ColorPlay Pitcher

Grass Valley Pitcher
Grass Valley Pitcher

I saw this pitcher at an antique store in Grass Valley. Along with the green glass in the background, I thought it would make an interesting ColorPlay. There still aren’t very many colors, but the greens are varied, which makes them somewhat interesting.

I have no idea what time period this pitcher is from, but I imagine it is the pitcher from a wash basin set. I didn’t see the basin anywhere, but I also didn’t look very hard.

ColorPlay March 31-default
ColorPlay March 31-default

I settled down with the Palette Builder by Play-Crafts and got to work. The first palette, the default, was predictably neutral.

It is a mystery to me how so little of this palette can be green. I know our eyes are much more finely tuned than any kind of technology, but still. It is so strange how these default palettes gravitate towards the neutral.

Onward.

ColorPlay March 31 n.1
ColorPlay March 31 n.1

I had to try and get some joy with those greens. I was really curious to know what the various greens were in Quiltlandia.

In the second palette, you can see that I moved the circles around to every green I possibly could.

My palette is pretty green and I am pretty happy with the choices. I think the Kona Spruce does a pretty good rendition of the green of the pitcher.

ColorPlay March 31 n.2
ColorPlay March 31 n.2

I decided to be ornery and see what kind of palette I could come up with that had no green. Predictably (or just my luck): neutrals.

This is actually a pretty sophisticated palette. It would make a great palette for a house you wanted to sell. I can see a realtor choosing this palette for a house s/he was about to list. I think the Kona Pearl Pink and the Kona Ivory keep it from being too neutral.

ColorPlay March31 n.3
ColorPlay March31 n.3

That was fun, but I decided to get back to the greens. I wasn’t very successful, because there are only so many spaces in the photo and a limited number of greens. I came up with a slightly – very slightly – different palette from the one above.

There is some overlap in the greens, but they are in different places in the picture. This is about the time I start thinking I am getting towards the end of the exercise.

Next, I decided to try to capture that gold. It was an interesting challenge that resulted in more neutrals.

That Kona Cinnamon is interesting. I am not sure I have seen it before. I couldn’t get a good white, but I was able to tease out Kona Cotton Cream, another nice pinky shade, and Kona Oyster, which tends towards the greys.

I would never make a quilt with these colors, but it is interesting.

ColorPlay March 31 n.5
ColorPlay March 31 n.5

Finally, more neutrals. What else is there to say?

This palette tends towards the grey. I think it also might reflect the truest palette, if comparing the photograph and the palette with a quick look.

Let me know if you make anything with any of these palettes.