When cool colours reduce and warm colours increase

I have heard the term 'Cataract' since ages. I never bothered to understand what exactly it is. I have heard of elders being troubled by cataract. It is only recently that I understood what it does to the way you see things around you, and how vision changes as a result of cataract, which occurs as a result of ageing.

In short, the vision gets blurred, and a few filters are applied to the colours you see, hence making them appear different than what they really are. Usually the cool colours - greens, blues, purples - reduce and are instead replaced by a bunch of warm colours - reds, oranges, yellows. Hazier vision, blurry lines and less detailing. 

One of my all time favourite artists - Claude Monet - suffered from cataract. And his entire style was based on the play of light on objects and the plethora of shades of colours that occur at various times of the day. There were no lines, there were only illusions or impressions of an outline, created by colours. He had recurring motifs that were studied across different points of time.

Here is one such recurring motif painted before the onset of cataract, and after the onset of cataract!

 

Source: www.intermonet.com

Hot picks from the Pantone Spring '14 Colours

This season's colours are inspired by summery floral, summer travel destinations and optimism.

Here are my favourites from this season's colour palette:

Source:
Colour Forecast: www.pantone.com
Pics: www.weddinginstituteblog.com

The Red Velvet Discourse

Image Source: www.caffeina.blogspot.in

A few years back, you would find vanilla cakes, chocolate cakes and fruit cakes. That was about it. Then came the brownies or loafs. Last year I read somewhere that 'cupcakes are the new brownies'. And this year I see Red Velvets everywhere. Any dessert cafe that does not have a Red Velvet offering can just bury their heads in shame. Red Velvets have become the new Chocolates!

So what is it about Red Velvets?

The shade of red is extremely important. It is not bright or scary. It is a subtle red, more of a maroon.

It is topped with White frosting usually. The Red and White combination has something about it. The white just stands out on a red background, almost as regally as a diamond ring embedded in a red velvet jewel case.

Red is the colour of love, passion, dynamism and youthfulness. A colour that was not found in desserts, except in the form of cherries. And the taste that one associates with passion and youthfulness over the years, has undoubtedly become chocolate. So here's the brilliant combination of a dash of red in an otherwise normal chocolate cake. And we have the ultimate dessert. It is the latest craze amongst youngsters.

The term velvet only adds to the sensuality of this dessert. The smooth, melt-in-the-mouth texture, the perfect colour, the vanilla frosting and the layers or the cupcake avatar all make this a precious little something for special occasions or for special people. An absolute must-have in bakeries and dessert cafes today.

:) In short, red velvet is all about new age exuberant youthfulness and sheer romance.