Since earth is earth, perhaps, not heaven (as yet)—
Though some savants make earth include the sky;
And blue so far above us comes so high,
It only gives our wish for blue a whet.
Fragmentary Blue” by Robert Frost
Unlike almost any other colour, blue is a colour we wish to be surrounded by. There is a vastness to the blues of the world not replicated by other colours. We may like stains of red or groves of green but the endless blue sky or rolling ocean only “whet” our desire to be surrounded more completely by blue.
This desire can, in part, be explained by the psychological effects of blue. Blue is thought to lower blood pressure and body temperature-- it calms while other colours, such as red, excite. And because of these psychological effects it is often thought to increase productivity, information retention, and concentration. Red is a colour that demands to be looked at, blue is a colour that demands to be lived in. Indeed, even the science of light refraction confirms this hypothesis. Red is invigorating because it travels towards the eye at a fast rate. Blue, on the other hand, travels much slower. Therefore, the effect of blue is of a gentle sweeping wash. Blue fills an area with a sense of calm and tranquility while faster travelling colours stay in vivid patches. A blue painting fills the aura of a room, while a red one hangs on a wall.
Additionally, while many colours have spiritual meanings, blue is the colour of spirituality. Blue can represent purity, goodness, calmness, and inspiration, and it allows for greater concentration on inner health and spiritual peace. The concentration and inspiration that blue is thought to bring can even help with the healing process. Therefore, blue connects itself with the higher self, meditation and divinity.
Blue was voted the world’s favourite colour, and it might be because of these reasons. As a colour, it is clearly different from any other in both its psychological effect and its artistic presence. A blue painting holds eyes in careful concentration far longer than one of any other colour, and a blue painting completes a room.
