Ok, yes, I have been really lax on this blog lately.

But I thought I'd check in! The color consultation biz has been 
r e a l l y  s l o w  because of the housing market and economy, but I still get jobs here and there.
But things are looking up! I just got back from a fun residential color consultation. It was for a couple I have worked with before, I did their living room a while back and they wanted help with a TV/sitting room. No photos, but I can tell you what colors we picked.

Currently, it has off-white/pale grey porcelain tile floors (keeping), white and blue striped wallpaper accent wall (Going!), a built in cobalt blue bench with light blue cushions (Re-upholster, repaint base), white area rug, and a built-in TV-media cabinet and bar area, painted white. French doors lead outside to the yard and pool. All walls, ceiling, cabinets besides the wallpaper are white.The overall feel is cool, a bit stark, and has a bit of a country feel despite the fact that the owners have a collection of artwork featuring lighthouses and water scenes in the room. The room faces north, but this is southern Arizona, so it's pretty bright so we don't have to compensate by painting everything butter yellow!

The New Look, with Dunn Edwards Paint, will be warmer, friendlier, and a bit more contemporary with a dash of fun.

Instead of the wallpaper, a coral accent wall in a gorgeous color called "Pouring Copper". The rest of the walls and TV cabinet will be a warm off-white called "Delightful Peach" and the ceiling will be "Tofu", a lighter version of the wall color. (The colors are approximated below). The owners plan on a fun fabric for the bench cushions, possibly a retro-tropical bark cloth including the coral colors as well as bits of light blue and honeydew green. Plus a new, more interesting area rug. Maybe those cushions need this fabulous atomic coral space-age fabric?
Either way, when they are done, they will send some photos for me to post here. Enjoy!
~reb

Publish Post

Hey everybody! Happy Thanksgiving and happy autumn!
Yes, it's been a while! I'm been doing a bunch of other things beside this blog....this is my busiest time of year for work, so I'm a bit behind.

But What about Color???? I still do color! Although, since the housing market has changed dramatically in the last year, I do not do as many architectural color projects as I once did .....mostly doing GRAPHICS and LAYOUT......
So if this looks like something YOU are interested in, drop me an e-mail. My prices are super reasonable. 

Here are some very recent projects, including a concert posters, a t-shirt design, and a traditional-style Japanese mon for Odaiko Sonora. The agave mon was really fun to do and it will eventually be used  on all sorts of marketing swag. I also recently did work for artist Angela Rose's Nature Zone project: a very simple printed invitation, an e-vite, and a reusable vinyl sign to be used at various Nature Zone sites. The sign is shown at the top of the posting.
What's next? A residential interior color project tomorrow, more work for Odaiko Sonora, and of course, more art: 'tis the season for art in southern Arizona!

The Color of Politics, part 2
The Audacity of Art

Kudos to the artist for plastering LA with this little gem! Firas Alkhateeb, a student at the University of Illinois created this "ready made" (Marcel Duchamp is very proud right about now) poster apparently from a Time magazine cover and a whole lot of Photoshop. Way to go Firas.....guerilla marketing is alive and well!
Cheers,
reb

Photos- Top: A canal in Almere, Flevoland, The Netherlands
Middle: me climbing on a "Pi" sculpture near Lelystad, Flevoland Province, The Netherlands.
Bottom: The Barbican, London, United Kingdom

Travel trends- Colorguru's guide to travel in Europe.
Look up "Be traveler, not a tourist" on the web and you'll see hundred's of entries. That's a good thing! Planning and spending 3-1/2 weeks in The Netherlands and London (an American with dietary restrictions no less!) was amazing and life-changing. I've been to The Netherlands before and a few other European locales but this trip was very special.

1. Research, research, research. No matter if you are there for 3 days (I was in London for only 3 days) or 3 months, know what you want to do, where you want to go and read up on the local culture. Know a few words of the language, so get a simple phrase book.
   
2. Dress like a local. Forget the huge white sneakers or ugly beige walking shoes (the ones with the Velcro!), shorts, and t-shirts with dorky sayings, and no boxy cruise wear or you'll be the target of a crime. Most Americans dress too casually anyway. But avoid wearing high heels (clogs can be tricky as well) on cobblestones or brick streets, you'll twist your ankle.
   
3. Each day, pick only 1 or two main things you want to do. If you try to cram in every tourist attraction, you'll be disappointed since you'll be rushing everywhere. On your way to that special place, you will make great discoveries. And make sure you do what you really want to do, not what your friends tell you or the tourist guides tell you. So go to that big antique flea market in the main square instead of the Van Gogh museum if that's what floats your boat.
4. Do what the locals do. Ask the local shop owner where the best little lunch spot or cup of espresso is. Only relying on travel books means you'll often end up in places geared towards foreigners. Go into the local pubs, eat the local foods, get out there and mingle! Never, ever, Ever go to a chain restaurant you know from home. Remember why you are a traveler: to experience life in a new place.
   
5. Stay outside the beaten path. Stay at a hostel, boutique hotel, bed and breakfast, local independent hotel, friends, relatives, anything other than the Marriot/Hilton/Holiday Inn chain hotel. Otherwise you'll feel like you are still in Pittsburgh when you wake up. And the breakfasts are waaaay better.
   
6. Be humble and have an open mind. You are traveling to experience, not to complain that it's "not like at home" or my favorite pet peeve "It's not the best (insert food of choice here) I've ever had". Be mindful of local customs, lower your voice, and be gracious. Snobs are still snobs in any language.
7. Plan ahead. If you do have dietary restrictions like diabetes or food allergies, travel can still be awesome; it's what you make it. Stop focusing on food being the center of your trip and focus on culture. Pick a hotel with a kitchenette, find a grocery store and cook your own food. Find out where the health-food stores and grocers are, and pack a tote bag for shopping. Bring snacks with you, so have a backpack or satchel.
   
8. Avoid talking politics unless you are a radio talk show host. Doesn't matter who is the president either.
   
9. Lastly, pack light!! You will buy stuff. Two smaller suitcases are better than 1 giant one because of weight restrictions.

More travel photos, trends, and fun stuff coming soon!
Tot ziens,
reb

European Fashion Trend Watch- focus on legs
I wanted to share some of the fashion trends for women I saw all over the Netherlands and during my short stay in London. I was in several cities in NL during my nearly month-long stay: Almere, Den Haag (The Hague), Enschede, Baarn, Soest, Amsterdam, Lelystad. The trend was very consistent. I saw the same thing in central London, Chiswick, and Kew.

It's all about leggings, tights, and knee socks.
Not the awful "I'm going to wear leggings instead of pants" trend from the last 80's and early 90's, but something very fun and wearable for every age group.

Not only were they everywhere, they were on all ages from age 3 to 65. The looks ranged from fun, playful, elegant, practical (you can ride a bike in a dress!) , artistic, edgy, basic, and sporty.

The most common pairing (especially in the Netherlands) was Capri-length or just-below-the-knee length leggings with a dress or tunic that was just above the knee, so your rear is covered. This proved flattering on most people.
If you have heavier legs, keep the leggings plain. If you are like me and have little skinny bird legs, try pattern like horizontal stripes or textures. If you have thick ankles, try Capri-length with buttons on the hem, shirring, a tiny ruffle, etc. This draws the eye up to toward the knee.
If you have heavier thighs, try a below the knee dress and ankle length leggings. If you are shorter than average, try the same or similar color legging as the dress to create a longer line.

Here are the reasons I love them and ended up buying several pairs of both below the knee, Capri and ankle length leggings and tights while I was on my trip:

• Excellent summer wear in a cool to temperate climate such as northern Europe or the northwest United States. You still can wear your summer dress or skirt when it's only 69 F and overcast outside.
• They firm up your figure provided you are wearing the correct size. Make sure the waist fits!
  
• They are a great accessory for women of a certain age since they hide those flaws like unsightly veins and uneven skin color.
• They add visual weight to some dress styles as well as an extra punch of color or pattern to a plain dress.
  

In short, I'm very glad to see the trend come back around in its new and improved form!
Tot ziens,
~Reb

PS: Standout trend color: Bright Teal Green!

I'm back from my trip to The Netherlands and London! Just got back last night, so I'm still lagging a bit from travel.
I have about 800 photos to go thru and I will be publishing more as I get around to them in the next week or so. The highlights of the trip: I stayed in Almere Buiten, in Flevoland province. It's a modern city (only about 35 years old I think) known for it's cutting-edge architecture, urban planning, and land art, aka earthwork art.
I was also in London for three full days and saw some excellent art at the Tate Modern as well as the gallery at the Barbican.

Photos, top to bottom:

1. Hydrangeas in an Almere garden. The weather is similar to Seattle's, so it's very green and lush.
   
2. A family of swans in a canal, near Almere Buiten.
   
3. A plant shop spilling out onto the street in the Jordaan, Amsterdam.
   
4. A tiny dock in an Almere neighborhood canal, complete with a small boat.
   
5. The rainbow neighborhood (Regenboogbuurt) in Almere, home to colorful rowhouses.

The Netherlands is Mecca for designers.....everything, and I mean everything! Everything from signage on roads and in the airport, bike paths, tax forms, and even the landscape has been designed, and from what I saw, extremely well. It's a graphic designer's paradise.
More art-design travel updates to come soon!
Tot ziens!
~reb