Mixing a Can of Paint

When you've gone to the paint store to buy a can of paint, have you really understood what goes into the can? I had a general idea, but being a woman of science, I needed proof to confirm my suspicions. I thank Kevin Greenlee over at Nayer Paint, a Benjamin Moore retailer in Gig Harbor for enlightening me.

I showed up with 12 empty bottles hoping for a lesson in universal tints. Kevin thought it would be best to explain the process through the actual mixing of a can of paint.

He said "go ahead, pick a color." I decided upon "Putnam Ivory", HC-39, a warm, soft neutral I had recently seen applied in a client's bedroom.













Then, he brought the formula for "Putnam Ivory" up on the computer. Here you can see the individual colorants that make up this hue and their proper amounts for mixing: yellow oxide (OY), black (BK), orange (OG) and grey (GY).

Before he started mixing though, I had to first be educated on the different bases used by Benjamin Moore: pastel, being the lightest in value, medium, deep and ultra deep.

The pastel base is thick and opaque and consumes almost the entire can, whereas the ultra deep's can leaves room for a lot of colorant to be added. It was translucent. Here they are brushed out side by side.

Starting with the can of pastel base, Kevin added the colorants one step at a time until the mixture was compete. At each step, he brushed out the paint on a white card. First black, which rendered a beautiful light cool grey. Then the orange which turned it into a dusty mauve which was not at all what I was expecting. Then grey, which turned it violet, and finally, the yellow oxide. The mixture was complete.

The most amazing discovery was that the colors that were brushed out at each step of the way made up a beautiful harmonious palette in its own right. I would love to experiment with other formulas to see if the parts of the whole always make for such harmony.

Kevin filled up my empty bottles and now I have new color tools with which to experiment. And of course, I also have many new unanswered questions. But isn't that what makes the study of color so fascinating? www.eb-color.com

Some Colors I saw in Thailand

Fortune shined on me for three wondrous weeks in the kingdom of Thailand. Warmth, beauty, miracles, and smiles made for the most colorful palette, providing eye candy at every turn. A thousand shots of memory stored on a digital camera will help keep those in my head and heart alive.

On a layover in Incheon Airport in Seoul, South Korea, it was totally worth it to wait on these pink chairs. I mean, why not pink chairs? Orchids were the standard norm here, like common daisies or geraneums. Such an unexpected sign that said "welcome!

First day in Bangkok. If only there could be scratch and sniff over the internet. Yes, you see all the color and texture, but what is missing here are the olfactory delights. A whiff of burning incense, simmering fish sauce in the wok from the sidewalk vendors, fresh flower offerings and oh, the fumes from exhaust. It's not perfect.

Look at all this color! For a girl who craves this, someone who has just left the black and gray January gloom and doom that is Seattle,this worked me! I highly recommend beaming yourself here. It's very do-able.

Of course, temples are everywhere for each and everyone, as well as palaces, fit for well, you know...kings. Each is rich and unique and makes you spend an entire afternoon saying "wow". Aren't I eloquent?

Here's a typical close-up. This kind of rich color and beautiful combinations makes for slow going on my outings. Good thing I'm on my own. I might drive any other travel companion mad with my attention to all the detail. (Check out the person sitting in the corner, meditating perhaps.) Gives an idea of the scale.

Well, it's time for dinner. I could have phad thai or green curry or panang or chicken and cashew stir fry , spicy papaya salad but I have decided on this. The turquoise plate was the clincher.

Now I'm on a plane for Krabi, towards the decadent beachy party of the trip. Look at these seats on Thai Airways. They say I have arrived!!!!! Aren't they wonderful! And festive! And happy?

It's another world down here. But just as magical.

Didn't I hear once that blue is calming? Ahhh...

Pantone people...eat your heart out. Turquoise has always been the "Color of the Year"!

I made sure I got in good shape before I landed here. But I didn't need my running shoes after all. I just sat and dwelled on infinity.

www.eb-color.com