Pretty, Pretty Purple
Just because.
This week’s blog post theme is purple. Not for any particular reason. But it sure limits the amount of chaos in my writing when I (attempt to) stick to a single topic.
But first this . . .
Today marks the beginning of Cameron County Mercantile’s spring business hours.
Monday: Closed
Tuesday - Saturday: 10AM - 4PM
Sunday: Closed
Let’s talk purple
Growing up, I learned that purple was the color of royalty. By association, it represents power, wealth, etc.
I’m not sure WHERE I learned it, but I DO know that I didn’t read it somewhere on the web.
Maybe in art class. Thanks Mrs. Bosnik!
Etymology of Purple
This is the least direct etymology I’ve ever seen…
Here’s my abridged version: It derives from Greek.
The end.
Some Purple Things
This is by no means an exhaustive list.
There’s a LOT of purple in the world these days.
Mix-Tape Must-Have
Because Prince.
Although The Purple People Eater (Sheb Wooley, 1958) is another solid choice.
Fun Fact
Let’s take a moment to remember the millions of snails that died to make fancy robes for rich people . . .
Dye - yet another fine example of technologies we take for granted.
Bad Purple, Bad!
A tangential interpretation of purple is that it is the color of evil, which anyone who’s ever watched Disney or Marvel probably knows.
I guess it follows that royalty, power, and wealth have corrosive tendencies.
Medium (a truly cool site) had a story about this. Read it HERE.
Palette
Photo by Annie Spratt at unsplash.com
Read This . . .
A Book about Purple
Artwork by Marijke Buurlage on Behance
This isn’t the original artwork from The Color Purple (Alice Walker, 1982) when it was first released. That artist is Judith Kazdym Leeds.
But isn’t this a beautiful update to the original??!
Marijke Buurlage is an incredible artist. You should really check out more of her portfolio HERE.
The Color Purple is a powerful novel. When I initially read it in the early 1990s, The Color Purple - although fiction - was an education. Many - if not all - of the books I read prior to The Color Purple - such as Gone With the Wind (Margaret Mitchell, 1936) - white-washed slavery and the experience of black Americans. Alice Walker’s novel was raw and visceral. Her characters were dynamic and complex.
Enough of that.
Just read it. It’s good.
. . . then watch THIS
A Movie about Purple
Just have tissues handy. Trust me.
I ugly cried. A lot.
Artsy Fartsy Purple
These vintage plates are so beautifully illustrated! I’ve always been a fan of fashion sketches, hence my obsession with vintage patterns.
NOTE: I’ve always been a fan of the images, not the actual fashion. Anyone who knows me knows fashion isn’t a priority that I’m burdened with.
Hesitation–Déshabillé de Beer (1920) fashion plate in high resolution by Charles Martin, published in Gazette du Bon Ton
"Never ready!" or The first act sacrifices, home dresses, by Becker and son (1920) fashion plate in high resolution by Charles Martin, published in Gazette du Bon Ton
Charity ball (1980) poster by Lanny Sommese. Original public domain image from Library of Congress.
Lanny Sommese, who illustrated the plate to the right above, was an Emeritus Professor of Graphic Design at Penn State. He died in 2022, but his work lives on HERE.
Surface Pattern
LOVE this purple scandi pattern!
I’m not sure how I’d use it, but it sure is cute.
