Sunday, January 31, 2016

Hunting Purange


Stalking the elusive purange ...


In starting a painting recently, I heard myself say:

“I’m looking for…a particular color for this spot…a warm tone, but not too warm…maybe a cooler version of warm…looking for a purple, but not quite a purple…warmer than that…


Too orange for violet -
 ...I’m looking for a purple-y orange – or an orange-y purple.”


same stick of pastel, too violet for orange

I'm looking for  purange!

Those Francophiles among you might pronounce it puhr-ahnj. 


"Purange" is what I'm calling that mysterious stick of pastel I grabbed to indicate "road" in this piece. The name will have to do; over time the paper wrapping has fallen off - that would be the wrapping that indicates manufacturer, pigment and other helpful tidbits that are useful for identifying and reordering. 

Gee what a good idea to have all that information right at my fingertips! 
"First Light", the painting I created using purange, is nearly done. It may indeed be one of a kind, the identity of that pastel stick used to create that gorgeous orangey purple area toward the bottom of the road that I find so lovely is unkown. 


Unknown. Not violet, not orange. In the middle. Unknowable. Once that stick is gone...it's gone. 

5 comments:

Unknown said...

What a shame for it to be gone forever-it's such a calming, peaceful color, this purange!!! If only the pastel makers had those color scanners and formulas like the wall paint stores!!

Patty said...

Oh!!! What a good idea!!! Yowza Deb, you've missed your calling!

Patty said...

What a sweetie! I can tell you it was originally round rather than square. Middle value. Last seen hanging around with the violets.

Pastel Chris said...

the color is called caput mortum, and depending on size, its either a unison or I know art spectrum has a stick very very similar, as did WN, which now are defunct. and its a very lovely useful color indeedy!

Patty said...

Yes!! I think you're right!! Or at least very close. I'm fairly certain it's a Great American, the color is called Dead Head. Or a GA called Dragon's Blood.
Nice call Chris!