Orange, the Color

When people are asked what their favorite color is, the majority will respond "blue." Many will say green or purple, maybe red -- and a few go with yellow. But "orange?" - almost never. Me? I'm not too fond of orange:  I can't wear it and I don't have it in my home. However, I have a fascination with the color orange in my weaving.

When designing a handwoven textile and preparing to dye the fiber, I often use an orange hue instead of a red. I hadn't thought about it much, but there are many "orange" colors:  terra cotta, pumpkin, peach, apricot, sweet potato, ladybug (they are not red), carrot, red clay, tangerine, sunset, fire, safety cone. An orange hue seems to change depending on the color that is near it. The two samples below are from the same dye pot, yet one looks bright orange and the other appears to be a red orange.

In October, 2010, I'll be showing at the Illahe Studios and Gallery in Ashland, OR (www.illahegallery.com). They requested something bold to display in the window, so I wove a 2.5' x 5' piece in tangerine, blue green, and jade. If you're in the area on Friday, October 1, please come for the opening reception!