Category Archives: TEXTILES

BEET RED Linen’s deep crimson burrows through Joan Mitchell’s paintings like the roots of an ancient tree, twisting and turning with a live, pulsating energy. Leader in the second generation of Abstract Expressionists throughout the 1950s, Mitchell pioneered a daring and adventurous approach to painting, allowing wild tangles of paint to become dense networks of…

FRENCH LILAC is soft, delicate and mysterious, conveying foggy skies or pale shadows flickering on the surface of water. Artists over the years have introduced this subtle, enigmatic colour into their art to bring in layers of poetic meaning, or even just a hint of tart freshness. Three very different artists who demonstrate the potent,…

Cold, calm and fresh, HEDGE GREEN is the colour of fresh summer herbs or sprinkled sunlight catching the tops of trees. Its soft, hazy undertones make this colour a surprisingly versatile choice that can be worked into a range of colour pathways. Next to vivid bright hues it is as cool and fresh as a…

Cool and dark with just a hint of green, BLUE APATITE is a mysterious, naturalistic colour that has dominated some of the most famous artworks in the world. We particularly see this teal blue crop up in the art of many modernist artists, from the Impressionists to the Fauvists and the Abstract Expressionists. More often…

Raoul Dufy’s art was a celebration of life, in all its stunning, technicolour glory. He painted with light, airy brushstrokes and intense colours like MEDITERRANEAN BLUE, illustrating boundless optimism and the endless days of lazy, sunlit summer. Dufy spent much of his career painting along the Mediterranean coastlines of France, and his paintings capture the…

Agnes Martin’s shimmering, Minimalist abstractions are infused with pale, crystalline light, capturing the indistinct atmosphere of half-forgotten memories. Soft, baby blues like LIGHT BLUE were a recurring feature in her art, suggesting hazy, distant skies opening out across an imaginary (or half-remembered) horizon. She demonstrates how this colour is striking and commanding enough to be…

Crisp, clear and direct, the bold colour of ROYAL BLUE has fascinated artists for centuries. Artists have become obsessive about this shade of blue, returning to it again and again for its ability to add dramatic tension and theatrical impact to their art. Those who have fallen for this colour’s spell have realised this shade…

ARCTIC linen’s dark turquoise is loaded with associations, from the azure blue of a sunlit sky to the slippery surface of still, frozen water. Artists throughout the centuries have embraced this sharp, icy colour for its ability to bring passages of crisp cold freshness into their art. But there is also a deeper, emotive potential…

PURPLE HEART is as fresh and bright as a bloom of flowers, and its eye-catching hue can completely transform the colours around it. The shade’s vivid, eye-popping brightness has made it a particular favourite among many modern and contemporary artists, who enjoy exploring how it can create an immediately arresting visual effect. Today we will…

With its dark, warm and inviting shade of red, AUBURN is a firm favourite among artists old and new. Perhaps this is because it is a curious, chameleonic colour that can shift and change, depending on the shades and hues around it. Auburn is earthy in amongst vivid, bright hues, while black and dark blue…