Color Buzz

The Colors of Food

By Michele Coppin

The color of fruits and vegetables can be as beautiful as the color of flowers. The color combinations and variations are endless as they grow, ripen and mature.  Fruits and vegetables have actually been inspiring artists for centuries. “Food portraits” are known as “still lifes.”

Jan Van Huysum, Still Life with Fruit
Oil on copper, 1720
Rijhsmuseum, Amsterdam

These delicious palettes herald the presence of nutrients. Color indicates the ingredients we need for good health. For example:

REDS are packed with vitamins (A C), protect your heart, maintain good blood pressure, and help to protect against some cancers.

GREENS are packed with vitamins (A,C,B,K), provide a source of iron, and boost your immune system.

YELLOW and ORANGE are packed with vitamins (C and B) that keep you eyes strong, boost your immune system and promote glowing skin.

WHITE, such as cheese and yogurt, is packed with calcium.

Some of my favorites in both appearance and taste are asparagus, baby artichokes, fresh garlic, cheese and bread. A glass of red wine would complement this tableau nicely…

Greens speak of youth, nature, fresh starts and cool mornings. Purples, dark reds and burgundy suggest the end of summer, setting sun, heat, and royalty. These opposites however make a very elegant color combination.

 

                                                   
Tropical foliage 6002 – 6C                               Garden Fresh 6008 – 7C

                                                

Hotel St Francis Sangre de Christo 1010 – 6    Accent Frosty Berry 1003 – 1B

 

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.

No Need to Fear Stripes

Valspar Prairie Sky is a soft, almost smoky blue, with a hint of purple. It would look great in a bedroom with white and silver fabrics. In fact, try an array of different accent colors that have a silver cast to them

Adding white stripes to the wall is a great way to break up the color. Of course, you are thinking, “What? Stripes?” It’s really quite simple, and nothing to be afraid of. You can start by measuring out and taping stripes 4-inches in width. One tool that really helps with this is a bubble stick. After you’ve applied the tape, run over it with an old credit card to burnish the edge. This will secure the tape so the paint won’t bleed. Make a mixture of one part paint to two parts water. Take a brush and gently dip it into the mixture. Shake off the excess. Apply the paint to the wall in a light smooth stroke. The paint should be transparent. Move the brush up and down until the brush marks run in a nice vertical strip. Remove the tape and voila! STRIPES.

A nice trim color to accent this would be Honeymilk. Grab a nice down comforter and good book and enjoy the winter nights!

                                               
                  Prairie Sky 4003-5B                           Honeymilk 7003-4

 

Is Purple Only Meant for Disco?

Last week, we were working with a client who desperately wanted a purple dining room.  At first, even we were frightened and wondered how we were going to pull it off without it looking like a chandeliered disco retreat.

We poured over the purples from our paint deck and much to our delight, there were several gorgeous purples to choose from and combine.  After not working with a certain color for a while, one tends to forget its beautiful variations and the potential it has. 

The client had a chair rail, and we put a bold color on the walls above it.  We chose Purple Cloak, a deep gray purple with a touch of brown to warm it up, which wound up being perfect for the space. It gave a warm welcoming glow with just enough sophistication and fun.  It was purple after all… 

We paired the Purple Cloak with London Coach as a trim color.  It’s a warm gray that kept the dining room inviting and elegant.  When going the purple route, keep the trim colors in the pink, purple and warm gray range.  Avoid creamy buttery and peach shades. 

                                                        

      Purple Cloak 1004-5A                                          London Coach 4002-1B