Hate Mail for Greige
Dear Greige,
As you know, this color recession, the cultural shift away from well-defined hues to neutral palettes, is nothing new. Cars litter the roads in their uniform greys, whites, and blacks; homes have found a homogenous aesthetic by following Kim Kardashian’s favorite shades of greige and fashion runways now allow you to bleed into our everyday wear. You must be proud. And to validate your hard work, in the beginning of the year, Pantone announced its color of the year: Cloud Dancer, a version of white that they call: “A whisper of tranquility and peace in a noisy world.” Had I not been going through my own bouts of depression at that time, I probably would have blown my head through the nearest wall because white is literally achromatic but more abhorrently, it was a tone deaf choice to define a year where “peace and tranquility” seemed possible only for the likes of Kim K and the rest of the 1%.
Pantone Color of the Year
You, Griege, are the symbol for this colorless culture rooted in the pursuit of capital gain: We buy our cars and maintain our houses with their resale value at top of mind. I can’t help but laugh at your attempt to elevate yourself with names like “drift of mist,” “gossamer veil,” or “heron plume, all for various tints, tones, and shades of beige. You market yourself as timeless. I only see monotony. I have a feeling you haven’t studied the vast array of whites long enough to know which will capture a perfect snowy landscape at dusk. Instead, you are the apathy of precalculated ratios of commercial grade paint to create spaces that attempt to appease everyone yet bring joy to no one, reflecting a sad truth about our current humanity.
Sherwin Williams Top 50 Interior Colors, 2026
Your omnipresence represents a numbness to our senses. With depression sweeping across the nation, it’s no wonder sensory impairment is associated with color blindness. I find it so concerning that the only color we are guaranteed to experience exists primarily in the screens on our phones. Life wasn’t always like this: the 50s were decorated in pastels, seafoam green refrigerators and Barbie pink convertibles. In the 80s people dressed in wild neons and in the 2000s my first iPod nano came in an array of eight different colors. When I looked through the aesthetics that defined previous decades, I felt distraught to see the 2020s represented in weak pale beiges completely vacant of any saturated pigment to assure that blood still flows. Where is the expression of self, of joy, of individuality? What else, Greige, do you plan to drain?
1950s style kitchen
Color is identity and just like ourselves, is meant to be studied. My creative work is never vacant of this element and what I love so much about it is the challenge of finding the perfect blend and arrangement of hues. Throughout the process, I sometimes find myself adding an experimental color to a mixture of paint and then like magic, it creates an unexpected depth and richness I would not have found otherwise. It does not happen every time, but when it does I am reminded that the risk in experimentation is always worth it. And in my pattern work, I am always so curious to see how my collection of chosen colors will interact, which one needs to be brought to the forefront and which need to support and complement to change the desired perception of the overall hue from an aerial view.
We are the same as these colors: we blend, we complement, we support. We can find different versions of ourselves within different people and environments; we can find depth and richness within ourselves when seeking unexpected outcomes. When selling my work at markets, I love seeing people connect to the colors before them. They see the duality of themselves in the soft pinks against cool teals, and the boldness of their confidence in the potent oranges and their steadfastness within the earthy greens. While our interaction is brief, I am able to learn a little about them; I feel their energies and sense their affinities. Color connects us to each other and outside of ourselves. By muting yourself, Greige, I have to ask, what human soul are you manifesting? I am so curious to know where you find the vulnerability and dynamism within yourself.
As the season begins to change this month, I am going to make a point to step out and away from you and submerge myself in the changes in color outside and watch as the leaves turn from green to yellow to orange to red. I am going to revel in the colors of all the gourds and fruits of the season, and indulge with absolute hedonism in their luscious hues that sprout from the dirt. As I do, I want you to look out from the windows that line the walls behind you, and ask yourself this: on a cloudless night, would the sun dare ask the sky, ‘now how about a sunset in beige tonight?’ and has the earth ever told a flower, ‘let’s sprout in greys this spring?’ Until you find your answer, I don’t believe you are here to stay.
If you’re looking to explore a little color in your life, I have been loving this color dictionary for a quick consult.
From the notebook
Familiarizing myself with the main subject for a new painting. It’ll be the largest one yet: 36×48. Looking at the progress I’ve made so far, I imagine this will take me quite some time. Stay tuned.
WIP
Media Musings
“Pay-What-You Want’ Defies Logic, Confuses Economists, and Can Really Work” I tried out my own pay-what-you-can model with some of my second tier ceramic pieces at a market last month and had mixed feelings about it. Everyone was hilariously sheepish (“how does this work?” “is ten dollars okay?”) and others picked up piece after piece testing me if $5 would ever offend. I’d like to give it another shot, though I can’t say it was a winning or terribly profitable experience.
Does it Take a Twisted Mind to Write Twisted Stories? While quite direct and a bit pretentious, I appreciated Harlan Coben’s opinions on creative practice. Of course his advice is always easier said than done, but at the end of the day, just get to it!
Creating the Perfect Female Monster After listening to this episode, I gave Furious a try and LOVED it. Amazing performances by both leads and so many scenes left me nostalgic for the best seasons of Killing Eve.
Upcoming
Come get an early start to your holiday shopping! This may be the only seasonal market I do to allow time for personal projects this winter!
November 6-8 at the Minneapolis Convention Center
September whereabouts
Staying snug in the cold
All cleaned up
Elevated booth set up
Market boredom in black
Stuck in the skyways
