MooBeeView #3: RainbowRevolution

MooBeeView #3 is with my wonderful fellow DUSTer Leanne from RainbowRevolution.  I first noticed Leanne's beautiful scarves whilst searching through the Treasury lists, and have come to better appreciate her talent since joing the Down Under Street Team (DUST).  So sit back, relax and enjoy the wonderful world of colour that is Rainbow Revolution...

1) The first thing I noticed about your shop were the colours. What made you decide to make rainbows for people to wear?

Well I don’t think it was a conscious decision really...I think that where ever you find yourself at this particular point in time is a culmination of where you have been...all your experiences expressing themselves in the now moment! I look back at where I have been and see that the changes I made in my interests and working life whilst at the time appeared to be radical ‘about face’ leaps into new directions were actually the perfect choices to give me experience to do what I do now. From nurse to makeup artist to natural therapies to becoming a colour therapist and all the while in between amassing a huge collection of paints, pencils and fabrics... always happy to play with my colours...paint walls, draw and paint pictures, throw and drape fabrics around to lift the mood of a room. Now I see that combining all of this gives me what I do...create colourful accessories to help lift peoples spirits!
I guess the rainbow became my ‘staple’ because it represents so much that is good and uplifting...joyous...unifying...hopeful...


2) Your colours are so vibrant - without giving away any trade secrets, how do you produce the 'right' vibrancy?

LOL...well.... through huge trials and huge errors! While I have developed my formulas over a few years now I am continually experimenting. I have my basic formulas that I use for my rainbows but I also find that colour vibrancy is dependent upon the ‘play’ of the colours you are working with. Different colours will react differently when placed next to each other...I don’t mean they chemically react so much as visually..the play of opposites for example always sets up a sort of buzzy excited reaction. The visual play of colours always results in triggering an emotional response of some sort in the viewer!
On a more mundane level it is also about being careful not to create ‘mud’ !!! Making sure I keep clean tools and equipment for measuring and storing my colours and fixatives helps heaps. Dyes can be very unforgiving...one splash in the wrong direction and all can be lost!


3) Cotton, hemp, bamboo and silk - am I sensing a certain 'natural' synergy here? What is your favourite fabric to work with and why?

Yes...definitely natural! I am always looking toward finding the most sustainable, ethical and environmentally sound choices in the fabrics I work with. Sometimes this is very tricky...it an be like going down the rabbit hole and becoming a little lost. I figure that if I take at least one step in the right direction each time then I am heading the right way. Besides natural fabrics just feel so much better against your skin...energetically and physically.
As far as choosing my favourite...well...I don’t think I could choose. Each fabric I work with has such a unique set of properties, behaviours and idiosyncrasies. Each fabric displays the colours in it’s own unique way too. You see hemp will still show through it’s basic earthiness no matter how I adjust my formulas...it is an inherent part of that fibre to do that. Silk with its finer structure will always show a more vibrant result. Bamboo seems to sit somewhere in between..it has the ability to reflect a sort of depth in the colour which is quite unusual but extremely beautiful.

4) MooBeeTees favourite colour is green (even though I bought a beautiful blue scarf) - what is your favourite colour and how does it influence you? (I ask all the tough questions!)

You sure do ask the tough questions!!! My colour choices are constantly changing. They reflect what is happening for me at any given time. It is the same for everyone really I think. Like you Karen...your favourite colour is green but you chose a blue scarf! There must have been something in the blue that you needed at that time. Colours serve as a reflection of where we are at and what we are feeling..they are also food for our soul!
My tendencies lately have been towards blues and grays. If I look at that with my Colour Therapists ‘hat’ on it makes perfect sense. I have been through a few years of intensely high energy...very red influence...building my business and going through some extreme changes in my personal life. During this time I chose a lot of the high energy colours..reds, oranges and magentas. I guess I needed their support at that time. Now as I am feeling more settled I am looking for the peacefulness and calm of blue and the sensitive stability of gray. This also reflects my natural tendencies in winter time as well...a more inward and reflective time of the year for me.
I do become a little obsessive about my wardrobe. I must have every colour in there should I need it.. and yes it is organised by colour! LOL some may call me obsessive but I would prefer to be called passionate!

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I'd like to thank Leanne for taking the time to answer my questions and letting us in to her coulourful world.  If you want to learn more about Leanne andRainbowRevolution please visit her at one of her online sites:

http://www.rainbowrevolution.etsy.com
http://www.rainbowrevolution.com.au
http://rainbowrevolution.blogspot.com
http://apigmentoftheimagination.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/rainbowrev

MooBeeView's 4 Word Review: Everyone Needs Wearable Rainbows!