Red! Got A Late-Summer Makeover

Students and teachers alike just finished getting outfitted with new clothes for school.  Change can be a really good thing, and new clothes can be an outward expression of a renewed commitment or a new beginning.  In similar fashion, Red! has been given a new look and imbued with a new sense of commitment.

©2012,  Les Taylor Photography.
Used with permission from my friend, Les Taylor.

Over the past few years, I have had the opportunity to nurture my relationship with Jack—although neither of us knows quite how to label or characterize what exactly our relationship is.  Just over one year ago, Jack was given an amazing chance to move to Japan and accept employment with an architectural firm there.  Over such a great distance, and with the communicative obstacles that exist in our relationship when we are geographically separated, Jack and I have used written words (well, typed) to share with one another everything from personal successes and sadnesses to light humor and strange sightings.  My blog has been one of the tools I have used to share many of my thoughts, not only with Jack but with many of my other friends as well.

Just as a conversation will grow stale without new topics, a blog will grow stale over time without new content and new visual interest.  The new content was never really a problem, as I had blogged frequently up until this past April when I decided to take a break.  But the visual interest on the blog just wasn't there anymore, and the several edits and tweaks I had made were more bandages than permanent solutions.

Under the old design, even though the name was "Red!," there was very little of the actual color red to be found on the pages.  While I still think the old design was pretty, it didn't have any special meaning beyond that.  I began to wish that I could put some real symbolism into the design of my blog, something that could be uniquely me and would complement my text content.

I found inspiration among the symbols that Jack sees in Japan every day, things he and I are learning about together through online research and, from his end, by "talking to some locals."

We have learned that the color red is a symbol of life in Japan, purity in Indian, and celebration in China, as well as being symbolic of good luck and happiness throughout a number of Asian nations.

Another symbol I have come to love is the Asian Cherry Blossom, known as Sakura in Japan.  These trees are actually symbolic throughout Asia, and are very beautiful.  Here is some information we have compiled from a few different online sources:

"Cherry Blossom meaning in Asian cultures is generally industrious, brave, and wise and has become a national and cultural symbol for many Asian countries. In China, the Cherry Blossom meaning is also associated with women's dominance and beauty as well as feminine sexuality. In Japan, the Cherry Blossom meaning in Zen landscape paintings is more spiritual and has become an indispensable part of Japanese culture.

Cherry Blossoms are like emissaries of beauty, greeting viewers with a myriad forms and colors.

This Harbinger-of-spring, has long been considered a symbol of happiness, love and hope. The Cherry Blossom is a symbol of joy and love. The Cherry Blossom is said to promote spiritual awareness, and love.

The cherry blossom is a very delicate flower that blooms for a very short time. This represents the transience of life, a fundamental teaching of Buddhism, that states all life is suffering and transitory. The Cherry Blossom meaning in Northern Asian is that of a reminder of the transitory nature of life and the noble pursuit of none attachment."

I like the idea that a flower so delicate is used to symbolize feminine power and strength, and also the attached reminder that life is ever-changing and and finite.  I began to paint this flower, creating several canvas paintings for friends and then one multi-canvas piece for my own living room.  When looking for an iconic image for my blog, the cherry blossom immediately sprang to mind, and I eventually found the image you see now used at the top of the page (and purchased rights to the image as part of a modest image pack).

So, there you have it, the reasons behind my new, and very Red!, revamp.  Along with these changes I have a renewed commitment to return to more frequent posting, so keep coming back as I post new things for you all to read and enjoy.  And, whenever you're here, feel free to leave your thoughts on any post by using the comments feature at the bottom of each post.  I love hearing what my readers think about what they see and read here at Red!