The Best Case of the Blues. EVER.

It's true. I've got a major case of the blues.Not to worry, though. This particular shade is beautiful, electric and has been known to inspire.

If you live in or around Sacramento, California, you've probably heard about the Blue Trees art installation taking place this week along 13th Street between J and K. Created by renowned artist Konstantin Dimopoulos, the Blue Trees installation is a way to bring to light the importance of trees in our everyday lives.

From Konstantin Dimopoulos' website:

"Through colour I am making a personal statement about the spirituality of trees and their importance to our very survival: trees are the lungs of the planet.

Colour is a powerful stimulant, a means of altering perception and defining space and time. The fact that blue is a colour that is not naturally identified with trees suggests to the viewer that something unusual, something out of the ordinary has happened. It becomes a magical transformation.

In nature colour is used both as a defensive mechanism, a means of protection, and as a mechanism to attract. The Blue Trees attempts to waken a similar response from viewers. It is within this context that the blue denotes sacredness, something reverential.

Trees are largely invisible in our daily lives, and it’s not until it’s too late that we realise how important they are to us both aesthetically and environmentally."

Powerful, right?

The installation has been taking place over the past several days and I've had the opportunity to see the progress daily. Here are a few snaps for your viewing pleasure:

Created with water-based, non-toxic ingredients, the color is expected to last for approximately 6 months and will be enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. The effort would not have been possible without some serious hustling by various organizations, volunteers, donors and companies in town and I, for one, am so thrilled they made it happen.

Here's a little 'before and after' action:

The best place for local information regarding the project is The Sacramento Tree Foundation. You can also learn more about the artist and his work here.

Want to read a few news stories regarding the project? Check out:

Trunk Show | Sactown Magazine

Blue Trees Art Installation Coming to Sacramento | Sactown Magazine Blog

Color for a cause: Trees painted blue in Sacramento | Sacramento Bee

The man behind the blue trees | Sacramento Business Journal

If you're in town and would like to hear the artist speak about his work, he'll be giving a TED Talk at TEDxSacramento's CITY 2.0 event tomorrow. Sadly, I'll miss it. Be sure to link up if you blog about the event. I'd love to read about it!

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Happy Friday, all!