The Color of February / 2023

February's Color of the Month is Cadmium Red Light.

Unlike the self-titled color "Morning Fog" for January (see this post), Cadmium Red Light is a color that you'll find in the paint aisle of any art supply store.

Cadmium Red Light is a more orange-y version of Cadmium Red – a bold, opaque, high-tinting paint color with deep roots in history.

Cadmium Red, became commercially available in the early 1900s, presenting a new alternative to Vermillion Red, and has been widely used by many famous artists throughout the 20th Century.

Henri Matisse was among the first to make it popular, incorporating it in paintings like Red Interior, Still Life on a Blue Table and The Red Studio, which puts the color at the forefront of the viewer's attention in an exciting way.

In general, red is often associated with big, passionate emotions – even the tiniest addition to a work of art can demand attention.

Red has been a part of our palette since the beginning of human history – ex: the Cave paintings at Cueva de las Manos – as the color we first learned to produce and fabricate.

It’s in our blood and in the earth.

And although the boldness of red can be polarizing to the preferences of some, I find it interesting that red paintings sell for the highest prices at auction (nearly tied with blue pieces).

For a long time, throughout my high school and college years, red would've been one of the last colors I'd have incorporated into my work. Being so intimidated by bright colors for so long, it's funny now that Cadmium Red Light has become a favorite.

Around 2021, I became obsessed with this particular shade of red, and my love for it has only deepened since.

Why Cadmium Red Light? Why this incredibly bright red that encroaches on orange?

I think I like how starkly different it feels compared to the more commonplace fire engine, rose bud, McDonald's red we see so often.

Not to diss too hard on Crimson Red or Cinnabar Red… I just prefer Cadmium Red Light and its uniqueness.

To me, Cadmium Red Light feels alive. It has a pulse. It speaks up and asks you to pay attention, to lean in for more as you pause with the thought, "wait, is that red or is it orange?'

This color feels spiritual and special.

It reminds me of the blood of Christ, a sanctified imagination – a color of confidence, redemption, and hope for my future.

It's a color so bold it refuses to wear out or give up.

When I stare at Cadmium Red Light, I can almost hear it whispering, "I won't back down. I will persevere."

And at the time I began incorporating it into my paintings, I was probably looking for that extra dose of perseverance.

Back when I was setting up my first official in-home art studio and feeling nervous about dedicating physical space to my painting practice, I fell in love with a tube of Cadmium Red Light in the aisle of the art supply store and began to incorporate it into every new composition – even if it was the subtlest of marks.

To this day, when I pick up my brush to paint with this shade of red, I’m reminded of the intense love my Heavenly Father has for me and the strength I find through Him to persevere in challenging seasons (like those early days in my studio, for example).

It’s a love and strength so moving, it feels like Cadmium Red Light.

When I paint, I see myself as a co-creator with The Creator.

And when I draw on that truth in my studio, I paint lighter and bolder and more confident, as a child of God.