Color Thesaurus

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What's the difference between sand, sandcastle, biscotti and hazlenut? If you are a creative person you most likely reference color on a daily basis.  Do you write a blog? Create colorways? Make up color names for a product you make? Do you have writer's block?

Pretty soon on the market you will be able to buy a color thesaurus. Why didn't I think of this!? Instead I used to  write all of the colors in a Microsoft Word doc and hang it on the wall at my desk.   Ingrid Sundberg, an illustrator, graphic designer and children's writer, has created such a document.   She originally created a blog post talking about this project.  She received so much feedback she now is creating a poster that will be available for sale.

You can truly define a color of whatever item you are making, selling, buying or painting!  Instead of a yellow wall you are painting a tuscan sun yellow. I currently am designing a new tiger orange apron color blocked with fuchsia pink.  Get ready to have some fun!

You can find out more by visiting Ms.Sundberg's site.  You can also sign up for notifications of when the color thesaurus will be available.

Happy Coloring!

Tracey Toole

www.traceytoole.com  |   www.traceytoole.etsy.com

Floral and Cacti Color Palettes

Recently I made a trip to Los Angeles for a family wedding.  I have not been to the City of Angels in about 15 years.  The last time I was there was for work, a design research trip.  So my experience and exposure was specific.  This recent trip I stayed in the Brentwood section.  We didn't have a car so we walked or took a cab.  We were there for 5 nights and each morning my 15 month old daughter and I would walk for coffee.  The walk was about a mile, which for us living in NYC is not a big deal.  We would pass many beautiful houses but what I was more in love with was the landscaping.  Living in the northeast we can't really have a cactus garden.  Our growing season is not that long and we have 4 seasons.  I fell in love with the bamboo, the varieties of cacti and the large beautiful blooming flowers.  And what I find most interesting is as a designer, this time of year I start thinking about fall color palettes.  I can create my palette from these floral landscapes.  Inspiration. 

I couldn't believe how thick the bamboo can get and how full and large the lavender shrubs can grow.  

This rose with dew, above, is like a photo from a book.  I couldn't believe my eyes that this was so natural and perfect.  Crimson red, deep pink, purple tips surrounded by shades of green.  My favorite is the green cacti with orange at the top of the post.  Below is the palette I created from it; fern green, blue sage, dusty white peach,  faded carrot and burnt red.  A beautiful end of summer, beginning of fall palette.  Look around you and create some color. 

Enjoy the rest of our summer days and I look forward to Indian Summer.

Tracey

https://www.etsy.com/shop/traceytoole

http://traceytoole.blogspot.com/

Summer Hues - Peaches

Summer is here.  If you can't tell by the temperature, take a look around.  One of the best things about summer is the refreshing, vibrant colors everybody wears.  And this summer,  peachy neons, beachy corals, sherbet shades and all varieties of melon seem to be the new pink. 

New York City subway riders June 2014

Peach stripe clutch from LondonTierney on Etsy

coral print outdoor pillow from crabbychris on etsy

enamel necklace from Be in the Moment on Etsy

Shibori Dyed Surf Skirt by katrin reifeiss

melon and peach sherbet colored vintage purse from John Met Betty

water repellent tote from Jenn Eng Studio

Peach, melon, sherbet, nectarine.... the list goes on of summer treats that we are seeing on the streets!

Tracey Toole

http://traceytoole.etsy.com/