Why you like certain colors.

Color Psychology: Part 1 in the Color Series

Color and You

Why are you drawn to certain colors—and repelled by others?

Color psychology studies how hues influence mood, perception, and even behavior. It’s fascinating, really. One glance at a color can lift your energy, stir a memory, or calm your nerves.

Think about it:

Do you gravitate toward bold contrasts like red, yellow, and blue—colors that spark energy and excitement?

Or do you prefer the quiet harmony of blue and green—tones that whisper calm and balance?

(Shown below: examples from my original oil paintings—each expressing a different emotional frequency through color.)

---

A Personal Story: Where My Color Curiosity Began

My love of color began in 1989, sitting in a classroom at Bismarck State College. I had returned to school as an adult, eager to learn more about art after years of working as a registered nurse.

Perhaps it was that medical background that made me curious about the science of color. But it was my art professor, Randal Simon, who brought the emotion of color to life.

He didn’t just lecture. He shared personal stories—some deeply moving—about how color had been used as a psychological tool during his time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Through his experiences, I learned that color isn’t just visual—it’s visceral. It reaches us on a cellular level.

---

How Color Works

Here’s a quick science refresher.

Color happens when reflected light hits the retina at the back of your eye.

• Cones are responsible for seeing color.

• Rods respond to light and dark.

• 
  

Like fingerprints, everyone’s eyes are unique. You and I might look at the same painting and see slightly different hues or intensities. This is why some people are colorblind—unable to distinguish between certain colors, like red and green.

---

The Psychology of Color

Professor Simon believed that this variation—the ratio of cones and rods in your eyes—explains why we each respond differently to color.

For example:

• Red can raise heart rate and blood pressure in one person, while another feels barely affected.

• Blue may relax one viewer but feel cold or distant to someone else.

• 
  

Even your personal history shapes your response. A color tied to a joyful memory may feel comforting, while a color linked to fear might trigger tension.

Some researchers even used polygraph-style tools to measure these reactions, identifying a person’s “base color”—the hue that stirs their strongest physiological response. Fascinating, right?

---

How Color Shapes Our First Impressions

Did you know that 90% of first impressions are based on color?

That means the shades you wear, paint on your walls, or hang as art send subtle signals before you even speak.

If a friend’s home instantly makes you feel relaxed, look around—their color palette probably mirrors your own preferences. You might find the same tones popping up in your wardrobe, car, or favorite coffee mug.

---

What’s Your Color Story?

So tell me—what colors do you respond to?

Do soft blues soothe you?

Does sunny yellow make you smile?

Or does vibrant red make you feel unstoppable?

(Shown below: examples of two abstract paintings each one exploring a different emotional rhythm through color.)

Coming Next in the Color Series

In the coming weeks, I’ll dive deeper into each hue and how you can use it in your home:

• Decorating with BLUE – Part 2

• Decorating with YELLOW – Part 3

• Decorating with RED – Part 4

• Decorating with ORANGE – Part 5

• Decorating with GREEN – Part 6

• Decorating with VIOLET – Part 7

• Do NEUTRALS soothe you? – Part 8