A couple of weeks ago I gave in to impulse.
My shelves are sagging under the weigh of the many books I’ve collected throughout the years, so I’m consciously trying NOT to indulge in oversized art books anymore, opting instead for Kindle editions.
But everyone falls off the wagon from time to time.

 

Kaffe Fassett In the Studio: Behind the Scenes with a Master Colorist is worth every inch of shelf space it will someday occupy — although I think it will be a while before I let it out of immediate reach. It proved a really fun read in the moment and will be an inspirational resource for the future.

Textile artist, painter, mosaicist, designer and collector of all things eclectic, Fassett ushers the reader through his intermingled home and studio (who doesn’t love a good peek into another artist’s working space?) writing extensively about the evolution of his long art career. With the flip of each page, one gets a further glimpse into the many aspects of Fassett’s prolific creativity, all of which seem to turn on an axis of color. The experience has the effect of making one feel a bit like Alice journeying into Wonderland.

 

A dozen years ago, while we were still in the design phase of building our Vermont home, I gained a lot of inspiration and courage from Susan Sargent’s book The Comfort of Color. I’m pretty sure I freaked our painters out when I handed them a spreadsheet outlining the panoply of colors I wanted applied throughout our new house. Let’s just say I put a bit of a wrinkle into the ease of blindly using one version or another of white from room to room.

 

Most artists I know surround themselves with strong colors and eclectic collections. On a more universally known level, think of Monet’s Giverny or Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul. The trip through Fassett’s home/studio is no different although, compared to many, arguably on steroids. And what’s not to love about that?

 

If you’re lucky, the colors outside your home are just as vibrant as those that surround you inside.

It’s hard to beat nature’s colors as autumn takes hold here in Vermont.

✷

For a deeper dive into the rainbow, don’t miss Dian Parker’s sparkling essays on individual colors. Start with your favorite and then savor each one – you will be fascinated reading about their history, chemistry and their significance in art and everyday life.