Mix It Up!

The Waters of March

As I was sharing my vision for the new March palette with Tracy, our BDSFP marketing guru, I relayed my excitement for the lovely collection of soft, gray-toned hues but lamented that I was at a loss on what to call it. After I sent her a photo of the colors & recipes I had created, she chimed in and suggested I take a listen to a song called “The Waters of March”. She sent me a link to one particular version  – and I instantly fell in love. The song held exactly the feel I was visually experiencing with the colors. Take a listen while looking at this month’s palette. Feel the vibe? “It’s the promise of Spring and the river bank sings with the waters of March, it’s the end of despair, it’s the joy in your heart …”.

March’s palette is based on Galvanized, our pre-mixed gray. In my part of the world, March starts out gray in the beginning, with color slowly creeping into the landscape as the weeks progress. Toward the end, the door starts to swing open, allowing April to bust loose in full, living color.

The premixed colors I used for March are Blue Ridge, Keep It Teal, Go Green, Star City Sunshine, Caution Dogs at Work, and Dirt.

Seersucker Blue was created by mixing one-part Blue Ridge with three parts Galvanized. Remember Seersucker Suits? Very abundant in the South! The muted blue and white stripes that define the classic Easter suit, especially for little boys, just speaks of Spring.

Baja Blue, a very subtle tropical blue green was made by mixing three parts Galvanized with one part Keep It Teal. Think Caribbean water, white sandy beaches, and fruity tropical drinks.

Artichoke is a soft & subtle gray green that evokes the promise of new life. Mix three parts Galvanized with one part Go Green.

Celadon Green, a pale yellow green, one of my favorite ceramic glaze colors, is three parts galvanized with one part Star City Sunshine.

Goldenrod, a beautifully muted gold, can be mixed up using one part Caution Dogs at work with two parts Galvanized.

Silt is a great neutral that will work with any color scheme – not too brown or gray. Mix three parts galvanized with one part Dirt.

When I took the painted stir sticks of the palette and “played cards” with them, moving them around on the worktable, every combination worked! The colors compliment each other beautifully.

This palette illustrates how adding gray to a bright color can create a subtle, soothing tone of that color. Too often people will add black to a color in an effort to tone down its vividness. What that actually does is darken the hue, creating a shade of the color. To dull a color, you add its compliment. To create a tint of a color you add white. To soften a color, add a little, or a lot, of gray, depending on your need.

Now click on the link for The Waters of March as you stroll through this month’s palette. Enjoy the beauty and subtlety of The Waters of March music and color palette. Spring is upon us!

Keep mixing it Up!

Swooz