Day 322: Seeing Orange

Both the pros and the cons of studying art history are that one rarely just "sees" things anymore. It's all in seeing the details after one has sat and stared at paintings and sculptures for hours, while dissecting every little detail of the work of art. But seeing tiny details can be a blessing, if it means noticing a beautiful blooming flower that is nearly tucked away from view, or it can be a curse if it means noticing someone's plumber's crack or unkempt feet. Sometimes, when you have trained your mind to detect a certain style or color, it can be fun to notice all of the details, large or small.

Today I was out and about with my husband and his parents, who are visiting us this weekend from Gothenburg. We were walking down the sidewalk across the street from Kungsträdgården and I happened to look up and just up ahead of us I noticed the most amazing sculpted iron wall lamps. Twin lamps flanking the doorway of a beautiful historic building and I was so busy digging out my camera that I didn't even notice what the entrance was to.

As I neared the lamps, the orange bracelet on the dude to the right of the doorway caught my eye. Ha! Someone had tied what appeared to be a friendship bracelet on him. Of course I noticed the orange color. I pretty much notice any and everything orange. An entire crowd could be walking toward me wearing a variety of colors but my eye sees orange. It is like the oranges lift up a little higher than the other colors and almost float or hover above the rest. Not quite 3D but the orange definitely pops.

It's funny because during winter I often see hand-knitted scarves that people have draped around the sculptures in the parks (you know, they are cold) but I have never seen a friendship bracelet on a lamp like this. It warmed my heart that someone thought this guy needed some orange in his life. And it seems to really help him in holding up the lamp, don't you think?

I see something orange.