Color Buzz

Domino Magazine - Toile

Check out this month's Domino Magazine. They have a great article on Toile in their decorating section. They put together some very interesting paint combos. One I really like is the aubergine and orange. It has a warm, inviting feel. Very old-world, but modern at the same time. They mention Valspar's Classic Royal Blue and pair it with fuchsia for an interesting twist. Personally, I think I would add a little gold to it too. They do a nice job of summing up toile and its rise in popularity during the mid-1700s after France's 73-year ban on printed cloth. Toile is a great way to incorporate bold colors. Most people believe more is better when it comes to toile. A great resource for finding more is: dominomag.com/go/toile. 

             

Mexican Colors

By Michèle Coppin

When temperatures drop and frost moves in, when nature pales and the days shorten, I turn to Mexico.



I long for sun and color, for chilies, for songs with "Corazon" in every sentence, straw hats, Sangria and little towns where the cobblestone streets are lined with abstract paintings—palettes of vivid colors—that echo like poems.

 

Colors in Mexico are so site-specific; they reflect orange sunlight, acid blue skies, red hot peppers, the sound of bullfights, turquoise stones, green taxis, silver mines, purple shawls, black hair, golden mangoes, pink watermelons and brown earth. These vibrant colors have inspired many artists who have paintings tucked away in museums and private collections. My favorites, however, are the true Mexican muralists—the home owners simply embellishing their walls and doors for all to admire!



If you are like me and crave spice in your life, these wild, and sometimes unusual, color schemes are right at your finger tips - just go to Valspar's Globe Trotting Color Trends where you can create your own ethnically saturated and spicy color combinations.



By using the simple technique of color washing, you can create that beautiful, worn, old look on your walls. The visible, overlapping brush strokes resemble weathered stucco. This is ideal for imperfect walls, as the subtle textured finish helps hide imperfections. It works particularly well with brighter colors like yellows, oranges and reds.

After painting your base coat, simply apply a bright golden glaze in random crossing patterns like overlapping X's. For a wall that glows, work lightly allowing the base coat to show through.

Color of the Week - Black Raisin

Last week’s color of the week was Black Raisin. Black has a magic quality to it. You can look into it and it seems to go on forever - like looking into a night sky. Black Raisin is a warm black with a purple base. Try painting one wall of it to anchor a room. I just recently saw this, one wall painted black and the ceiling had bright white and golden yellow stripes (November's Domino Magazine). It looks sensational. Don't be scared... Black just might give you a boooost!

                                       
                                         Black Raisin 4002-2C 

Spring Fashion Week

By Veronique Habermann

The Spring 09 collections were presented in New York a couple of weeks ago. Color trend wise, it really seems that this spring will take a big departure from the past few spring collections. Neutrals are back big time with lots of beiges, taupes, greys and even black - looks like winter. Pastels were present too, which are more traditional for spring.

Zac Posen had a very pretty powdery pink dress paired with black shoes that had lemon yellow heels - very eighties. As far as more vibrant colors go, royal blue showed up in a lot of collections like DKNY. Overall the color choices for spring were very unusual and a big change from the more preppy navys, reds, yellows, pinks and greens of the past few springs.

Isaac Mizrahi was a bit daring with some bright colors like orange, but most of his collection used more subdued colors than is usual for him. I really like a feathery blue jacket worn with a beautiful aqua blue and gold print skirt, yellow tank and mint green belt.

 

The Color of Flags

By Michele Coppin                                                         

As the 2008 Beijing Olympics approach, we’ll see flags appearing everywhere and it is interesting to note the meaning of their colors, as they typically embody the values of that country. Whether a flag represents a country, state or organization, the colors used in flags are symbolic of a message that is trying to be conveyed.

Black: represents determination, ethnic heritage and defeating one’s enemies.

A Pirate flag's black background clearly spells danger and was called “the banner of King Death.” Indeed, Pirate flags were used to intimidate the enemy or victim and conjure up fear and dread.  And at sea, black symbolized death. Black flags were traditionally flown on plague ships as a warning to other ships.

Blue: represents freedom, vigilance, perseverance, justice, prosperity, peace and patriotism.

Green: symbolizes the earth, agriculture, fertility.

Red: represents courage, revolution, hardiness, blood and valor.

White: symbolizes courage, purity and innocence. A simple white flag represents surrender.

The Red Cross flag’s white background speaks of peace. It was originally intended to be a reverse of the flag of Switzerland, a historically neutral nation.

Yellow: represents the sun, wealth and justice.

    Flag of New Mexico

Some combinations of colors are symbolic, representing ideals or allegiances. Red, white and blue are often colors that represent revolution and freedom – many of which are based upon the French tricolor.

 

In the American flag, red is for valor and the blood fought for victory, white is for purity and freedom, and blue is for justice and perseverance. The stripes represent the thirteen original colonies and the stars represent the 50 states.

Dressing According to our Environment

By Michele Coppin

It’s fairly obvious that weather often dictates how we dress in a given environment (shorts in the summer, coats in the winter). However, I have observed that our clothes go even further to reflect our environment in color and design.

Take for example, people who live in the country. They are surrounded by the geometry of fields and the changing colors of crops. We often tend to see more earth tones and plaids.                                  

People living by the sea, in constant view of the horizon, are known to sport horizontal stripes and variations of blue.                                          

                  

And city dwellers, whose environment is broken up by the light and shadows of the buildings can typically be found in more blacks and whites.          

                     

Take a look as you venture around your neighborhood!

What do colors symbolize?

By Michele Coppin

Historically, mankind has given symbolic value to colors. As societies developed, colors came to represent different concepts and served multiple functions. They emphasized certain meanings within an image, indicated status, expressed identity, etc. Of course, these meanings are very different depending on the culture they belong to.

Here are some examples of the meanings of various colors from Western European societies.

White: From the birth of the new moon, often associated with birth, purity, cleanliness. Brides wear white to symbolize innocence and purity.

Black: Mourning, death, earth, seriousness, submission. Priests wear black to signify submission to God.

Red: the most emotional color, red signifies passion and love. Hearts are always red, but red also symbolizes blood, fighting and ardor.

Yellow: Warmth, sun, happiness, gold. Yellow also symbolizes cowardice, betrayal and hatred.

Orange: Warmth, wealth.

Green: Calming and refreshing, it is the color of spring and youth. (Walt Disney dressed Peter Pan in green. As the little boy who wouldn’t grow up, the eternal youth wears a tunic reminiscent of foliage. Green also symbolizes envy. 

Blue: The color of the sky and the ocean. Blue symbolizes sincerity, loyalty, peacefulness and tranquility. Blue also connotes melancholy, sadness and isolation. Picasso’s “Blue Period” began shortly after he moved from Barcelona to Paris. He was poor, depressed and cold. From 1900 to 1904, he primarily painted thin, elongated figures in variations of blue. When his work began to sell and his spirits lifted, his palette shifted to Pink.   

The Tragedy, 1903
Picasso
National Gallery of Art, Washington DC

Purple: The color of royalty. Purple connotes luxury, wealth, power and dignity.

In Antiquity, purple was derived from a rare sea snail so expensive (even more than gold), it became a symbol of royalty as only the very wealthy could afford it.

The Byzantine emperor Justinian I appears clad in a purple cape in this 6^th century mosaic from the San Vitale Basilica in  Ravenna, Italy.