A small pause

We’re taking a small pause with The Colour Diaries while we think about how to move it forward. It will continue to exist in its present form for a while – there’s a lot of material that was gathered during Stig’s residency that we we want to post so keep an eye for that but we’re also talking about how to take the whole thing forward. If you’ve got any thoughts please leave them in the comments below we’d love to hear them. If you’re a web developer and you’ve enjoyed this blog (or you know one) we’d be particularly interested in having a chat.

A big thanks to everybody that commented on the blog, or Facebook or tweeted about us. The response was great and we’re excited about what the future might bring.

Colour of the day no. 25 – Caput mortuum

Colour of the day no 25 - Caput mortuum

Caput Mortuum Traditionally associated with a synthetic reddish purple pigment derived from Iron Oxide. The term was originally used in the 17^th Century by alchemists referring to the ‘worthless’ residue left after experiments. Paints derived from it include Venetian Red and Spanish Brown. Today, in non pigment form we would probably call it ‘rust’ .

We’d love to know via the comments below what Caput mortuum reminds you of or makes you think about. We’re also running a weekly competition where people can re-name a colour. If you had to re-name this colour, what would you call it? There will be a weekly prize of a pot of paint containing the colour and labelled with your new name and a £10 Amazon voucher.

Colour of the day

Throughout the Brighton Festival a colour of the day will be displayed in Fabrica and on this blog. To help decide which colour to choose we asked Anne Wight who is a grapheme synaesthete. This is a form of synaesthesia in which an individual’s perception of numbers and letters is associated with an experience of colour.

Like all forms of synaesthesia, grapheme-colour synaesthesia is involuntary, consistent, and memorable and is one of the most common forms of synaesthesia. Generally, while it is extremely unlikely that any two synaesthetes will report the same colours for all letters and numbers, studies of large numbers of synaesthetes find that there are some commonalities across letters.

We have chosen colours/pigments/paints for each day loosely based the colours she sees for the dates of May’s Festival.

Colour of the day no. 24 – Cadbury purple

Colour of the day no 24 - Cadbury purple

Cadbury Purple

The company, founded in Birmingham in 1824, is fiercely protective of its ‘Cadbury Purple’, or Pantone 2685C as it is known at the Patent Office. The company adopted the colour in 1905, thinking that its regal associations would send out the message that eating its chocolate was a rich and indulgent experience.

We’d love to know via the comments below what Cadbury purple reminds you of or makes you think about. We’re also running a weekly competition where people can re-name a colour. If you had to re-name this colour, what would you call it? There will be a weekly prize of a pot of paint containing the colour and labelled with your new name and a £10 Amazon voucher.

Colour of the day

Throughout the Brighton Festival a colour of the day will be displayed in Fabrica and on this blog. To help decide which colour to choose we asked Anne Wight who is a grapheme synaesthete. This is a form of synaesthesia in which an individual’s perception of numbers and letters is associated with an experience of colour.

Like all forms of synaesthesia, grapheme-colour synaesthesia is involuntary, consistent, and memorable and is one of the most common forms of synaesthesia. Generally, while it is extremely unlikely that any two synaesthetes will report the same colours for all letters and numbers, studies of large numbers of synaesthetes find that there are some commonalities across letters.

We have chosen colours/pigments/paints for each day loosely based the colours she sees for the dates of May’s Festival.

Colour of the day no. 23 – Pallid vinaceous drab

Colour of the day no 23 Pallid vinaceous drab

Pallid vinaceous drab

Pallid vinaceous drab Is a specific name listed in the Dictionary of Colour Names published by National Bureau of Standards in the 1950’s as a way of describing colour universally. The name comes under the general colour term ‘Pale Purplish Pink’. Other names under the same heading are Glow, Dignity, Heavenly Orchid, Pouf de Vent, Séance, Bluish Pink, Lilacinus, and Personal.

We’d love to know via the comments below what Pallid vinaceous drab reminds you of or makes you think about. We’re also running a weekly competition where people can re-name a colour. If you had to re-name this colour, what would you call it? There will be a weekly prize of a pot of paint containing the colour and labelled with your new name and a £10 Amazon voucher.

Colour of the day

Throughout the Brighton Festival a colour of the day will be displayed in Fabrica and on this blog. To help decide which colour to choose we asked Anne Wight who is a grapheme synaesthete. This is a form of synaesthesia in which an individual’s perception of numbers and letters is associated with an experience of colour.

Like all forms of synaesthesia, grapheme-colour synaesthesia is involuntary, consistent, and memorable and is one of the most common forms of synaesthesia. Generally, while it is extremely unlikely that any two synaesthetes will report the same colours for all letters and numbers, studies of large numbers of synaesthetes find that there are some commonalities across letters.

We have chosen colours/pigments/paints for each day loosely based the colours she sees for the dates of May’s Festival.

Colour of the day no. 22 – Ultramarine

Colour of the day no 22 - Ultramarine

Ultramarine

The name derives from Latin ‘ultramarinus’ meaning ‘beyond the sea’ as it was imported from Asia by sea. The naturally occurring Lapis Lazuli is mined in Afghanistan. During the 1880s and early 1900s, it was mined by the “fire-set” method: large fires were kindled at the tunnel face and then quenched with water. The sudden cooling caused the rock face to shatter, simplifying the removal of the ore.

We’d love to know via the comments below what Ultramarine reminds you of or makes you think about. We’re also running a weekly competition where people can re-name a colour. If you had to re-name this colour, what would you call it? There will be a weekly prize of a pot of paint containing the colour and labelled with your new name and a £10 Amazon voucher.

Colour of the day

Throughout the Brighton Festival a colour of the day will be displayed in Fabrica and on this blog. To help decide which colour to choose we asked Anne Wight who is a grapheme synaesthete. This is a form of synaesthesia in which an individual’s perception of numbers and letters is associated with an experience of colour.

Like all forms of synaesthesia, grapheme-colour synaesthesia is involuntary, consistent, and memorable and is one of the most common forms of synaesthesia. Generally, while it is extremely unlikely that any two synaesthetes will report the same colours for all letters and numbers, studies of large numbers of synaesthetes find that there are some commonalities across letters.

We have chosen colours/pigments/paints for each day loosely based the colours she sees for the dates of May’s Festival.

Colour of the day no. 21 – Undark

Colour of the day no 21 - Undark

Undark
Undark was a trade name for luminous paint made from radioactive radium and zinc sulfide, produced by the U.S. Radium Corporation between 1917 and 1938. It was used primarily in watch dials. The people working in the industry who applied the radioactive paint became known as Radium Girls, because many of them became ill and some died from exposure to the radiation emitted by the paint. Undark was also available as a kit for general consumer use and marketed as glow-in-the-dark paint.

We’d love to know via the comments below what Undark reminds you of or makes you think about. We’re also running a weekly competition where people can re-name a colour. If you had to re-name this colour, what would you call it? There will be a weekly prize of a pot of paint containing the colour and labelled with your new name and a £10 Amazon voucher.

Colour of the day

Throughout the Brighton Festival a colour of the day will be displayed in Fabrica and on this blog. To help decide which colour to choose we asked Anne Wight who is a grapheme synaesthete. This is a form of synaesthesia in which an individual’s perception of numbers and letters is associated with an experience of colour.

Like all forms of synaesthesia, grapheme-colour synaesthesia is involuntary, consistent, and memorable and is one of the most common forms of synaesthesia. Generally, while it is extremely unlikely that any two synaesthetes will report the same colours for all letters and numbers, studies of large numbers of synaesthetes find that there are some commonalities across letters.

We have chosen colours/pigments/paints for each day loosely based the colours she sees for the dates of May’s Festival.

Colour of the day no. 20 – Falu red

Colour of the day no 20 - Falu red

Falu Red

The most famous red paint for painting wooden houses in Sweden is Falu Red Paint. The name, Genuine Falun Red Paint is registered and protected by law and may only be used for paint containing pigment from the Falun mine, which is two hours north of Stockholm.

We’d love to know via the comments below what Falu red reminds you of or makes you think about. We’re also running a weekly competition where people can re-name a colour. If you had to re-name this colour, what would you call it? There will be a weekly prize of a pot of paint containing the colour and labelled with your new name and a £10 Amazon voucher.

Colour of the day

Throughout the Brighton Festival a colour of the day will be displayed in Fabrica and on this blog. To help decide which colour to choose we asked Anne Wight who is a grapheme synaesthete. This is a form of synaesthesia in which an individual’s perception of numbers and letters is associated with an experience of colour.

Like all forms of synaesthesia, grapheme-colour synaesthesia is involuntary, consistent, and memorable and is one of the most common forms of synaesthesia. Generally, while it is extremely unlikely that any two synaesthetes will report the same colours for all letters and numbers, studies of large numbers of synaesthetes find that there are some commonalities across letters.

We have chosen colours/pigments/paints for each day loosely based the colours she sees for the dates of May’s Festival.