How Colourful Gifts Can Lift Your Mood

How Colourful Gifts Can Lift Your Mood

How often have you gone to your wardrobe to choose an outfit and automatically been drawn to a certain colour? Maybe you have visited a florist and deliberately selected flowers in a certain colour for a loved one, or a colour you know they will love. Perhaps you have fond memories of the colour of flowers in your grandparents’ garden, or the first car you ever owned!

This love of colour and our attraction to certain shades is almost unconscious in our lives, but there really is something special about it. Even as a child, it’s one of the first things we decide on. Do you remember your favourite colour as a child? Do you still love it today?

This is the secret to Anna Blatman’s success – the bright, bold colours she uses in her unique paintings that leap off the canvas and onto our products at Koh Living. When Koh Living first went searching for an artist to feature on our products, it was Anna Blatman’s brilliant colours that were immediately attractive. We especially love that Anna uses colour in a rich, bold way. Her style is warm and larger than life. Her love for colour and art was perfect for a range of art-inspired colourful gifts. “Colour makes you happy, and people respond so differently to different colours,” Anna says. “I always wonder what makes that person so different to another. “And that’s what I love about working with colour - everyone has an opinion.” 

The symbolism surrounding different colours is well known, such as white for purity. But do you know how different colours change your mood? Research has found that colour impacts people in a variety of surprising ways. In one study, warm-coloured placebo pills were reported as more effective than cool-coloured placebo pills. Red causes people to react with greater speed and force, something that could prove useful during athletic activities, according to researchers. This isn’t surprising - we’ve all heard the phrase that red cars go faster!

Several ancient cultures, including the Egyptians and Chinese, practiced chromotherapy, or the use of colours to heal. Chromotherapy is sometimes referred to as light therapy or colorology. In Koh Living’s Anna Blatman range, we feature a range of iconic Aussie Animals, all portrayed in brilliant and vibrant colour. And what is most special about each of them is that they are not ‘perfect’. The way Anna uses colour makes the animals larger than life.

Yellow

The delightful Kenny the Cockatoo gives us the colour yellow. His bright yellow crest, with yellow highlights against his beautiful white feathers, will instantly make you smile! The colour yellow makes us think of summer, sunshine and flowers. Yellow is connected to cheerfulness and increased mental activity. Because it is bright, intense and warm, it quickly grabs attention.

As Koh Living’s products have evolved, we have been able to show off Kenny the Cockatoo’s beautiful and cheeky nature even more. On the limited edition Kenny the Cockatoo Insulated Lunch Bag we have a larger image of Kenny so you can appreciate all of the beautiful flowers behind him, as well as his glorious plumage. You can see every one of Anna’s brush strokes!

Yellow also represents many different emotions and outcomes, such as; Warmth: Yellow is often described as cheery and a way to bring warmth to a room or an event. Happiness: Yellow is a happy colour associated with flowers and sunshine – and sunflowers. Fun Fact - did you know that the faces of sunflowers in a field will always turn and follow the sun? Energy: Yellow is a high-energy colour, often used in situations and products intended to create a sense of excitement or energy. Apparently, it can also increase the rate of metabolism. Attention-grabbing: As yellow is the most visible colour, it is also the most attention-getting colour. Yellow can be used to draw the eye and attract attention, such as on traffic signs or advertisements.

Red

The colour red features in many of Anna’s artistic creations but especially her vibrant flowers. We absolutely adore the flowers Anna has used in her artistic impressions of Kira the Kangaroo and Kylie the Koala – it makes the perfect background. There’s nothing more Australian than a kangaroo in the bush. But our kangaroo is different! Kira the Kangaroo is surrounded by the most magnificent red Sturt Desert Peas, another iconic Australian image. We love our Kira the Kangaroo Anna Blatman Journal. These journals were prepared using embossed printing, so the image is vivid and bright, and lifted even further by the bright red spine of the journal. That’s why the Journals make such beautiful colourful gifts. So how does the colour red make you feel? Red is often described as warm, vibrant, and intense – but it can also be seen as exciting, even aggressive and powerful. Love: Red is associated with love, warmth and comfort – one of the main reasons we choose red roses on Valentine’s Day. Intensity: Red is associated with strong emotions and excitement. Powerful: Red can also be seen as exciting and even aggressive and powerful. We often wear red as a ‘power colour’. Attention grabbing: Like yellow, red is often used to grab attention, particularly in advertising and traffic signage.

Blue

Blue is the colour of sea and sky. It is often associated with cool, calm, serene and relaxation. Blue is also a regal colour. While Anna is famous for her bright, bold and warm colours, we adore the way she has portrayed another of our most iconic animals, Wilma the Wombat, with intense blues.

Once again Anna has depicted a stunning array of flowers and Wilma appears to be shyly peering out from her hiding place. Our Wilma the Wombat Water Bottle is one of Koh Living’s best-selling colourful gifts, and many customers say that it is the colour blue that draws them to choose this bottle over all others.

What does blue mean to you? Traditional: Blue is a favourite colour by many people and the colour most preferred by men. It ls often viewed as a safe, non-threatening colour and can seem conservative and traditional. Regal and royal: The name “royal blue” was first used in 1810-1820. The “royal” in royal blue comes from England, where the hue was said to have been created for a competition to make a dress for Queen Charlotte (1744—1818). Serenity: Blue calls to mind feelings of calmness or serenity. It is often described as peaceful, tranquil, secure, and orderly. Focus: Blue is often used to decorate offices because research has shown that people are more productive in blue rooms. Least appetising: Blue is one of the most popular colours, but it is one of the least appetising. Some weight loss plans even recommend eating your food from a blue plate. Physical response: Blue can also lower the pulse rate and body temperature.

Do you know someone that loves colour? Perhaps you know someone who is feeling a bit down and needs a little colour to lift their mood. There is nothing like colour to bring out a smile. Why not get them one of these colourful gifts? So whether you choose an Anna Blatman Kenny the Cockatoo Insulated Lunch Bag, Anna Blatman Kira the Kangaroo Journal or Anna Blatman Wilma the Wombat Water Bottle, you can be sure that the colours you carry with you every day will motivate and inspire you, even though you don’t even notice! You can watch Anna Blatman talk about her passion for

Sources

https://www.thelawofattraction.com/guide-using-colors-enhance-mood/ https://www.verywellmind.com/the-color-psychology-of-blue-2795815 https://www.canva.com/colors/color-meanings/royal-blue/ ps://www.canva.com/colors/color-meanings/royal-blue/