cy Young Award Winner

And by walking and stumbling and, sometimes even crawling my path the last few years I was able to learn my deepest passion and my life’s purpose. SO…if I was one of the top 10% most viewed profiles on LinkedIN in 2012, why do I still not have a secure income, a home or health insurance? What am I doing wrong? Why do I often feel out of place when I know I belong?

If you are going to ask the questions,
be sure to listen for the answers.

How many times in my life have I been presented with the answers, but I did not listen? Then, my hurried life is brought completely to a halt…so I can do nothing else but listen!

I have been a success in my career. My five year plan for becoming an industry expert happened within two years. My life was full and I found that teaching transformed into mentoring and coaching. By 2004, I had taught and coached over 3000 clients, operated a thriving art school, was speaking before groups of 500 or more. I sold my graphic design business in the late 1990s. I used that money with my inheritance to buy my dream home on a tiny island….the top of my bucket list. Life was good

Sometimes the Universe smacks you in the face…hard.
And when you stand back up it will punch you again,
in the stomach. But getting the wind knocked out
of your lungs is the only way for them to know
just how much they love the taste of air. And I love air!!!

Loss Leads to Purpose

In May of 2008 I was punched in the stomach…hard. I lost my remaining source of income and my ego’s ‘identity’ as editor of an international arts magazine. Later that year I developed pneumonia while traveling and almost died.

I was financially prepared (so I thought) with more than ten months of living expenses socked away. I had occasional income from graphic and web design and writing gigs. But I couIld not find a JOB!!! During this next 36 months, God forced me to slow down by removing ALL obstacles. My home, my income and my self-esteem vanished in what seemed like minutes. In return I was presented with TIME! Time to reflect. Time to mourn. Time to refresh. Time to repurpose. Time to realign. Time to reframe. Time to release.

and within this gift of time…

I Found ME

A flawed, scarred woman with a story to tell. During this Three Year Retreat, mostly silent, I lost everything I thought I valued. For those of you who have followed my story on Cre8Tiva’s blog and on my blog, Down, But Not Out (Living Beneath No Means),  It was a time to reinvent and probably the most pain-filled life lesson to learn.

I had no choice but to reconnect with myself…find strength to look at what brought me to this place, find fortitude to survive, find courage to move forward, find hope to rebuild, find tiny bits of my soul that had been scattered about the universe over the years and bring them home.

I stepped haltingly into my purpose, my future, my path…

I recently attended inCourage’s In Real Life Conference (#inRL). One of the other attendees, (@deidrariggs), tweeted this… “If I’m not doing the thing He created me to do, then nobody’s doing it.” – Deidra Riggs

I don’t remember a time in my life that I was accused of not doing my own thing…I love to dance in the rain (or anywhere for that matter) and I still jump into mud puddles even though I am well past the age for a genteel (say…polite, refined or respectable) Southern lady to do so!!! Yet I do!

I have messed around with many “callings” up to now…dancer, artist, Mother, editor, graphic designer, friend, TV star, radio personality, Christian Spiritual Director, life coach, healer, Junior Leaguer, writer, blogger, business coach…yadda, yadda, yadda! All were fun and all provided a big learning ground for me to grow into the thing I now believe He created me to do…

Communicate in a Big Way with Love

My life has always been like these stacked stones…one after another my life lessons pile on teaching me, crafting me…allowing me to grow. I have often been called a dreamer and I believe that is my truth…I dream, yet I do more…I vision a future where I have a home once again, health insurance and an income no one can ever take from me! Still searching for that elusive security…

I am part of a blog hop…please click the above image to see other posts about This is ME!!!

UPDATE
Congrats to the winner, commenter #9…Shana D. Hope this helps with the migraines.

This review was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own. I received a Wahl Hot/Cold Massager for the purpose of this review.

Mother’s Day is next Sunday and I have to share a recent product I tried that I am sure all Mothers could use – a Hot/Cold Therapy Massaging Gel Pack from Wahl. I received this just after my encounter with a golf cart. Most of you know I hurt my knee and shoulder in the accident. I have been limping and gimping around for several weeks now.

When I received the Massaging Gel Pack, it went to use immediately. I used it cold on my knee first and it really helped it feel better. I then tried it warm on my shoulder. I really loved that warmth on the painful areas. You can use it either hot or cold. It is microwaveable and freezable. The massaging vibrating Therapeutic Gel Pack is reusable.

All Moms deserve some pampering, especially on Mother’s Day. With all the lifting, bending and stretching we do, we often find ourselves sore at the end of a long day. The massaging gel packs can help relieve some of those aches and pains and help you relax. It does this for me.

Hot/Cold Therapy Massaging Gel Pack – This one-part massager, one-part hot/cold pack is the latest in a series of new pain management products from Wahl. Unlike conventional hot/cold packs, this first-of-its-kind product combines two of the most common treatments–temperature therapy and massage– to offer a new level of pain relief. It also offers Velcro straps for hands-free use. MSRP 24.99 See the areas it can help below.

Giveaway

Wahl has generously offered to give a Hot/Cold Therapy Massaging Gel Pack to one of my lucky Moms! I kept the entry super simple…just leave a comment below sharing your pain and why you would love to win one. Winner will be chosen via Random.org on May 19th 2013. Please be sure to leave your e-mail address. Good Luck! While you are at it, connect with Wahl on Twitter and use the hashtag #shareyourpain.

Please visit  the Wahl website for more info and connect with Wahl on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Pinterest.

This review was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own. I received a Wahl Hot/Cold Massager for the purpose of this review.

On  April 21, I chatted with on her Artistically Speaking Talk Show about the “Art of Color Harmony”, based on the work of  Michel Eugène (M.E.)  Chevreul.  Chevreul was a contemporary of the painter Eugène Delacroix, and he penned “The Principles Of Harmony And Contrast Of Colors: And Their Applications To The Arts” in 1855.  He was a chemist, Chevreul’s color principles influenced great European art movements including Impressionism, Neo-Impressionism and Orphism.

Rebecca’s interview guest on the program that day was Rachel Rockwell, of Bubbly Nature Creations.  They discussed food photography, and Rachel generously offered tips for the novice, and aspiring photographer.  Rebecca suggested I use Rachel’s images to illustrate this post, and I  discovered something in common to these two, separated by over 150 years..soap! Chevreul’s research “enabled him to elucidate the true nature of soap…which led to important improvements in the processes of candle-manufacture.” Rachel started her blog as a way to document her soap-making!   Such… synchronicity!      But onward…to The Art of Color Harmony, illustrated by Rachel Rockwell, and Rebecca E. Parsons.

We discussed six ways of creating color harmony, three “Harmonies of Analogy”, based on similarity, or relatedness, and three “Harmonies of Contrast”, based on differences.  Interesting to note that “harmony” can be achieved by what would seem to be opposite principles…read on! (A word of advice: have your meal first..these images may have a mouth-watering effect!)

What Chevreul called the “harmony of scale” involves putting together colors closely related in  value (lightness/darkness) and hue (the pure color itself).  Above the chocolate browns  create a most delicious tone-on-tone effect, relieved by the  complementary (opposite each other on the color wheel) red and green of the strawberries.

Here we see a similar “harmony of scale” effect, with a gradation of color in the cake’s frosting, going from darker, brighter and more intense/concentrated at the bottom, becoming almost white at the top. Earthy and colorful touches break up the harmony of scale, to add “the harmony of contrast of colors”…but we will get to that!

Not food photography above, but a lovely example of harmony of scale…pink on pink, with just a slight shift in value to the darker on the embellishment!

Analogous colors (those next to each other on the color wheel, of similar value create the “harmony of hues” when put together, such as the oranges, golds and orange-browns above. They are beautifully offset by the complimentary blue box behind, which makes the whole composition pop.

Photo by Rebecca E. Parsons

The third “Harmony of Analogy” described by Chevreul as “harmony of a dominant colored light” relates to, as I understand it, the harmonious effect of a “dominant tinted light” on varying hues and values. Above we see, gratis Rebecca, an assortment of variously flavored cupcakes of different hue, some darker, some lighter, illuminated by a warm light.  The color of the light is a unifying factor in the grouping, composition, and harmonious effect.

We now come to Chevreul’s three “Harmonies of Contrast” in which color harmony is achieved through differences, IE, contrasts. We begin to see how many different paths there can be to harmony…is there a lesson beyond color theory in all this…?

I am not sure what the delicious-looking drink above above consists of as far as ingredients go, but it can be seen as an example of what Chevreul terms,  “harmony of a contrast of scale”. One basic hue, speckled with  much darker value of that hue creates a kind of tone-on-tone texture.  or, so it looks to be in the photo. In any event, the effect is that of unified harmony,  and titillates our taste-buds!

By contrast (no pun intended) the “harmony of contrast of hues” is illustrated above. Related colors (red plus white equals pink) in highly differentiated values (white the lightest, the pink the mid-tone, and the red, though bright, the darkest) set each other off by virtue of their difference…not only in value, but also in purity, and chroma.

Finally, we arrive at one of my favorites, the “harmony of contrast of colors“. Here is where the ideas of “the attraction of opposites” comes into play. We see how colors far apart in value and hue can be combined to create relationships that are dynamic and visually arresting, yet harmonious nonetheless. In the image above, we see aspects of the three primary colors, red, yellow and blue represented and cooled by white. The colors have a great deal of contrast, yet create a harmonious whole.

Harmony can also be created by the presence of two complimentary colors,  (again, colors which are  opposite each other on the color wheel) such as red and green!  Notice how the green garnish sets off the reds of the tomato, and focuses the composition? Still harmonious, but powerful!

And, what can be more powerful at last, than harmony?

Here’s wishing YOU the peacefulness and power of harmony; in Art, in Work, in Life.

Here’s to a harmonious world.

Cheers!

I close my eyes and trace the chilled liquid as it slowly cools my parched throat. I can taste each of the exotic flavors one by one – mango, pineapple, lime, mint and rum. The frozen Chunks O’ Fruti #FreshNFruti ice cubes tickle my lips and make me smile. Ahhhhhhh…relax and chill!

Florida gets hot, hot, hot! Summer arrives early here and it is already in the 80′s most afternoons. Our minds turn to grilling, beach picnics and tall cool drinks by the pool. And that is what we are doing this beautiful Saturday afternoon…chillin’ by the pool with friends.

When I first tasted the Mango Pineapple Fruti all natural fruit bars, I knew that I would have some fun using these in summer drinks and smoothies and possibly some cool fruit desserts. I love finding new products and creating new recipes with them. These natural fruit popsicles gave me plenty of recipe options and inspiration. I thought it would be awesome to create shaped Caribbean fruit cubes from the bars.

So I brought out the tiny cookie cutters and went to town. Look how cute these ice cubes are!  And the best part, when the frozen fruit bar cubes begin to melt they won’t dilute the drink mixes I create…they will just add more flavor! That rocks.

I am thrilled that Fruti fruit bars are 100% Natural. Fruti’s “Fruit First Formulation” means the fruit bars contain more fruit than any other ingredient. Fruti does not add any colors or flavors to the bars…they come from the freshly picked fruits. The majority of sugar comes naturally from the premium fruit ingredients, and only a minimal amount of additional sugar is added to balance our signature fresh fruit taste. They are verified by the Non-GMO Project. They come in several delicious flavors, such as Pina Colada, Strawberry, Caribbean Mix, Strawberry Pina Colada and Pineapple Mango.

Tall Mango Pineapple Mojito

This recipe is a different take on the favorite Cuban drink. I especially love the look of this Bacardi cocktail in a pitcher and in the glasses.  It just looks cooling. The fruit bars made this an easy and fun libation to make and drink. They cut like a dream. I was inspired by the beautiful Mojito photos on Pinterest.

You might want to connect with Fruti on their website, Twitter and FaceBook

Please check out the CBSocially Pinterest board for this campaign:FreshNFruti/ and check out my shopping experience.

This is a video tour of my (Rebecca E. Parsons’) home studio in 2010… I miss that space since downsizing in 2012.

I hope you enjoy this quick look into my creative world. I would love to have videos and photos of your creative spaces. If you are interested in sharing with our readers, please contact Rebecca on by clicking here.

This is my space in 2011…after a makeover. Read about it here.