Colorography: Sentimental Shades

It's not too often that I'm really struck--I mean, with a strong visceral reaction--by a combination of colors. For some reason, the palette behind these tees got me: they're the color of my childhood. Light aqua, light lavender, a faint peach and grey. Maybe it's a New England thing. There's something so sweet and fine there. Like wild irises. Or icicles clinging to the eaves. I can't place it but I think one of my first memories of beauty had to do with this scheme. Ever had an experience like this?

Oh, and, by the way, if you haven't seen it, the new JCrew spring collection is wonderful...! If you were to do a wedding in any of their color combinations, it couldn't help but be an aesthetic success.

Colorography: Warm Apple Yellow

Today, in the poetry workshop I'm teaching, one of my students had the most wonderful description of a color: warm apple yellow. She was trying to portray the Nebraska sun setting behind farm fence posts (can you see it?) but, to test the description, I was thinking of all the possible ways to describe this color. I was thinking, is it like mustard? Or is it lighter? Like cream? Maybe even softer? There was simply no other way to describe the color--this apple was a perfectly unique specific shade. Poetry at its best.

Have you heard any brilliant descriptions of color lately?

More of the 101 list soon--it's been such a busy, busy week!

(Braised apples with saffron and cider from Martha Stewart.  Other yellowy sources: screenprint by Camilla Engman, The Yellow House by Van Gogh, No. 13 by Mark Rothko, illustration by Maira Kalman.)

Update: Check out Anne's amazing 'mustard' post on City Sage--looove that color, all bright and earthy!