Ochre is a favorite pigment for painting and printing. It’s variations are expansive. Mix in a little white for a light sandy brown or yellowish hue. Add a tad of red to create a sharp, yet warm, sienna. Ochre is not only versatile in visual artworks and imagery, but also ancient with a vast history in the visual expressions of human beings throughout the world and over time. A mineral legacy contained in creative human messaging. Stories written with stone, in sand, on bodies. Like yellow, ochre smiles and dances. Where do you find ochre in your day-to-day? Perhaps pause as you prepare your tea. Watch the water stain with flavor and color. Look up when you’re outside in fall. Maybe you’ll find yourself bathed in an ochre glow of light filtering through the sleepy canopy above. Search for ochre in your day to day. Find or recall yourself. Our collective ancestry is ochre. I am reminded of Mary Oliver’s poem Wild Geese. Ochre calls to me like the geese, “over and over announcing your place in the family of things.” You belong here.
Citation: Redmond, T. (2022, March, 15). Observing Ochre. Retrieved from https://theresaredmond.com/photography/observing-ochre/
