by Gail Ingis | Mar 1, 2018 | Design, Humor, News, Technical, Technology
Remember when I told you that I wanted to break up with my MacBook? Well, I did. Old Mac and I parted ways.
It turns out we just didn’t get along. Old Mac had some major “binge issues”. He was constantly hoarding emails instead of letting them go. So Tom and I took him to the Apple Store near us and boy did they put Old Mac on a diet! He lost more than 1 million pounds! Er, I mean documents.
Even though Old Mac and I have been through a lot together, it was time for us to part ways. So I bought New Mac, a champion athlete, and one lean, mean, powerful machine.
Tom took pity on Old Mac and decided to become his personal coach. Tom will keep him in shape. After all, Tom was my diet support system and helped me lose 50 pounds. By the way, I’ve kept that weight off for more than fifteen years. So I have no doubt that Tom will keep Old Mac from getting bloated again.
Meanwhile, New Mac is humming along and working out great. Until next time, remember to keep up your daily workouts!
Love Gail and Tom xo
Gail Ingis Claus is an author, artist/painter and interior designer. Her upcoming romance The Unforgettable Miss Baldwin will be released in spring 2018. Her current historical romance, Indigo Sky can be purchased on amazon.
http://amzn.to/2j0LXLE
by Gail Ingis | Feb 8, 2018 | Gail Ingis Author, History, Life, News, Technical, Writing
Brite Brilliance 16×20″
When I was a kid, hearing the word “tag” meant it was my turn to find and tag the kids who were hiding, with ‘you’re it’. In baseball, if you get tagged running the bases, uh-oh, you’re out.
These days, I’m dealing with different kinds of tags – dialog tags in my writing. Let me tell you that the hide and seek tags were a whole lot easier than these pesky dialog ones. When I first began writing, I was told that tags are meant to let the reader know who is talking: he said, she said, etc. But having written and published one book, and writing my second, I decided to review the system. In my efforts to be a better writer I began wondering about all the rules and when and how to break them.
The “Less is More” motto has always been my mantra. It’s touched all parts of my life including my career as an interior designer and my work as an artist/painter. My painting Brite Brilliance (on the left) could have included a lot more in the foreground like a tree or trees, people, animals, taller plants, and shrubs,. But I decided that “less is more”. I wanted the eye to focus on “the big picture” and so this is the result. And guess what? I sold Brite Brilliance in no time at all.
Thumbs up! For Johnson’s tags.
Here’s the scoop. According to an article by D.M Johnson, He Said, She Said: Dialog Tags and Using them Effectively, on Scribophile. Simplicity is key. Johnson writes that the “less is more” approach is better than all the alternative creative ways of saying “said” i.e. “agreed”, “countered”, “offered”, “argued”. Let alone those pesky adverbs: gently, quietly, softly – she said softly, he said quietly. Dialog tags like “he growled”, “she exclaimed, he replied, etc. Tags that try to be heroic are deceptively dragging your reader out of the story. Those tags are stopgaps, disruptions and a way to ensure that an editor, agent or publisher will toss your manuscript into the garbage. They usually check your dialog first, if they see all those fancy tags, they go no further. You’ve been tagged a reject.
A way to see: How does your brain see this image? Is this about two profiles in black or a goblet in white?
Johnson says that dialogue tags (or speech tags) are like signposts, attributing written dialogue to characters. Dialogue tags don’t need to be fancy, splashy, or self-conscious. Their primary purpose is to show which characters speak and when. The greater the number of characters involved in a scene, the more important the frequency and positioning of tags becomes.
Adding adjectives and adverbs to tags to provide specific information about the speaker or the speech—she asked warily; he said innocently. These are called adverbial tags. Sometimes adding an adverb to a tag can be useful, a quick way to indicate a mannerism or emotion (she said quickly; he said coldly) without drawing it into a longer, descriptive sentence. As a caveat, it’s frequently suggested in writing advice columns and books that such tags be used with a careful hand; an adverb can make a tag more obvious and remind people they’re reading a story instead of experiencing it. Still, published authors use them when it fits the situation.
You can apply this motto to everyday life. When you’re organizing your home office, decorating your living room, putting together an outfit for a job interview or a night on the town. Remember, “less is more”.
For more information on dialogue tags check out DM Johnson’s article. She has a ton of great stuff to say.
D.M. Johnson is a published author and an editor dedicated to helping writers achieve their goals. Her background includes a BS in English and marketing. She provides editing and critique services through Word-Edge.com, offers specialty publishing for unique projects, and teaches writing classes online.
Gail Ingis Claus is an author, artist/painter and interior designer. Her upcoming romance The Unforgettable Miss Baldwin will be released in the spring 2018. Her current historical romance, Indigo Sky can be purchased on amazon.
Click the image! Linked to my Amazon author page
Click the image!. A work of art, linked to my Facebook page
by Gail Ingis | May 25, 2017 | Events, History, News, Technical
WRITE DESIGN by Gail Ingis, ASID*
Nope, it’s not working. How do I do this writing thing?
Writing takes more than putting words on paper. Like broadly-scoped art, there are applicable concepts. Writing is creative, right? Creativity and art are parallel, and in all art, there are similarities. Which tools do you use, blank sheet of paper versus blank canvas, keyboard versus sketching pencil, paint brush, camera . . .
Alfred Stieglitz
Each week my blog will utilize those concepts, like in the books of Dixon and Bickham in their writing or Georgia O’Keefe or Albert Stieglitz or John Singer Sargent in their art. For me, having been degreed and experienced in several arts, such as interior design, architecture, painting, photography, dance, criticism, like the writing of Goldberger or Muschamp, the concepts are similar. Concepts that will impact descriptions in your books.
Today I’m writing about the word “Drape.”
Is it Drapes or Draperies?
I have a bone of contention with the English-speaking world. Drapes is a verb, Draperies is a noun. I’ll explain. I learned the use of the word, drape/draperies at the New York School of Interior design BFA program. I bet you’re thinking it’s jargon. No. It’s grammar.
Me being curious about everything, I checked online to see if this issue had ever been addressed. Low and behold, I found a blog by Mark Scott Drapery Design from December 2009, in total agreement with me, so this blob is a reblog. It’s obvious that Mark understands English grammar, and he most likely has worked with NYSID* interior designers. Thanks Mark Scott!
Needless to say that I was delighted to find someone in this world, other than my design colleagues, that understand the use of the words. No more confusion.
Mark Scott’s reblog: Whenever asked this question I unequivocally respond, “Most definitely, Draperies.” You see, drape is a verb. To drape. As in, He draped his coat over the chair and looked menacingly into her eyes, as if to say, ‘Don’t even think about calling those beautiful window treatments drapes!’ Or, She draped her shawl over her shoulder, rolled her eyes while lighting a cigarette, and loudly asked, in an accusatory voice, ‘Where the hell did you get those god-awful drapes?’
Traditional Draperies 19th Century Greek Revival
Now, if you sell window treatments for a living, as I do, keep in mind that people do not want to pay good money for a verb. Verbs are fleeting. Always in motion and seldom ready to stand alone. They need a subject or object to lean on. People want something self-reliant, long-lasting – something that’s gonna stick around for a while – like a noun. It’s stationary, fixed, not goin’ anywhere and proud of it.
I prefer terminology that suggests longevity and permanence (and that will increase my income potential, of course). Let vagabonds and Philistines have their drapes. Give me my draperies, sir, or prepare to be publicly draped in insult and shame!
So Mark, maybe now our public will refuse to be shamed because they know how to use the verb drape and the noun draperies. Of course you can save yourself anguish if you say ‘curtain.’ But those are usually shorties that shrink your window, Oops did I say something naughty? Next week, we can talk about the difference between floor-to-ceiling draperies and short curtains covering the window only. Tricks to fool the eye, spoken from a pro. Now we are talking about writing descriptions in your book(s).
Thumbs up Mark!
Mark, may I give you a thumbs up for your skill with draperies? https://www.draperyguru.com/
Sheer Curtain Panels, Contemporary design with a draped valance gives these draperies a traditional flare.
*American Society of Interior Designers
*New York School of Interior Design
Indigo Sky for reader who enjoy historical romance! @AmazonKindle http://amzn.to/2nWqbcq Indigo Sky available on Amazon buy link: http://amzn.to/2j0LXLE
Author page: http://amzn.to/1K4GVQA
by Gail Ingis | Apr 20, 2017 | Events, History, News, Technical
Thunderbolt
We are passing on this AutoCrit excellent blog, with permission from Jocelyn, for your perusal.
Ever watched a movie that was so packed full of non-stop action it left you feeling breathless? Exhilarated, maybe… but disconnected from the characters – unable to learn much about them amidst the constant stream of explosions, car chases and death-defying peril?
Or have you ever read a story where the author droned on for so long about their characters’ thoughts, feelings, family history, and childhood until you thought please… please just let something – anything – happen?
If so, you’ve more than likely encountered a problem with pacing.
Pacing refers to the momentum of a story. There are times we want the reader frantically turning pages because there’s so much high-energy action, and there are times when we want to slow down the story – to let the reader sink into the prose like they would a warm, soothing bath.
Keeping the brain engaged requires a consistent mixture of these – like a rollercoaster ride. Take the reader slowly up to the top and then slam them down the other side, through blinding loops and breakneck corners… and then slow them back down again in preparation for the next dose of action.
A good story has a mix of fast-paced and slow-paced sections. This variety helps us generate tension, build anticipation, develop our characters, insert descriptions, drive the plot forward, and — above all – maintain our reader’s interest.
Strategies for keeping your ride in tip-top shape
Introspection and back-story are better “sprinkled” than “dumped”
Be careful if you have too many paragraphs or pages of long-winded back-story. Sizeable chunks of this can kill your pacing stone dead – something the AutoCrit Pacing Report can highlight for you.
Back-story should be woven in throughout your manuscript, organically drip-fed amidst the action rather than taking up extended chunks of space in the book.
Match your pacing to your story
Action scenes should have few (if any) slow-paced paragraphs. Sure, you might want to occasionally pause for breath to keep things from flying off the rails, but save the slow-paced sections for your more reflective scenes.
Use more dialogue in fast-paced scenes and more narrative in slower scenes
The quick-fire nature of dialogue can speed up a scene. Likewise, narrative prose can slow it down. Play with both techniques to control the momentum of your story.
Experiment with sentence lengths
Shorter sentences speed up a paragraph, while lengthy sentences slow down the momentum. Variety throughout your manuscript is key, but be careful to ensure you’re employing the right kind of sentences in the right places to keep your reader firmly under your control.
The exception to the rule
Every chapter should have a balance between fast- and slow-paced sections – with one exception: The first chapter.
The first chapter should move quickly with only the sparest bit of back-story. A line or two to give the reader context is okay; even a short paragraph here and there might be okay. But for the most part, you want to start with a bang and save the slow-paced sections for later in the manuscript.
Why? Because the first chapter is the most critical. It’s the chapter that determines whether your reader will keep reading, whether an agent will offer you a contract, and whether a publisher will consider your book for print. (No pressure, right?)
As sad as it sounds, the first chapter represents the entire book. It tells the reader about much more than the characters and situation – it shows them how you write and what they can expect in terms of storytelling.
If you bog that chapter down with exposition, description, and excessive narrative, it sends the message that the whole book will be a cumbersome read. So keep it moving and save the slow-paced sections for chapter two and beyond.
Pacing is one of the most important elements in a story. Keep it dynamic, and balance fast- and slow-paced sections to keep your readers turning those pages.
So go on – give a few of your chapters a careful look over and see if there are any points where your pacing is running away from you or slowing you to a crawl.
If you’re unsure, why not become an AutoCrit member for just $29.97/mo and give the Pacing & Momentum reports a try – alongside the many others, of course…
All of which are uniquely designed to quickly and easily ensure your manuscript stacks up against proven published works of fiction across multiple genres – so your next draft gains a better chance of getting snapped up by publishers than any other editing tool on the market can give it.
by Gail Ingis | Jan 25, 2017 | Events, News, Technical
I aced my stress test yesterday. That means I can dance my heart out. That’s not what this post is about. Today’s writing addresses the question many have asked, “What do I do for my complexion?” I am not an expert, except I’ve been taking care of my skin for lots, and lots, and lots of years. It took a long time, but I think I finally figured out how to protect, smooth and give my dry, aging skin a glow. It’s my pleasure to share the process. Here’s the scoop:
Do not use a product with fragrance, ever,
Face: Never use soap on your face. Only use face wash, warm water, use your hands to foam up and clean, rinse off, pat dry. Products: Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser, Clinque has one too. As long as they are gentle, it will be fine. Facial scrubs are important, maybe once a week. Mary Kay’s is good, they have one for the hands too. I’m not raving though. I haven’t seen any difference, except it does get rid of dead skin. I do my arms too. The scrub prepares the skin to accept creams.
Dr. DennisGross Universal Daily peel
Face Peel, this one recommends everyday. I don’t use it everyday, but you can decide what works for you. Tom has used it too. Follow directions. It’s 2 Steps, Dr Dennis Gross skincare, original formula Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel, now known as Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel – Dr. Dennis Gross Skin (Sephora $16 for 5 packs). You save some money if you buy 30 packs or more. Check it out with this link above.
Lancome Renergie Lift Multiaction Night
Night treatment: Lancôme Night cream (expensive, but works well) I also use it on my arms, legs and feet.
Capture Totale La Creme Multi Perfection Day or night or both
Day treatment: Dior Capture Totale La Creme Multi Protection and Capture Totale Dream Skin (expensive, but magical),
Dior Capture Totale Dream Skin day and night treatment
It’s up to you to play around. Nothing is as good as surgery, Botox and filler, but these creams can be a practical substitute.
Buy any of these products at your local department store, or Sephora, or online.
What do you think? You probably know that any of the stores that sell these products will advise you, maybe even give you samples. I recently refound Mary Kay. They give samples. I have a terrific young sales woman, Rachel Powers, who believes in the product. She will come to your home and demonstrate and give samples. Their eye cream is quite good. I have trouble though with all eye creams. It sneaks into my eyes and blurs my vision. Even if I don’t touch my eyes, those creams seems to bother me. I have tried other eye creams as well, it doesn’t seems to matter. So I am not using them at the moment. Keeping wrinkles at bay is a good idea. Once they come and are deep, it’s hard to smooth them out. Your routine is important.
I currently use all the products here and find them to be amazing.
Please, let me know what you think and if you have any questions about my progress and thoughts.
by Gail Ingis | May 19, 2016 | Events, History, News, Technical
Benjamin Moore’s mellow yellow (CC2020-50)
When you plan a room, always remember the available light, both natural and artificial. Natural light is dependent on exposure. That’s why, when choosing paint colors for a room, it’s smart to look at color samples in the actual space and under different lighting conditions.
For the best test, buy a paint color sample and paint a small area on the surface of the wall. Observe how the color looks at different times of the day, in natural and artificial light. Then you will get a sense of what your room will look like throughout the day.
Here are some suggestions from designer and Dabble Magazine Editor in Chief Kimberley Seldon to help you choose the best paint colors for rooms that are exposed to sunlight from the north, south, east, and west. (Note: artificial light will further affect the appearance of colors.)
Northern Exposure
Light from the north is indirect and cool, and can appear gray depending on where you live. To counterbalance this effect, choose a yellow or cream such as Benjamin Moore’s flurry (CC-100), barley (CC-180), or buttermilk (919); and warm, pale pinks and corals like pink moiré (CC-158) and tofino sunset (CC-156) to amplify the sunlight. For me, I had my art studio built with three huge windows to let in the northern light so that I see true color for my paintings. This northern exposure offers the correct light in order to photograph my work for publications. The walls are painted a neutral gray/beige (#969), and the ceiling is a bright white. So if you want a cheery room, the colors suggested here are a good choice. Check them out.
Southern Exposure
Warm southerly light lasts the longest and can become intense at mid-day. A mid-tone color such as lavender lipstick (2072-50) will look fresh in the daytime and become richer at night. Rich blues and greens lose intensity but can appear to glow. Try meadowlands green (2036-40), winter green (2045-60), or serenity (2055-60). Browns appear less somber in southern light. Go for a warm, earthy hue like rich clay brown (2164-30).
Eastern Exposure
Benjamin Moore “Cloud White” and others
Benjamin Moore color “Flurry” whites
Eastern exposure provides bright, yellow light that’s ideal for high-activity rooms like kitchens, playrooms, and family rooms. That’s why the light of the eastern exposure is perfect for a breakfast room. Pale colors look fabulous. Warm pinks, corals, yellows, or whites like pink bliss (2093-70), cloud white (OC-130), snowfall white (OC-118), or milkyway (OC-110) will enhance the light, while cool blues and greens like blue bonnet (2050-70) will temper it. There are a myriad of whites, and they are rarely stark, except for ceilings. Pure white walls can be tiring.
Western Exposure
Green and cream work well in the muted, late afternoon sunlight of a western exposure. Try pairing adam green (2037-40) with mellow yellow (2020-50), or green with envy (2036-30) with marble white (OC-34). Complementary colors, such as green and red, are not quite as garish. Reds appear richer and less flat because they absorb light. A red like warm comfort (2010-20) is a good choice for rooms that require drama and intimacy, such as dining rooms.
Remember also, that the window treatments can shut out the natural light, or admit light, depending on your design choices.
When you choose artificial lighting be aware of the type of bulbs that are available today. They vary in color. The LED’s are usually a perky white light. Lighting today can be dimmed. I always seek out the brightest white light because it keeps your colors crisp. Lighting is another huge subject to discuss. When you want to choose lighting for your home or office, go to a dependable lighting store, for example, here in Connecticut’s Fairfield County, my favorite store is Klaff’s in Norwalk.
Ever since 1969 when I was a student at the New York School of Interior Design, I have been a faithful client of Benjamin Moore Paints. Their paints have stood the test of time. Benjamin Moore reps visited and demonstrated how and when to use their paints to my students at my school, Interior Design Institute, in Woodcliff Lake, NJ, and supplied each student with paint chip books, a valuable tool for interior designers.
| Visit our Colour Gallery to get more room colour scheme ideas. (On-screen colour representations may differ slightly from actual paint colours due to monitor calibration.)
Get more decorating tips from our All About Colour videos featuring Kimberley Seldon. |
by Gail Ingis | May 4, 2016 | Events, History, Technical
Downtown Miami July 4, 2007 — The colors here are analogous, red/white/blue
In the last couple of weeks, my blogs addressed dark tones and color distribution. Color distribution is the industry phrase for the Law of Chromatic Distribution.
In this blog, please note that the discussion is about color basics and its application. The basics are applicable to all the arts, as well as to interior design.
A room is divided up by four areas:
- Dominant Areas—Walls, floor and ceiling
- Medium Areas—Draperies and large upholstered furniture, bedcoverings, etc.
- Small Areas—Small upholstered furniture, chair-seats, pillows, table covers, etc.
- Accents—Piping, welting or fringes on draperies and upholstery, lampstands or shades, pattern motifs in wallpapers and textiles.
Sample of a Monochromatic color distribution
A color scheme is principally formed by the color used in the dominant and medium areas. The colors in the small areas and accents add punch, but are of less importance in the general effect of the composition. They can accentuate the colors used in the larger areas and sometimes help to tie the colors together for unity and harmony.
The basic color schemes: Monochromatic, monotone, complementary, analogous.
Monochromatic bedroom design
A monochromatic color scheme uses a single color on most every room surface. In this type of scheme, various darker shades, grayer tones, and paler tints of the main color may be included in the palette. In addition, the one color is often paired with white or another neutral. For example, a monochromatic room in gray might use single shade of gray paired with white. Yet it might also include dark blue upholstery fabric, pale gray walls, medium gray draperies in contrast with the walls, sometimes edging the draperies with a contrasting fringe or piping and welt the seams of the upholstered pieces in the same manner, also use a patterned area rug that includes both gray and white. The window and door trim as well as the ceiling might be painted in white.
Monotone living room
A monotone color scheme uses a single neutral color, such as gray or taupe, in the same tones, values and intensity. Although it is well unified, to avoid monotony, add accents or create textural variety in fabrics, such as velvet, satin, tweeds, linen, tapestries, etc., or in types of furnishings, such as plexiglass, glass, chrome, bronze, or a variety of exotic woods. This type of color scheme can be elegant by its simplicity. It is useful as a backdrop for art of exceptional merit.
The Night Café, (1888), by Vincent van Gogh, used red and green (complementary) to express what Van Gogh called “the terrible human passions.”
A complementary color scheme uses colors opposite each other on the color wheel, or the complement, such as green and red, blue and orange and purple and yellow. The distribution of these colors would vary in tone and value, as in pale green and soft pink, etc. In this scheme, a more agreeable harmony will be attained if each color is slightly tinged with similar colors to make them more appealing. So in that green and red scheme, it’s more visually appealing if the red is slightly tinged with yellow, (red-russet) and the green is also slightly tinged with yellow (citron). Or if the red is on the blue side (re-mulberry) the green should also be on the blue side (green-slate). For color
Impression, Sunrise by Claude Monet (1872) featured a tiny but vivid orange sun against a blue background (complementary). The painting gave its name to the Impressionist movement.
harmony, the same principle should be applied to the other complementary schemes and the proper color may be easily selected by inspecting the color wheel. Here’s a great website for you to explore about complementary colors: http://color-wheel-artist.com/complementary-colors.html.
Color wheel 1908
Color wheel
And for my artist colleagues, please note in the color circles what happens when you mix two complementary colors together on your palette. The three primaries when mixed with their secondary colors (complementary colors) all do the same thing, they neutralize each other. Yet, placed side-by-side they intensify each other. The color schemes can also be used in your paintings.
Analogous interior-resource, Pinterest
An analogous color scheme are any three adjoining hues in a 12 color wheel, or any three of six adjoining colors in a wheel of 24, as in the Miami fireworks image above. The colors can be used in any tonal or chromatic (intensity) values, as long as the law of chromatic distribution is maintained, (medium intensity on the dominant areas, etc.). In this type of scheme the colors close to each other always harmonize well. Using three colors of mutual tonal relationship is the safest selection. To avoid monotony, tonal variety is helpful, and it’s usually better to use one of the tones to dominate the others, by limiting the color of the walls to one color and repeat in small accents in other areas.
Pinterest illustration of analogous color scheme. Any three colors from a 12 or 24 color wheel.
A basic color scheme will use two colors that look appealing together. More advanced color schemes involve several related colors in “Analogous” combination, for example, text with such colors as red, yellow, and orange arranged together on a black background in a magazine article. The addition of light blue creates an “Accented Analogous” color scheme.
There is much to explore in the color world, but hopefully, this blog gives you some understanding about how to color your life! Feel free to ask questions . . .
Fireworks: By Averette at English Wikipedia – Digital photo taken by Marc Averette.Transferred from en.Wikipedia; en:File:Miamifireworks.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10573309
by Gail Ingis | Apr 20, 2016 | Events, History, Short Story, Technical
Tonal Values B/W
“Horrors.” Scarlet said as she turned to her friend with her hand covering her mouth. “Why did Jack and Jill choose those colors?”
“Truth tell, they loved purple and white with yellow accents,” said Sandy.
“But, everything—the walls, ceiling and floor are that deep, dark eggplant, which is too much of a gorgeous color. There’s only white and yellow pillows on the dark purple sofa, why didn’t they ask someone to help?”asked Scarlet.
“Dang, it’s so dark in here, they must be planning a Halloween party. Don’t you think?” asked Sandy.
It happens. You love a color but have no idea how to distribute what you love in your environment.
So . . . Here’s the scoop.
Five Tonal Values
There are basic color schemes that you can pick from. Complementary Scheme, Monochromatic Scheme, Monotone Scheme, Neutral and One-Color Scheme and Analogous Schemes.
There are considerations in choosing. Understand the light in the spaces throughout your home and how the room will be used. What’s your home’s exposure? What is your natural light? You know, the light from outside. Eastern exposure gets the cool morning sun. Western exposure gets the warm afternoon sun. Southern exposure gets the hot sun all day long, even in the winter it’s uncomfortable to have sun beating into your space from sun up to sundown. Northern exposure gets no sun. For example, I built an art studio with three huge windows where the northern light spills into the space. It’s cool and restful, and gives me true interpretation of color for my paintings. It also gives me great light to photograph my work, also great to portrait paint with a live model and set up my own lights.
Light
Of course the amount of natural light in a space depends on the position, number, and size of the windows. Natural light is white. Sunny rooms will be warmer than northern exposure offers. Then of course the windows treatment also affects the light penetration, as well as adjoining buildings, foliage. If natural light is minimal, and you want a cheerful effect, then the principal colors for walls and ceiling should be light in tonal values (usually an 8 or 9 value if possible). See the black and white charts for tonal values. Upholstery materials and color accents may be slightly darker and brighter. Darker tones on the walls (value 4 or less) are possible to use if the character of the room calls for them, but finish in semi-gloss for light reflections that maintain luminosity. If the room lacks natural light, brighter colors will tend to neutralize, toning the colors down. Also be aware that natural light reduces the size of your retina, which darkens and neutralizes the colors.
Chart white to black (same tonal values apply to color)
Fundamental distribution of tonal values; light ceiling, medium walls, and dark floors. What we enjoy in our exterior environment, sky, foliage and earth. Of course there are variations and exceptions. A popular concept in contemporary spaces are dark walls and light floors.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightness
Color Tone-all colors
“They should call an interior designer to help them,” said Scarlet.
“I agree, but maybe they are happy. Who is going to tell them?”
“Uh oh, not me.”
“Me either.”
“I have an idea,” said Scarlet.
“Let’s have them over for tea and ask if they are happy with their decorating colors. We can say the colors are nice, but don’t you find it too dark?”
“Nice is a poorly chosen adjective.”
Avant Garde – One of the four themes in The Mansion at Sofitel Macau. Notice the luminosity and tonal distributions.
Are you inspired?
To be continued . . .
by Gail Ingis | Apr 6, 2016 | History, News, Technical
Tunnel Loop
It was the year AD 975 when the word ‘purple’ first appeared in the English language. Purple is a range of hues of color occurring between red and blue. In additive light combinations it occurs by mixing the primary colors red and blue in varying proportions. It is a secondary color because two colors (blue and red) make up this color.
Kristan’s Shoes
In color theory, a ‘purple’ is defined as any non-spectral color between violet and red (excluding violet and red themselves).The spectral colors violet and indigo are not purples according to color theory but they are purples according to common English usage since they are between red and blue.
Color wheel
In art, purple is the color on the color wheel between magenta and violet and its tints and shades.
Royalty
The color purple’s ties to kings and queens date back to ancient world, where it was prized for its bold hues and often reserved for the upper crust. The Persian king Cyrus adopted a purple tunic as his royal uniform, and some Roman emperors forbid their citizens from wearing purple clothing under penalty of death. Purple was especially revered in the Byzantine Empire. Its rulers wore flowing purple robes and signed their edicts in purple ink, and their children were described as being “born in the purple.”
The reason for purple’s regal reputation comes down to a simple case of supply and demand. For centuries, the purple dye trade was centered in the ancient Phoenician city of Tyre in modern day Lebanon. The Phoenicians’ “Tyrian purple” came from a species of sea snail now known as Bolinus brandaris, and it was so exceedingly rare that it became worth its weight in gold. To harvest it, dye-makers had to crack open the snail’s shell, extract a purple-producing mucus and expose it to sunlight for a precise amount of time. It took as many as 250,000 mollusks to yield just one ounce of usable dye, but the result was a vibrant and long-lasting shade of purple.
Happy combo colors
Clothes made from the dye were exorbitantly expensive—a pound of purple wool cost more than most people earned in a year—so they naturally became the calling card of the rich and powerful. It also didn’t hurt that Tyrian purple was said to resemble the color of clotted blood—a shade that supposedly carried divine connotations. The royal class’ purple monopoly finally waned after the fall of the Byzantine empire in the 15th century, but the color didn’t become more widely available until the 1850s, when the first synthetic dyes hit the market.
This Z-chair made in Lucite allows light to pass through creating value varieties
One interesting psychophysical feature of purple and violet that can be used to separate them is their appearance with increasing light intensity. As the intensity increases, violet appears to take on a far more blue hue as a result of what is known as the Bezold-Brücke shift. The same increase in blueness is not noted in purples.
Lüscher says about violet, The mentally mature will normally prefer one of the basic colors rather than violet. Basic being red, blue and yellow. The mentally and emotionally immature on the other hand, may prefer violet. He goes on to say, in the case of 1600 pre-adolescent school children, 75% preferred violet. Statistics embracing Iranians, Africans and Brazilian Indians showed a marked preference for this color as compared with Euro-Caucasians.
Benjamin Moore colors
Through my years in design, I have found that this statement is more cultural than emotional. In my old standby text, Interior Design and Decoration by Sherrill Whiton, in the chapter Psychology of Color, Psychologists maintain that color preferences are determined by geographical location, religion and socioeconomic background.
Common connotations of purple include royalty, imperialism, nobility, Lent, Easter, Mardi Gras.
Wikipedia is a great purple resource!
What are your thoughts on the color purple? Do you surround yourself with purple? Do you wear purple? Would you like purple hair, or a streak of purple hair?
by Gail Ingis | Mar 30, 2016 | Events, History, News, Technical
Beauty Therapist
It’s good for women and good for men too. Be happy with beautiful hair-free skin, the skin you’ve always dreamed of. I so believe this is the way to rid yourself of unwanted face and body hair, I decided to write about it today. It’s all about electrolysis, permanent hair removal. With electrolysis, little-by-little the hair follicles disappear. I have been visiting an electrologist for as long as hair appeared on my face, hair that would be better on my hubby’s face, not mine. My visits after treatment dwindled in frequency, now I go only yearly, or if I see one hair, I do not tweeze, I usually visit my electrologist.
Rita Hayworth before-after-hairline-electrolysis
I know there are other methods of hair removal, but I know that none, I mean none, are permanent. Only electrolysis is permanent. Recently, after being with my electrologist for the last fifteen years, she, Fatima, decided to go back to school. I had to find someone new. Today’s recommendation came from my hair salon, Karen Kolenda, State Licensed Electrologist, who’s office is at the Brick Walk in Fairfield, CT. Karen has good hands. We talked before the treatment when she asked if I ever had electrolysis, and yes, I had. I knew what to expect, and was pleased that it was exactly as I expected. Her office is clean and, although small, is well layed out and comfortable.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Charles Michel was an
American ophthalmologist best known for publishing the first clinical report of successful
electrology in 1875. Michel was practicing in St. Louis, Missouri, when he began using a battery-powered needle epilator to treat trichiasis (ingrown eyelashes) in 1869. This direct current–powered method was called electrolysis because a chemical reaction in the hair follicle causes sodium hydroxide to form, which damages the follicle. Electrolysis is also sometimes called galvanic electrolysis.
Do not fear the use of the fine probe that gives off a small amount of electrical current to destroy the hair root permanently without puncturing or harming the skin. The current is adjustable for your comfort, and feels like a pin prick. Some areas are more sensitive than others, but as I mentioned, the current is adjustable and can be lessened.
One of my friends, a young woman, began shaving her facial hair, and now, she has to shave everyday. All methods, except electrolysis, causes the hair to thicken and grow deeper. Facial hair does seem to begin to be prevalent when a woman’s hormones begin to change, usually in the late forties or early fifties.
For more answers to your questions, you can call Karen or visit her. It is not expensive to do this. I usually only need 15 minutes, that cost me today $28 cash or check. So worth every penny. Less than a manicure.
Karen Kolenda Gregory, Suite !-5 Downstairs at the Brick Walk, 1275 Post Road, Fairfield, CT 06824, 203-254-2480.
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