I drew houses
with lemony yellow windows.
they looked happier that way, I thought
or, so I believed, at the time.
and though they cast a certain
other-worldly aspect
I have seen, over the years,
when the light is just so
it does - really does -
paint van gogh windows
in a dreamy world -
exquisitely elusive, but familiar
in the dearest way.
as precious as a lemon yellow crayon
on a golden sunshine day.
notes: Vincent van Gogh (1853 - 1890), a Dutch post impressionist painter, is noted for his use of bold, exaggerated colors - particularly yellow. Café Terrace at Night is one of my favorites for many reasons - not the least of which are the yellow windows and doors. An interesting theory is that van Gogh's epilepsy was treated with digitalis and the drug can cause one to see in yellow which may explain its prominence in his work.
the lemony yellow crayon color was first introduced in 1949 and was retired in 1990.
photo: The photo is of the Community Centre in Fort Langley (48.5 km from Vancouver). The Community Centre, in the charming little village of Fort Langley, is the sight of many movie and TV films. (Recently I saw it pop up on the TV show: Once Upon a Time.) Fort Langley was established a century and a half ago and is considered to be the birthplace of British Columbia.
This photo was great fun. I took a picture of the Community Centre and with Picasa Software I turned it into a pencil sketch. I ran it off in black and white, colored the windows yellow and took the shot again.
© 2013 Wendy Bourke
I love this. Lemony yellow windows do look happier! Van Gogh's work is among my favorites. I'm a big fan of his bold strokes and colors. I've got a cheap print of Cafe Terrace at Night in my bedroom. I so love how he used color to create warmth and intimacy in that piece.
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