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art, artists, bright colors, color spectrum, color vision, colors, faabest, Fine Art, Gabriele Jordan, sharon cummings, tetrachromacy, tetrachromats, vision, visionary artwork
I am a certified color junkie. Ever since I can remember colors were never bright enough for me. There were never enough in my environment to satisfy me. The world was boring and I’ve always wanted more. It’s why you just don’t see muted pastels in my art (or maybe you do). I use the brightest and most vibrant colors I can find and mix, but you may not see all of them. And now there may be a scientific explanation for my extreme color cravings. An unknown number of women may perceive millions of colors invisible to the rest of us. These women have four cones in their eye for detecting colors. The vast majority of people only have three. I am not a scientist, so I will just post a link (some text in this blog is referenced from this article):
http://discovermagazine.com/2012/jul-aug/06-humans-with-super-human-vision#.UcROCfk3vMU
Scientists have dubbed these people tetrachromats. An average human can perceive a million different colors. But the tetrachromats see a hundred million colors, with each familiar hue fracturing into a hundred more subtle shades for which there are no names, no paint swatches. Dr. Gabriele Jordan is one scientist who has been studying this phenomenon for years. She estimates tetrachromats make up as many as 12 percent of women, but only a small percentage of these women actually use that fourth cone.
It is suspected that the natural world may not have enough variation in color for the brain to learn to use a fourth cone in those who have them. Tetrachromats might never need to draw on their full capacity. They may be trapped in a world tailored to those with three cones. Perhaps if these women regularly visited a lab where they had to learn to tell extremely subtle shades apart, they would awaken in themselves the latent abilities of their fourth cone. Then they could begin to see things they had never tried to see before, a kaleidoscope of colors beyond our imagining.
A lab or my studio?
To see more of my work, click here:
http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-sharon-cummings.html?tab=artworkgalleries
A friend recently recommended this test for me to find out….PERFECT score…this explains A LOT!
Abstract Art by Sharon Cummings 
Reblogged this on B.E.S.T. Arts Gallery.
Thank you!
I am also a color addict. Have been for a while now and have not interest in rehab 🙂 I love your work and the colors you use.
Thank you Omaste! I am glad you are a color junkie…love your work too!
This is very cool, reminds me of this page about the mantis shrimp (no really!) – http://theoatmeal.com/comics/mantis_shrimp
Thank you William! I wish I was a mantis shrimp!
Marvelous, thank you for your share.
You are welcome! Thank you!
“Speaking” up here as another color junkie. What a fun post and informative post, and I love your use of color, Sharon!
Thank you so much!!
This is very interesting! I think I’m a color junkie too, just haven’t been diagnosed yet, haha! 🙂
There is a fun test online that can give you a clue: http://www.xrite.com/online-color-test-challenge Enjoy!
I absolutely love these! I definitely support (and share) your color addiction!
Glad you can relate Karin! Thanks for stopping by my blog. 🙂
GORGEOUS! I love color too although I’ve been trying B&W lately.
Thank you Laura….I like working in B&W sometimes too…it’s challenging because you cannot depend on the color for “pop”…..it’s all about contrast and shape.
Reblogged this on rebloggobbler.
The zebra is wonderful.
Thank you so much!
Reblogged this on Amazing Fine Art.
Very interesting post Sharon (and I love the colors!)
Thanks Lance! Away at the beach right now. 🙂
Rainin’ cats and frogs here in Memphis.
I am soooo jealous.
Oh yeah!! Equines and color!!!
I have always loved your color junkie-ness! For me life is just so vibrant with joy, it’s a blast to express that with color in my art. and to view another artist’s vision as well. It’s always a treat to see yours and Omastes’ colorful work. I’m headed to take that test! 😉
Let me know how you do Meghan (sp?)! Thank you for stopping by my blog. 🙂
I got perfect color vision as well. It’s funny, as I was taking it I could ‘feel’ what was right. Obviously I used my eyes, but I also used a sense of ‘rightness’. Hard to explain.
Yes, you got the spelling right! Meghan with an h. 😀 If you don’t mind I’m going to put a link in my post tomorrow to this post… it’s perfect for my topic!
I do not mind at all. 🙂 I suspected you were a color junkie too based on your work!
Hi! I followed Firebonnet’s link over here, and I’ve got to say that I LOVE your work. Yes, another “color-junkie” here… great term which I’ve never heard before. I tend to work digitally because it affords me the greatest opportunity to adjust and correct what I don’t like (and there’s a lot of that in my process), but looking at what you do is inspiring. Maybe someday when my life calms down, I’ll have get out the messy stuff and have a go. Thanks for all the color candy, and I’ll be back to see what else you have to share!
Awesome! I create a lot of digital artwork myself these days. I love it! I especially like to combine acrylic paintings which I’ve scanned with digital aspects…so fun! Thank you for stopping by!