February 22, 2010
When Pantone announced that Turquoise would be the color of the year for 2010 we
thought it would be fun to have a "Turquoise sightings" section here on the blog. I know
that since that announcement I have been seeing turquoise a lot more. Power of suggestion?
Call it what you will. We will call it fun!
Juliette Lewis at Sundance Film Festival 2010.
Best-Lit Loos
Emma Moore
Wallpaper*
Roca Gallery, Barcelona, by OAB
Part architectural experiment, part showroom, part museum, the 2,400
square m Roca Gallery in Barcelona out-techs all other bathroom showrooms.
The 1960s former office block is incased in an innovative new bevelled glass
system that confounds observers, while inside, LCD screens bring down
monsoon rains and crackle with glacial ice at intervals. Find Roca's latest
wares displayed under sensor-controlled lights upstairs, or catch the current
exhibition of historically significant loos.
Turquoise Bathroom
Also note the cover of Prism Magazine as well as the art piece below.
Turquoise, Trends, Pantone
February 19, 2010
A very gifted artist and friend, Peachy Levy specializes in stitchery
celebrating Judaic culture. She shared a story about a specific piece
she designed and skillfully executed. As turquoise is the color featured,
we felt it especially appropriate to display her beautiful work now.--Lee
Peachy wrote:
"This is a piece I've been working on for the last 5 months. It's 5 foot ,6
inches wide and 6 feet 6 inches tall. It's destination is the entrance to
a synagogue in San Diego, Temple Emanu-el."
The background, the copper silk, is meant to suggest the hand hewn tablets
as a symbol of Torah. The Shma (a Hebrew word that mean's "Hear" and
is the first word of the central prayer in Jewish liturgy) is embroidered with
three different shades of turquoise which are meant to represent different
generations within the Temple; past, present and future. The inspiration for
the color scheme came from my husband Mark's and my first trip to Israel
in 1959, when we were taken to see King Solomon's copper mines, Timna.
When copper oxidizes it becomes turquoise, thus the colors and the actual
turquoise stones on the letters.
American Gem Trade Association
Prism
Excerpts from Bringing on The Browns
Lorraine DePasque
Winter 2010
This year, if buying some new gemstone jewelry is on your to-do
list--especially pieces that will complement many different outfits
in your wardrobe--here's our advice: Go brown.
Anthropologie
Sounds dull? A bit drab? Actually, it's just the opposite. Because
the new browns are, as they say, "not your mother's earth tones!"
The warm and always-neutral palette of browns for 2010 is about
cheerful, luminous, and often light-as-air in appearance. A perfect
example is Tuscany, one of the top ten fashion colors for spring,
according to the Pantone Color Institute. Leatrice eiseman, executive
director, explains, "In the past few seasons, we know that the brown
tones have become so much more popular. Tuscany is a variation of
the brown theme, but again, this is a light version for springtime."
Translation? It's somewhere between sand and taupe-what fashion
arbiters might deliciously call latte.
February 17, 2010
Penny Crosson is a very talented color/designer who is skilled in
several fields of color. Penny, I am happy to say, took both my
online training program: www.morealivewithcolor.com and the
Color/Design program. Here are some of her thoughts on color
for the various fields in which she works.--Lee
The power of color never ceases to amaze me. Color can communicate emotion
and style to perfection. There is a color that expresses every range of emotion
and style. The power of color draws consumers from all industries to a desired
purchase. Whether it is a cosmetic, a piece of furniture or a variety of products
for everyday use.
In the beauty industry, a soft subtle style lip would be created with pale
pink or beige colors, closest to the color the natural lip color. A high
fashion dramatic trendy eye would be created with deeper colors ranging of
from gray to navy to black. The eye tends to focus on darker colors on the
face first. With make-up, one must choose a desired style whether it’s
natural, trendy or classic and know the best feature to focus on and enhance
around it. The biggest mistake is not playing up at least one great feature,
perhaps your signature feature. The key with make-up is to make sure that
the cosmetics deliver true color.
With interior design, a desired mood is created with colors from a well
thought out palette that keeps the mood consistent throughout a room. In
working with clients, I think the biggest mistake is a confusion of styles.
I see a lot of formal mixed with very casual. Not having a dominant style
communicates confusion. Color is powerful in marrying two different styles
in a room. For instance, feminine curved or formal lines in furniture and
using more casual choices of fabrics such as denim or simple cotton textures.
The eclectic look is very popular but there is definitely an art to putting it all
together.
As to color in consumer products. How are you drawn to purchase everyday
products? Even though function my be a priority, Whether it’s a box of Kleenex,
a razor or a cell phone, color will seal the deal.
I recently purchased a new cell phone cover for my phone in bright orange.
Everyone asked me why I chose such a bright color. I said because it will not
get confused with all the black phones in my family. It also reminds me of a
color that I have not used often and it communicates energy and we all know
that we get energy from talking on the phone right? Great reasoning right? I
thought so.
When I took Lee's color/design class, it truly confirmed what I have been doing
all along but with more guidelines to help me in working with clients. Qualifying
the reason for your choice of colors regardless of the industry has always been
the key element I have used when helping to choose colors for a face, a room or
a product. Leatrice is a joy to listen to with an incredible wealth of knowledge
that one never grows weary of listening to. There are very few people I can say
that about and she is definitely at the top of my list.
Penny Crosson
Pennycrosson.net
TimelessBeautyStudio.com
972-835-3752
February 15, 2010
How Magazine
Look of the Winter Games
Tim Newcomb
February 2010
The in-house team behind the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games
blazed new creative trails, adopting an innovative palette and illustration
style for this epic event.
The graphic identity of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics doesn't speak
to history. Rather, it's entirely contemporary, taking what Canada is now,
the differing layers and textures of society and art and life, and weaving that
into an all-encompassing look. After all, the Olympics are about converging
cultures-and so are the Vancouver graphics.
Designing the 2010 Olympic Logo
Designer Elena Rivera MacGregor says the challenge of creating a winning
Vancouver 2010 Olympic logo, or emblem in Olympic parlance, was like a
puzzle.
Rivera MacGregor followed the strict parameters of creating a scalable design
that could fit on every imaginable medium, using colors that could easily
transfer to newsprint, television, offset printing and even embroidery. The
other key factor that may have sealed the win was her design's unique tie to
Canadian culture.
The emblem echoes native Inuit inukshuks, a symbolic language of stacked
rocks. The Inuit people live across the entire north of Canada, and without the
usual signs and landmarks to give direction, these inukshuks have become
markers that indicate, say, a fishing village nearby, or food and shelter, or even
friendship. The latter symbol, an inukshuk called Ilanaaq (Inuit for friend),
inspired Rivera MacGregor's design. Vancouver's largest inukshuk is near False
Creek, home of the Olympic Village.
The open arms of her inukshuk welcome the world to Vancouver. The emblem
depicts the rocks as a person, with the face in green, the outstretched arms in
dark blue, the body in light blue, one leg in red and the other in orange. "It's
relevant to the city, to Canada and to our culture," Rivera MacGregor says.
Vancouver Organizing Committee vice president Ali Gardiner says that, right
away, the emblem feels welcoming and friendly, a trait of the Canadian personality
the committee wanted to come through. The cultural reference is inspiring, but
the design influence of curves and organic shapes worked well with the rest of
the graphic identity. And the bold colors of the emblem contrast nicely with the
cool colors of the identity, providing clear-cut visual reference when the two are use together.
As she refined the design from prototype to final emblem, Rivera MacGregor only
did one thing to give it a more "winter" look: She switched the arms to blue and
the head to green. "The switch of the colors did it," she says. "It just needed more
blue in it." The colors were derived from the forests, glaciers, water, sky and iconic
red maple leaf.
February 12, 2010
Lee was recently quoted in Floral Management Magazine, a trade publication
for florists. In an article written by Kate Penn, the following thoughts about
Roses and romance were quoted:
"Lavender was the "precursor to pink as the color of romance," Eiseman said.
"Lavenders are part of the very trendy purple family found in many areas of
fashion apparel and home design, specifically in bedrooms."
"Prolific indie musician and producer Brian Eno recently made his case in Prospect
magazine that the line between cool and un-cool is disappearing. In the next
decade, Eno says "distinct stylistic trends" will go the way of dial-up internet,
because "there are just too many styles around (that) keep mutating too fast
to assume that kind of dominance."
"We're all for independent thinking and straying from the herd, but there are
certain times of the year when certain colors do the job better than others. And
Valentines Day is one of those times. Our color connoisseurs insist the pinks, reds, lavenders and peaches that populate this month's column evoke serious romantic
vibes. And these dreamy buds aren't just for date night. Invite them to stay
around and invigorate your home decor, event and gift selections."
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!
We are pleased to announce the dates for our July Color/Design Class.
Mark your calendars!
July 15-18 on Bainbridge Island, WA.
For more information go to...
www.colorexpert.com
Photo by Jed Guilbeau Former Student
If you have been to The Vancouver Organizing Committee website http://www.vancouver2010.com/ you may have noticed the wonderful
use of blue within the website. It would seem that blue is the color theme
for the 2010 Olympics. One of our favorite companies, 18 Karat is located
in Vancouver and they have taken this theme to heart with a stunning
temporary remodel-an homage to the city and the excitement of the Olympic
games.
We thought the images were so stunning that we had to share. Here is an
excerpt from their blog.
ELECTRIC BLUE: ELECTRIC VANCOUVER
We have just completed redecorating our store with our new Collection19.
Our product colour story is all about white, light grey and light wood tones
but in our store you'll see these neutrals electrified with brilliant blue light.
Blue is a very big colour at the moment in Vancouver - it's an official colour
of the Vancouver Winter Olympics that open this coming Friday. Shades of
blue and green are covering our city, wrapping everything from lamp posts
to entire buildings. We‚ve joined in the fun with a playful display of stacked
furniture and blue light throughout. It‚s particularly beautiful illuminating
our stairwell and glass columns, making our clear glass look fresh and icy.
[more...]
February 8, 2010
Using Color To Influence Others
Excerpt from More Alive With Color
Color is a very effective form of communication, and we say a lot about
ourselves through the colors we wear and use. Learn how to use color as
a powerful tool in getting your message across and establishing your style.
Let's start with your personality.
Pick the words that you feel reflect your personality.
Extroverted...........................Introverted
Animated..............................Quiet
Intense.................................Relaxed
Realistic................................Idealistic
Forceful.................................Gentle
Dramatic...............................Reserved
Direct...................................Subtle
Active...................................Passive
Analytical..............................Intuitive
Assertive...............................Submissive
Exuberant.............................Calm
The words listed above are divided into two columns because they
are opposites. The words on the left describe "yang" traits; those on the
right are "yin" traits. The yang is thought to be more forceful and active,
the yin more gentle or passive. The terms come from the ancient Chinese,
who believed that each person is a blend
of two personalities, the yang and yin.
Colors have personalities, too. Every Colortime has both yang and yin
colors. You simply vary the shadings according to the mood you want
to convey. If you want to express a yin mood, use the light to medium
colors. If you want to express a yang mood, use the more vibrant or darker
colors. Every hue ranges in mood from yin through yang.
Example: The lightest reds are pink. They are yin-soft, easy, non-threatening.
As the pinks get closer to the "mother color," red, they take on more yang
characteristics.
February 5, 2010
We recently got an email from an artist in California named Chip. Chip's
story was especially compelling to us because of his historical connection
to turquoise. Considering that Pantone has picked turquoise as the color of the
year-our ears perked up immediately. I will share a bit of the charming
email we received from Chip.
"I've always loved Turquoise - when I was a child (I grew up on Skaneateles
Lake in upstate New York) my Dad loved Turquoise too ... at one time our
house was painted Turquoise, we drove a Turquoise Ford station wagon, my
Dad owned the corner IGA grocery store that was painted Turquoise and our
summer cottage on the lake was, of course, Turquoise. This drove my mother
nuts but I thought it was kinda cool - I was only 14 at the time."
Chip says "It was just a coincidence but I just completed an abstract
watercolor on January 15th of 10,000 - 1/4" inch squares ... using only
blues as my color ... most of which were Turquoise."
A happy coincidence indeed!
56 cm x 76 cm
Winsor & Newman - Cotman Water Colours
Ultramarine 660 Series 1 A
Turquoise 654 Series 1 A
Prussian Blue 538 Series 1 A
Intense Blue (Phthalo Blue) 327 Series 1 A
Cobalt Blue - 178 Series 2 AA
Cerulean Blue 137 - Series 2 AA
Chinese White 150 Series 1 AA
To see more of Chip Fesko's art please check out...
http://artsrush.com.au/?p=714
Among his talents as an artist Chip also works with the George Lucas
Educational Foundation. The George Lucas Educational Foundation is the
non-profit Foundation that Mr. Lucas started 17 years ago to support technology
integration in public classrooms and provide inspirational stories about education teaching practices for both teachers and students ... it was his (George Lucas)
vision that videos would be delivered to schools over the Internet way back then.
The George Lucas Foundation is located on Skywalker Ranch in San Rafael, California.
For more about The George Lucas Educational Foundation please go to...
http://www.edutopia.org
February 1, 2010
As the spring is approaching we found it fitting and inspiring to share a story
about gardening.
If you are looking for inspiration for your summer garden why not start with the
color blue? Keeyla Meadows was inspired by a specific blue (Majorelle blue) found
in the personal garden of Jacques Majorelle.
As a true fan of the color blue I was thrilled to read about the use of blue as the
focal point for which a wonderful garden is inspired. It might not seem that blue
would be a good choice to build a garden around but as it is written in the Pantone
Guide to Communicating with Color, blue seems like the perfect choice.
Here's why...
The color blue is strongly associated with sky and water, blue is perceived as a
constant in our lives.
In the presence of a blue environment, we feel calm. Humans are soothed and
replenished when they view blue and there is some evidence that when blue enters
our line of vision, the brain sends our chemical signals that work as a tranquilizer.
Blue is an excellent choice for areas demanding mental concentration or for products
and environments that invite concentration or relaxing, "meditative" moods.
Color, Olympics, Pantone, Color of the Year, Gardens, Image Consulting, Artists, Fashion, Cosmetics, Training, Color Personality, Blue, Green, Trends
