Orange you glad…

(Pair of tangerines. 2007.)

Osh over at Deaf Pagan Crossroads emailed me with a request for the color orange.  Here ya go, Osh.  Orange, in all its glory.  Well… maybe not all.  But some of its glory.

I don’t know why I put off orange for so long.  It’s not as if I hate the color or anything.  In fact, I’m quite fond of it, especially this time of year.  (To be honest, the real reason I put off orange was because it takes me a ridiculously long time to put these things together and I haven’t had much in the way of spare time now that I’m not forced to rest because of pain/illness.)

(Guy in orange jacket.  2007.)

As I was going through my photographs looking for orange (a color that’s not at all difficult to spot!), I was surprised to find that orange likes to hang around with other colors more often than not.

(Orange in a rainbow.  2008.  © Robin)

(Spots of orange in fall foliage.  Pennsylvania.  2007.)

Oh sure, it occasionally stands out all by itself…

(Mini-pumpkin before the cats mangled it.  2007.)

(Bigger pumpkins.  2007.)

(Biggest pumpkin.  2007)

But in most of my photos orange is buddying up to some other color or colors.

(Orange and yellow flowers.  2008)

Orange is often seen as a close relative of red.  That makes sense since it’s made up of the colors red and yellow.  Sometimes, as in the photo of the guy in an orange jacket (which might actually be a red and yellow jacket), orange appears as a result of red and yellow being in close proximity.

(Orange light.  Longwood Gardens fountains at night.  2007)

Orange generally evokes strong reactions.  When presented with a bright orange color, people tend to either love it or hate it.  Physically, orange is said to stimulate the appetite and spark activity, and encourage socialization.

Orange is a warm color, vibrant and energetic.

(Orange in Chihuly glass.  2007)

In feng shui, orange is considered a “social” color that is used in the home to promote lively conversations and good times.  It is associated with the element Fire and the direction South.

(Orange in Chihuly glass and a koi.  2007)

Orange is often associated with autumn.

(Fallen leaves.  2007)

Yet the brighter oranges usually appear in summer.

(Day lilies.  2006)

(Orange flower in the shade.  2007)

(Princess Emma & the orange tractor.  2008)

Orange, in magickal terms, corresponds with strength, attraction, and luck.

(Mummer in orange.  2007)

Some consider orange to be a color that helps free and release emotions, lifting the spirits and promoting optimism and creativity.

(Butterfly.  2007)

There are a variety of orange foods including pumpkins, carrots, squash, and of course, the orange.

(Roasted butternut squash and onions.  2007)

(Carrots.  2007)

Safety orange is used in the U.S. in things such as cones, barrels, and other construction marking devices.

(Safety orange in construction zone.  2006)

(Amish buggy with safety orange and red.  2007)

I’ll leave you with a few more examples of orange.  Enjoy.  🙂

(Bumper stickers on an orange VW bus.  2007)

(Orange notice to the homeless folks who live under a bridge in Pittsburgh.  2006)

(Orange mushrooms.  2006)

(M the Younger in orange shirt.  2008)

Orange is the color of the sun.  It is vital, and a good color generally, indicating thoughtfulness and consideration of others.

~ Edgar Cayce

(Sunset in the Bogs.  2008)