Friday, January 25, 2008

I've become beige




When we were first dating, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, I remarked to my husband that everything he owned was beige. His is an engineer-beige is the national color of engineering. He's not a beige person. He's colorful and funny and best of all, he loves me like a rock(earworm). As I dig my way through the fabric detritus of my life and work to date I have come to the awful realization that I have now become beige. Beige walls,beige floors, beige backgrounds, beige borders, wow...what the hell happened to my artistic spirit and when did I get to be so boringly safe. Granted, pale colors often punch up the surrounding colors but geeez louise, I'm sick of myself. It's probably the time of year as well. If it's not beige, it's gray.

The main reason is this. Hop on over to Jan at Be'mused, go ahead I'll wait.....Jeopardy music......See the gorgeous house blocks with the cheddar yellow sky. How cool is that anyway? Granted, Jan is a genius with color and it flows from her like a rainbow, but why Oh WHY can't I get back my color muse. I must be bold and go where I have not gone before(for a while). I must remember that there are many shades and pigments and even hundreds of shades of...gasp...beige. Some where in the last few years I got stuck in the netherworld that lurks between art and craft. I wanted to make things that worked in my house and as gifts for like-minded friends back then and I was hit over the head by the Coloring-in-the-lines Fairy. I've really got to get that bitch off my back. I, too, can imagine cheddar skies and Kaffe-like backgrounds. Is it because I'm lazy AND afraid? I think some of that is true as well. I am taking the no-beige pledge for my next piece. I will drown that awful Fairy in color. Stay tuned!
P.S. Still no thread-beige or otherwise.
Still more blah....

12 comments:

Dorothy said...

"the Coloring-in-the-lines Fairy. I've really got to get that bitch off my back." HA! Yes, you do. She's a big'un though, so it might take some work. But when she's gone, oh! the joy!

Look again at that picture from yesterday. Do THAT.

Anonymous said...

Boy, can I feel your pain right now. Maybe it IS the winter blahs, but between Jan and Barbara at "Thinking Out Loud" (see her "Size Matters" post), I realize how drab I've gotten lately. I don't exactly need stash, but I couldn't help buying some really wild colors recently--love that cheddar and got some poison green and very aggressive turquoise. Maybe now that I have the colors, I will make myself use them. Maybe you could try that too because, Honey, you AIN'T beige!!

Cindra said...

You crack me up. I am sitting in Geneva, IL which has to be the grayest town in the world today, reading your blog to my sister in law, Chris. We have decided we love you beige or otherwise.

Rian said...

So stop already. Yes, she has a nice cheddar sky, but her houses are BLACK AND WHITE!!

Besides, I like beige. I like red better, but beige is good. Okay, it's not great, but it's not bad. Beige is good because it makes all the other colors look better.

Sometimes you just have to look for the silver lining...

Debra Dixon said...

How funny that I should come into the convo right after Rian. I have accused Rian of the being the Queen of Beige for years. We are so different in our color choices but still are great friends. You can be our friend too but you have to leave the beige at the door. *wink*

Beige? come on, really?

Melody Johnson said...

O Dee, come to mama baby. Send me your address and I will pop a big bag of color in the mail. I mean it.
Lovest Melody

Jan said...

Thanks for the shout out, but I have to admit that most of my color inspiration comes from looking at antique quilts!
If it makes you feel any better, my walls are all painted dover white. A perfect (to me) backdrop for colorful quilts, pillows and artwork that can be switched out quickly for tamer choices when I get tired of that look.
Sounds like you just have the January blahs...put your projects aside and make a *small colorful something* to jumpstart things!

Gerrie said...

I'm with Mrs. Mel. You are getting some color, baby!! I made a raffle quilt of house blocks for our Women's Day Shelter in Santa Rosa - it was definitely not beige!!

Grazia said...

Picasso had the blue period, the pink period and so on.....why can't you have your beige period????.....it's normal for a genius....:):):)

Finn said...

OK Dee, time for an intervention here! You know it'll take something similar to a colonoscopy to rid you of that beige.
But it's ok...we're gonna love you just as much(or more) after the de-tox! Just looking at the blog names on your sidebar lets me know the beige is only a 'condition' not life consuming...breathe deep now! Big hugs, Finn

Rose said...

I think you're really just ahead of your time. Take decorating for instance. Just a few short years ago everybody and their brother was painting their homes RED and GOLD and OLIVE GREEN and they were all the same, same. Now they've all tired of the bold COLORS and they are repainting in tones of beige or pale yellow, even baby blue. Out with the dark in with the colors that breathe life back into a room. So it will go for quilts too. Just wait a little longer and they'll all be trying to catch up to you...the trend setter :)

QuiltingFitzy said...

OMG, lol, lol. My engineer hubby has 34 pairs of beige Dockers. ENOUGH already, eh? "But honey, they are different styles and different shades!" he says. Harumph.

And OH CRAP! I'm going beige too, we're painting the entire house in shades of "Dapper Tan".

Dear Lord, where did I go wrong?