Below are a few of the paintings included in my upcoming art show, eternal. I hope you'll join me for the opening reception this Thursday, August 30th, 6-9pm at Caramel  , 1603 U Street, NW. A portion of sales will benefit the Loving Me Conference, sponsored by the DC Metro Chapter of the National Alumnae of Association of Spelman College. The reception is free and open to the public. Click here for more information and contact Reiko at reiko@reikorenee.com with any questions.

I LOVE blue - all shades of blue. I love painting blue things. I enjoy being surrounded by different shades of blue. I have an affinity for color palettes of blue with other colors: blue & yellow, turquoise & white, turquoise & light brown, navy blue & cranberry, to name a few. I'm not the color's only fan, blue is a popular color across the globe. Here are a few interesting tidbits about the color blue:

Blue is a universal favorite of men and women.

Shades of Blue: azure, baby blue, beryl, cerulean, cobalt, cornflower blue, corporate blue, cyan, indigo, midnight blue, navy, Prussian blue, robin's egg blue, royal, sapphire, sky blue, slate, steel blue

Blue is the color of the sky creating a positive association with the color across cultures.

Blue can be strong and authoritative or light and friendly.

Almost everyone likes some shade of the color blue.

Blue promotes feelings of calm, peace and protection. It is believed by some to keep bad spirits away. Many porch ceilings and shutters in the South are painted haint blue for this reason.

Blue conveys importance and confidence without being somber or sinister.

Darker shades of blue are associated with intelligence, stability, unity, and conservatism.

In Iran, blue, blue-green, and green are sacred colors symbolizing paradise.

In Greece, the color blue is believed to ward off "the evil eye." Those who believe in this Greek superstition often wear a blue charm necklace or blue bracelet for protection.

Blue is the all-around preferred color choice for toothbrushes.

Owls are the only birds that can see the color blue.

People tend to be more productive in blue rooms.

Pablo Picasso's "Blue Period" refers to a series of paintings in which the color blue dominates and which he painted between 1901 and 1904. The Blue Period is a marvelous expression of poetic subtlety and personal melancholy and contributes to the transition of Picasso's style from classicism to abstract art.

"There is no blue without yellow and without orange." - Vincent Van Gogh (You can see perfect examples of this in Van Gogh’s art.)

“Blue is the only color which maintains its own character in all its tones...it will always stay blue; whereas yellow is blackened in its shades, and fades away when lightened; red when darkened becomes brown, and diluted with white is no longer red, but another color – pink.”  -  Raoul Dufy

Below are examples of blues in my artwork:

Sources: about.com, sensationalcolor.com