‘I love the colours in this one.’

I’ve heard this before, as someone looks at a piece of my art. I know the feeling myself. My breath catches: What have I created? Or what has created itself, under my hands?

We identify with colour in different ways – we feel an affinity with one more than another. We associate feelings and experiences with colour, in both positive and negative ways. Context matters. What we choose for our living room won’t necessarily be the same as the colours we choose ...