Seeing Colour

Well... the new features are (for the most part) up and happening on the Rainbow Revolution website. Apart from some minor glitches that are being ironed out it's all systems go!

One of the amazing things about colour that has come to me whilst working with my sister to get the website all happening is how differently we all see colour at times.

I have found this often in classes that I am teaching with variations of green and blue. One of my favourite parts of a class is when I ask the students to bring in turquoise items for the weekly collage table. All sorts of variations arrive and lively discussions can go on for hours about whether it is turquoise, blue or green. For some, what is definitely a green can be seen and described by others as a turquoise or even a blue and visa versa. I have noticed in the poll at the side of the blog here that so far most people's favourite colours fall in the range of the blues and the greens...I wonder what people are really seeing then?

I did a quick search to find out how many colours the human eye actually can see and it is amazing to note that some scientists suggest we can differentiate between millions of different variations! I guess there is also the problem that while we may be able to perceive all these different colours we sure don't have that many different ways of describing them....or do we?

Have some fun on the ColorLovers website naming a few colours for yourself!

Our eyes contain receptors called rods and cones that are responsible for our ability to perceive different colours. The cones are for colour vision and the rods are more for distinguishing light and dark, night vision etc. Colour blindness and night blindness are usually caused by a disturbance in these receptors. Our range of visible colours exist in a very narrow bandwidth on the electromagnetic spectrum so in that way we are limited. Some animals, insects, fish and birds are able to see colour that exists outside of the range available to humans. I would love just a glimpse of what they can see!

I always find it fascinating to watch the colours that I work with change(when I am dyeing my fabrics ) - under different light, at different times of day, wet or dry...It is like the best light show in town!