KAREN L FRENCH
  • Home
  • Karen
  • Blog
  • Diary
  • Author
    • The Gateway Series >
      • Gateway to the Heavens: How geometric shapes, patterns and symbols form our reality >
        • LOOK INSIDE Gateway to the Heavens
        • FIRST EDITION Gateway to the Heavens
      • The Hidden Geometry of Life: The science and spirituality of Nature >
        • LOOK INSIDE The Hidden Geometry of Life
    • Articles
  • Artist
    • Gallery
    • Archive
    • Exhibitions
  • Games DESIGNER
  • Speaker
  • Media
  • Meditations
  • Prints & Cards
  • Contact
  • Sign Up

LIVING CORAL - the 2019 Pantone Colour of the year

1/8/2019

0 Comments

 
'Living' pink with mellow yellow-gold undertones characterises Living Coral, Pantone Colour of the Year 2019, far softer than the vivid Ultra Violet of 2018. Certainly it brings some warmth to somewhat chilly times and draws our attention to the stunning beauty of the natural colours within the world of the fragile coral reefs. 
Living Coral embraces us with warmth and nourishment to provide comfort and buoyancy in our continually shifting environment. Pantone
The various pigments giving corals their stunning variety of hues are believed to be important in their health and general resilience, even possibly the corals' ability to interact with their environment.
Picture
In reaction to the onslaught of digital technology and social media increasingly embedding into daily life, we are seeking authentic and immersive experiences that enable connection and intimacy. Sociable and spirited, the engaging nature of PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral welcomes and encourages lighthearted activity. Symbolizing our innate need for optimism and joyful pursuits, PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral embodies our desire for playful expression. Pantone
Picture
The first recorded use of coral pink as a color name in English was in 1892.

​
Complementing coral tones is the colour teal, which, you might notice, has been used by Pantone in the watery tones around the coral above.
0 Comments

Crystal Grids and Alchemical Art - fusing sacred geometry, light and the Elements

5/11/2018

0 Comments

 

Alchemical art

Alchemical Art is transformative, changing anyone who works with them. This can happen merely by looking at the artwork or being in its proximity. Each piece is contained within the sacred space of its boundaries and is a fusion of the dynamics of geometric forms, emotive colours and one or more of the Classical Elements. The latter may be symbolically represented in the image or made out of specific materials due to their symbolism or vibration. In this instance crystals were placed on four paintings of my alchemical art paintings to incorporate their qualities. The results were stunning to look at and to work with. It would have been interesting to add further Elements, such as  bowls of water and burning essence for air and fire, and also to use sound to activate them.
Each of the alchemical art crystal grids were made by some participants of a crystal group run by Karin Bain. Karin has written an e-book called Networking With Crystals that will soon be available in paper form as well.

Crystal Grids

Crystal grids take many forms, they can be simple, intricate or complete. Invariably there is sacred geometry in their layout and so they are actually a yantra, or "thought form", the principle of all man-made sacred geometry artworks and structures. By adding the vibrations of specific crystals the crystal grid yantra becomes a pulsating vehicle for connecting your Mind to the underlying basis of reality. The effects are very personal.

Yantras are covered in detail in The Gateway Series books and I also recommend the book Yantra by Madhu Khanna.
Any sacred site using sacred geometry and specific earth materials brings additional vibrational qualities to their function and use. For example, Stonehenge and its bluestone rocks that were deliberately brought a great distance for their vibrational purposes. In the aerial image below notice how the central stone grid is enclosed within a larger Circle. It is part of a larger site that has several smaller yantra that all work together. This sacred structure is a huge crystal yantra that still has the capacity to draw thousands of people to it. 
Picture
Aerial view of Stonehenge (Google Earth)

0 Comments

Mauve in Nature

1/12/2018

0 Comments

 
Regal mauve-purple, colour of limitless creativity and insight, is a stunning feature of nature's creations. Since my blog on Pantone's colour for 2018 I was intrigued to see how often nature used this stunning colour, especially since it was rare and expensive as a dye for such a long time and hence limited in its use by humans.
0 Comments

ULTRA VIOLET - Pantone Colour of the year 2018

1/4/2018

1 Comment

 
A stunning purple violet 18-3838 is the PANTONE colour for 2018. Tyrian (Imperial) purple tones were made out the secretion of predatory sea snails and used to be extremely expensive to produce, hence purple's association with royalty and special ceremonies. ​

​
Purple became an affordable dye around 1856 when the English chemist William Henry Perkin, aged 18, noticed that a compound from synthesised quinine dyed fabrics purple. He patented it, calling it anilin purple, and made a fortune from it. Then in 1859 the colour was renamed 'mauve' after the French name for the purple mallow flower (and the dye compound was named mauveine). Interestingly, it is only recently that purple printing has featured more on product packaging as the main colour.
Picture
Complex and contemplative, Ultra Violet suggests the mysteries of the cosmos, the intrigue of what lies ahead, and the discoveries beyond where we are now. The vast and limitless night sky is symbolic of what is possible and continues to inspire the desire to pursue a world beyond our own.
Enigmatic purples have also long been symbolic of counterculture, unconventionality, and artistic brilliance. Musical icons Prince, David Bowie, and Jimi Hendrix brought shades of Ultra Violet to the forefront of western pop culture as personal expressions of individuality. Nuanced and full of emotion, the depth of PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet symbolizes experimentation and non-conformity, spurring individuals to imagine their unique mark on the world, and push boundaries through creative outlets.
Historically, there has been a mystical or spiritual quality attached to Ultra Violet. The color is often associated with mindfulness practices, which offer a higher ground to those seeking refuge from today’s over-stimulated world. The use of purple-toned lighting in meditation spaces and other gathering places energizes the communities that gather there and inspire connection. PANTONE
Picture
1 Comment

GREENERY - Pantone Colour of the Year 2017

1/8/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
WOW! I love the fresh, vibrant tone of Greenery that is Pantone's Colour of the Year for 2017. It is georgeous. Being mid-spectrum it is going to an extremely flexible colour to use.  Definitely on my 'to buy' list of paints.

​According to ArtLyst Pantone's Colour of the Year has a massive impact on the design indsutry. So we can expect to see it appear on a huge range of products over the year. As the colour of the year Pantone insists that it is also a symbolic selection, 'a colour snapshot of what we see taking place in our global culture that serves as an expression of its mood and an attitude.'
GREEN symbolism 
Known as the ‘fulcrum colour’, green is the midway colour on the spectrum. Neutral in temperature, green brings physical equilibrium where positive and negative are balanced.

Green has a strong kinship with Nature, helping us connect and empathise with others and the natural world. Instinctively we seek green when under stress as it creates a feeling of relaxation, calmness, space and balances the emotions. Because of this green is one of the major healing colours.
​
In Buddhism, vernal green is the colour of life and pale green the kingdom of death and everything pertaining to death. In Christianity, vernal green represents immortality and hope, the growth of the Holy Spirit within humans, life and spring.  Green was the colour of the Trinity and the Epiphany in Medieval times.  For Celts, green symbolised the Earth Goddess. Green marked the beginning of the ‘Great Work’ for alchemists and was used in preparation for transmutation of base metals into gold.

Green symbolism, extract from 'The Hidden Geometry of Life'.
Picture
Picture
Greenery is a fresh and zesty yellow-green shade that evokes the first days of spring when nature’s greens revive, restore and renew. Illustrative of flourishing foliage and the lushness of the great outdoors, the fortifying attributes of Greenery signals consumers to take a deep breath, oxygenate and reinvigorate. Greenery is nature’s neutral. The more submerged people are in modern life, the greater their innate craving to immerse themselves in the physical beauty and inherent unity of the natural world. This shift is reflected by the proliferation of all things expressive of Greenery in daily lives through urban planning, architecture, lifestyle and design choices globally. A constant on the periphery, Greenery is now being pulled to the forefront – it is an omnipresent hue around the world. A life-affirming shade, Greenery is also emblematic of the pursuit of personal passions and vitality.
PANTONE
0 Comments

Insights from my art

12/28/2016

0 Comments

 
Every image I create is imbued with symbolism - sacred geometry of shapes and patterns, light and colours, flowers, animals, Gods & Goddesses… All are visual expressions of the science manifesting reality. Images for connecting into with your Mind to enhance your experience of reality. To see more in my abstract and conceptual art look beyond the surface images and think of them as a 'thought forms' to blend into and work with.

I often post one of my pieces with a short interpretation and insight for that day. As examples here are a couple that I posted on my facebook page in December 2016. Enjoy!

Infinity and Emotions

Emotions colour our lives. Every time you are triggered by events in your life to feel blue (sadness), see red (anger, hate), feel green (with envy).... they happen to reflect back and show you the inner work you need to do along the Spiral path towards the inner, central Self where unconditional Joy is experienced.

Look at the subtle images within the paintings, which were not created intentionally. For example I see a swan at the centre. Swans symbolise grace, the awakening power of the inner Self, balance, inner beauty and the 'rising glory' of a new day.
Picture

Unfurling Potential

As 2017 approaches here is a thought for the new year. Allow your potential to unfurl to reveal you in all your splendour. Awaken your senses, exeperience the colours of life and learn from them.
Picture
0 Comments

A stunning new blue is released! But can you see it?

7/5/2016

 
Picture
A  startling blue durable pigment called YInMn blue has been licensed for commercial use 7 years since its discovery and it has already found its way into the hands of some artists.

Chemist Mas Subramanian and his team discovered the pigment in 2009 at Oregon State University while they were conducting experiments connected to electronics. It is one of those 'happy accidents', an unexpected discovery like Bluetac! With a unique crystal structure the compound doesn't fade, even when exposed to oil or water, and it is environmentally friendly. ​

​"
Ever since the early Egyptians developed some of the first blue pigments, the pigment industry has been struggling to address problems with safety, toxicity and durability,” said Subramanian (existing blue pigments include ultramarine, made from ground lapis lazuli, and toxic alternatives such as cobalt blue and Prussian blue). "Now it also appears to be a new candidate for energy efficiency,” Subramanian adds, referring to the colour’s ability to reflect light and potentially keep buildings cool. The
Shepherd Color Company is involved in commercialising this exciting new pigment.

Can you see its vibrant blue hue? Recent evidence suggests that that, until modern times, humans didn't see the colour blue at all! In an interesting article in Business Insider, Kevin Loria breaks down the evidence behind the claim, which dates all the way back to the 1800s when scholar William Gladstone noticed that, in The Odyssey, Homer describes the ocean as 'wine-dark' but he never uses the word 'blue'. 

Every language first had a word for black and for white, or dark and light. The next word for a colour to come into existence, in every language studied around the world, was red, the colour of blood. After red, yellow appears and then green. Finally blue appears in every language. The only ancient culture with a word for blue was the Egyptians, they were also the only people that had a way to produce a blue dye. So before blue became a common concept we may have seen it, but not known we were seeing it.

​Blue is rare in nature. Even the sky or bodies of water (like a lake) aren't blue often. Philologist  Lazarus Geiger’s research shows that even in scriptures describing 'the heavens' still don’t necessarily see the sky as 'blue'.
Jules Davidoff traveled to Namibia to investigate and conducted an experiment with the Himba tribe, who speak a language that has no word for blue or distinction between blue and green. He discovered they couldn't pick out blue from green, but could discern very subtle shades of green that were not visible to most of us. Another study by MIT scientists in 2007 showed that native Russian speakers have a word for light blue (goluboy) and dark blue (siniy), and can discriminate between light and dark shades of blue much faster than English speakers.

    Author

    Sharing my passion for archetypal symbolism, especially sacred geometry, in nature, the Arts, sciences, philosophy and society.

    Archives

    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    May 2021
    March 2020
    August 2019
    June 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    January 2018
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016

    Categories

    All
    Africa
    Alchemical Art
    Ancient Sites
    Archetypal Symbolism
    Architect
    Art
    Artist
    Art Techniques
    Astrology
    Bio-Architecture
    Book
    Book Review
    Books On Geometry
    Circle
    Classical Elements
    Collective Consciousness
    Colour
    Colour Symbolism
    Consciousness
    Crop Circles
    Crystals
    CymaScope
    Cymatics
    Dowsing
    Egypt
    Emotions
    Energy
    Energy Work
    En-plein
    Exhibition
    Feng Shui
    Flowers
    Geometry
    Geometry In Nature
    Geometry In Sound
    Grids
    Guided Visualisation
    Healing
    India
    Insights
    Klimt
    Life Figure
    Light
    LiterArties
    Mandala
    Mantra
    Meditation
    Mind Body Spirit Events
    Mixed Media
    Music
    Nature
    Numbers
    Numerology
    Oxfordshire Artweeks
    Painting
    Pattern
    Plant
    Portrait
    Puja
    Purple
    Recommended Read
    Sacred Geometry
    Sacred Site
    School Visit
    Sound
    Sphere
    Spiral
    Spirituality
    Spirituality In Art
    Squares
    Squiggle
    Sri Yantra
    Symbolism
    Tai Chi
    Tantra
    The Gateway Series
    Triangle
    Trinity
    Trip
    Visualisation
    Watkins Publishing Ltd
    Workshop
    Writing
    Yantra
    YouTube
    Zen


    RSS Feed


    View my profile on LinkedIn
Picture
Gateway to the Heavens
A glorious work that fires the imagination and helps us appreciate the truth of our reality.
NEXUS magazine
Do you realise you actually shape your destiny and shapes influence your destiny. If you want to understand how this works ask Karen to give a talk about it or read her excellent book. You may have hated even the mention of geometry at school, but Karen's simple and illustrated explanations will give you a real insight into this fascinating topic. 
Jo Pelle, NSFH
The Hidden Geometry of Life
The harmony in our world and the cosmos is awe-inspiring, and is brilliantly portrayed here in images and words which reveal the connection between art, geometry, science, consciousness and spirituality.... An illuminating book indeed!
NEXUS magazine
The attentive audience was enthralled by Karen's introduction to the principals of this truly multi-dimensional topic ... The energy in the room, by the end of the evening, was well and truly charged! 
Inspired Events
  • Home
  • Karen
  • Blog
  • Diary
  • Author
    • The Gateway Series >
      • Gateway to the Heavens: How geometric shapes, patterns and symbols form our reality >
        • LOOK INSIDE Gateway to the Heavens
        • FIRST EDITION Gateway to the Heavens
      • The Hidden Geometry of Life: The science and spirituality of Nature >
        • LOOK INSIDE The Hidden Geometry of Life
    • Articles
  • Artist
    • Gallery
    • Archive
    • Exhibitions
  • Games DESIGNER
  • Speaker
  • Media
  • Meditations
  • Prints & Cards
  • Contact
  • Sign Up