A Spectrum of Color: Kristin Gibson

Last Friday was featured artist Kristin Gibson's painting demo and open house!

It was my first time to watch Kristin at work and I was just one of a captive audience gathered to witness her artistic genius. I own one of Kristin's paintings and it is one of my most cherished pieces of art! Her unique and vibrant paintings can bring everyday objects to life and make an onion an object of inspiration and awe. Now I truly understand what she means when she says "Truth is, I paint the way I cook - not afraid to mix a little of this, with a little of that."

I am truly sorry if you missed her demo but luckily I do have a few pictures to share with you!






































The finished painting "Spectrum of Vegetables" at Spectrum!












Nancy Noel May, our resident scarf tying expert, also did a scarf tying demo with the gorgeous new silk scarves Kristin brought in. Come in anytime and we will show you endless ways to transform any outfit with one of Kristin's stunning silk scarves (which by the way are hand-washable, perfect for all year round, fit easily in any purse and are absolute necessities for all vacations!)
They were all so beautiful, I couldn't make up my mind, so I just decided to wear all of them!


Come in this month to see the special collection of her new work in all sizes and price ranges. You can check out her work on our website.

At Spectrum it is our mission to make life more beautiful, and Kristin is a major contributor in achieving our goal. We are so lucky to have Kristin as a friend and fellow artist.

Thanks Kristin!

-Taylor

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"Taylor's Take" on Tangerine Tango and Spessartite Garnets

So what is "Taylor's Take" exactly you may ask?

"Taylor's Take" is a weekly post devoted to Art and Jewelry at Spectrum that I am tempted to take home with me! It's a chance for me to tell you why I love certain pieces and to share some knowledge about gemstones, fashion, art and more. I'm sharing my "take" on items with you in hope that we can take a few moments each week to drool over art together and learn a few things along the way!

This week I am focusing on a new Starsong necklace that Nancy just made! It's a vibrant mix of colored Sapphires and Spessartite Garnets. You can see me wearing it to the right with a hand-painted silk scarf by Kristin Gibson!

I chose this necklace because of it's color. The 2012 color of the year is Tangerine Tango, a beautiful orange hue that marries the vivaciousness of red with the friendliness of yellow. Spessartite Garnets are a perfect gemstone to achieve a look incorporating Tangerine Tango. There is a Spessartite found in Nambia that produces a rich and tangy orange color that has come to be known as "mandarin" garnet (we have some stunning ones at Spectrum). Not all garnets are found in this warm, glowing, orangy hue. Garnets are found in variations of almost every color. To read more about Garnets you can check out my blog post January Birthstone: Garnet. There are many other gemstones that can be used to achieve this tangerine look: Carnelian, Citrine, Tourmaline, Sapphire, Fire Opal and more.

This mix of fancy pink, orange and yellow sapphires adds dazzling sparkle to the Spessartite Garnet stations. The faceted vermeil accent beads tie the vermeil coin pendant into the design.

This dainty but dazzling necklace is perfect for spring and summer because of it's comfortable, lightweight feel and bright, sunny color. It can be dressed up to accent your lovely summer dresses or dressed down for everyday shorts and a tank.

So what colors should you pair with it? There is no one right answer but when considering pairing colors there are a few things to consider.

You can create a vibrant look by pairing complementary colors, especially when the colors are at their full saturation. Complementary colors are opposite each other on the color wheel (red and green, blue and orange, purple and yellow). At first glance these colors may seem like they don't go together at all, but combined well they can create a stunning outfit. But these colors schemes must be managed well so that they are not too jarring. It's best to use one as a pop of color. For example adding this necklace to a blue blouse and white pants could add a nice pop of color to a summery outfit (making the orange "pop" verses wearing blue jewelry that just blends in). With the invention of jeans, blue has become almost a neutral color making it one of the easiest colors to pair. When first trying to couple complementary colors it is easier to start with blue and orange until you get comfortable (verses say red and green because of it's automatic association to Christmas). (Notice I paired the necklace with a blue silk scarf in my picture.)

Another way of pairing colors is to use an analogous color scheme. These are colors that are beside each other on the color wheel. For example orange, yellow-orange and yellow. These colors are often found together in nature, they are harmonious, comfortable, serene and pleasing to the eye. Be careful to have enough contrast when pairing analogous colors or your ensemble will be too plain. Choose one of the colors as the dominant hue, the second to support and the third as an accent. Pairing this necklace and a few other orange accents with a pink dress making a yellowy-orange and pink mix would be beautiful!

So are you ready to go to your closet and start pairing new outfits for spring? I am! I look forward to helping you find the perfect accents and pops of color for your bright and beautiful new outfits!

-Taylor