Colorways/ They call me mellow yellow!

In my eyes, mellow is hardly a word you would call yellow, When Donavan sang "They call me Mellow Yellow" in 1966, It was rumoured he was singing about smoking dried banana leaves, Maybe it was just a color that had popularity in the 1960's as soon after in the same year the Beatles released "Yellow Submarine" with Donavan's help, he was obviously into the color!

One of the oldest coffee shops in Amsterdam is called "Mellow Yellow", opened in the 1970's, but the latest significant yellow building in color is actually in Lelystad, Amsterdam, The brilliant design for the Theatre Agora by UNStudio in Lelystad, Amsterdam, Netherlands is part of the Master plan for the city center of Lelystad, was designed by West 8. Opened last year, the theatre has a forthright architectonical look, not un reminiscent of a more colorful, boxier Frank Ghery, It is a beacon of yellow happiness. UNStudio (UN stands for "united network") is an international architectural practice, situated in Amsterdam since 1988, with extensive experience in the fields of urbanism, infrastructure, public, private and utility buildings on different scale levels. Check out more at www.unstudio.com, They are truly an amazing practise.

My first impressions of yellow were formed largely through a "Sports Car" book that was given to me, The car that I immediately wanted to own when I grew up was a yellow Lotus, The "Lotus Esprit" produced by the English racing car company, "Lotus Cars" is arguably the ‘wedgiest’ production car to come out of the 1970s, It was angular, It was sleek, It was sexy. It looked like the future, I always loved the way the Lotus color could slip in and out of ranges from a process yellow to a slight hint of orange yellow. Later studying Art at school meant studying Van Gogh was mandatory, his yellow sunflowers capture their essence like no other, when you think of yellow sunflowers you think of him, As a flower of choice, Sunflowers had much popularity in the 1990's, They lost there way for a bit on the popularity scale but now I think it's time to embrace their brilliance again! Other contemporary artists like Jeff Koons also use yellow and has done in his balloon series, produced in stainless steel with mirror finish surfaces, I saw his "balloon dog" on the top of the Met in NYC a couple of years ago.

Yellow always captures your attention and that's why it is associated with the word "caution" and is the second light on stop lights, It can be used in less attractive ways such as cowardliness, aging and race description, but for me I try to see past those connotations! : ) I like most, see yellow as largely happy!

As a Stylist I love using yellow, It is a color that just jumps out at you, I have used it in many still lives, like the one above shot with Photographer Hallie Burton, I also own a collection of yellow Dansk pots and pitchers that I use regularly in kitchen stories to add some zest. "Zest" is the word to describe yellow, bring some back into your life!