Paint, Colors, & My Radiant Orchid Cat

My Self Portrait

The frustrated artist inside me screams daily to get out. I see beautiful, unbelievable things in my mind. I have crystal clear visions of what something should be, what it should look like.

Unfortunately, my phalanges refuse to transfer such gloriousness from my mind onto paper, canvas or tablet.

Yep, all my trees remain lollipops, all my animals display balloon shapes, and, of course, all my people are relegated to mere stick figures.

But there is hope for even those of us who are artistically-challenged.  Our home can become our canvas. Color can breathe new life into an entryway, a room, an entire home.

And, I’m not just talkin’ about any color. No siree, Missy. We can elevate our humble abodes to master quality by selecting colors created by Frank Lloyd Wright or colors from the palettes of such famed artists as Paul Cézanne and Vincent van Gogh.  

The Dallas Morning News recently ran an article about Guggenheim Color paints by Fine Paints of Europe that featured 150 colors from the museum’s collections galleries.

Yes, the paints are expensive (about $130 for about two-thirds of a gallon), but so is a painting by Cézanne. 

Even if you can’t afford that paint, Karen Meyerhoff, managing director for business development at the museum, offered these tips in The Dallas Morning News article for selecting colors:

•Use gray to mute the background and to focus on objects. Keep in mind these objects don’t have to be works of art. This includes such features as fire places, crown molding or furniture.

•Select a tone from a featured object in the room such as a sofa  and use it on the walls. Using the same tone throughout will soften a room.

•Pick a dark color if you have something you want to hide such as bad corners or pipes.

One final note, if you can’t tell a Cézanne from a Renoir and would rather be trendy than rely on master artists, then consider what world color leader Pantone picked as its 2014 color of the year: Radiant Orchid.

Given its vibrance, I would only use Radiant Orchid as an eye-catching accent.

According to Pantone, the color “complements olive and deeper hunter greens, and offers a gorgeous combination when paired with turquoise, teal and even light yellows. Likewise, the vibrant color is sure to liven up neutrals including gray, beige and taupe. Uplifting and bold without being overpowering, Radiant Orchid reenergizes almost any color palette and provides a unifying element for diverse spaces.”

The color inspired me to draw my Radiant Orchid Cat…
 

I think, perhaps, I should stick to selling homes. Don't you think?

Yeah, I thought so.