Sunday, December 16, 2012

Sudden Lichen Sightings

Pantone has announced that their new Color of the Year for 2013 is Emerald


Which makes my baby heart sing, as that is one of my favorite colors.  It also happens to be my birthstone.  I remember bee-bopping through Wal-Mart at the age of seven, checking out the sweet birthstone jewelry, and experiencing the smug satisfaction all May babies must feel.  Emerald!  Luckiest!  And, though no shaman has confirmed this yet, I'm quite convinced that my aura is emerald and my spirit animal is a snail. 

Don't be jealous.

I didn't realize this yearly color was actually a thing until earlier this year, when I stepped into a Sephora and my eyes were assaulted by Tangerine Tango.  Everywhere.  Orange makeup, orange nail polish, orange feathery fake lashes.  Bright orange is a color that does not make my heart hum.  It's too...vulgar?  Too jumpsuit-on-the-side-of-the-road-Bessie-do-not-give-that-man-a-ride, vulgar.

Ah, but emerald.  The Pantone peeps have this to say:
"Lively. Radiant. Lush… A color of elegance and beauty
that enhances our sense of well-being, balance and harmony."
The Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute mentions that the human eye sees more green than any other color.  Nature, baby.  (Also, how does one get to work at the Pantone Color Institute?  Can one apply for the Plastic Things On The End Of Shoelaces Artisane position and the Namer Of All Nail Polish Colors position at the same time?)

According to their website, in 1963, a man named Lawrence Herbert decided that it was about time to standardize color for those in the graphic arts field, since we all see and interpret color differently.  Now many people use them as the "color authority".  Neato.

Next time you're walking in the woods (or buying me a Christmas present), be sure to enjoy the Color of the Year.

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