The Path of Big Resistance
08/22/2006 04:40 PM by Gretchen Schauffler
Why would I write a book about color with no pictures or color? What could possibly motivate me to omit the standard way we show color (pictures) and engage the reader through other means, like their imagination, their experiences, and their personal interests?
Why? Because there isn’t another photo of a landscape, room, or thing I can show you that you haven’t already seen in thousands of books and magazines. To me, such publications are about inspiration, which is a noble cause. But despite such inspirational images, most people still struggle with how to put colors together, how to get there with everything they have. The pictures show the pretty room with the beautiful molding and the perfect bedding. It is aspirational, but is it truly helpful?
When you look around your home, you may have a lack of molding, an old quilt you love, and bad lighting you live with. So how does your aspiration turn into reality? That is what my book is about.
Finding your perfect personal colors turns everything you own into what you love and what looks right for you. That is my cause. So without pictures or colors in my book, I talk about the truths and myths of color. I want you to start believing that color can turn any imperfect environment into your perfect color world. It’s about color discovery and how to start the journey.
When I first called on paint companies with my crazy idea, my color philosophy to build personal palettes, and about making rich paint like fabric, I heard a lot of this: “Paint is paint,” “We already sell good paint,” “We already have 10,000 colors,” “What do you mean you dont believe in one-inch printed color chips?” and “You want to put liquid paint in a little sample pouch?”
Barnes and Noble sells my book online, but they have declined to stock it in their stores because, “despite the author’s emphasis on color, there is no color in the book, so it is hard to relate to.”
Here I am again, in the path of big resistance. When I see a problem and want to fix it in an unconventional way, there is resistance. Here is an excerpt from my book:
“Having people explain how they feel about their possessions
tells a lot about how they feel about their lives.
Regardless of what they have to say, I always bring to
light the one true resource they have in front of them to
make their home what they want it to be. Color.
Color is what turns their life inventory into absolute, pure,
unadulterated pleasure. If you look at your belongings as beautiful as well as purposeful, you accomplish two things—a reason for them to be part of your life and a reason to love them. You can then think of them without apologies, regrets, needs, or wants— just beauty.”
...How would you feel if you lived with a perfect combina-
tion of colors that made your home stunning? Well, we
are about to find out. By the time you finish this book I
would like you to believe in one thing: when perfect color
sings, it is going to make the diff erence between what you
can live with and what you cannot.”
Yet here we are five years later, with minimal advertising but amazing growth through word-of-mouth, and so many of you sharing your rewarding color experiences with us. Innovation will always meet resistance. All I have to say is “Thank God, we have the internet!”
Gretchen Schauffler
Artist and Founder of Devine Color®
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Your book, without pictures, is perfect. Even more so as I visit the library and book stores to look at other color and design books. First of all, none truly address the FEELING of color. Like it isn’t scientific enough, I guess. While I do have a few Browns in my house there is no way I could surround myself with more. But my cousin or girlfriend could. Beautiful colors, yet I have to have the energy from the Blues and Greens. And strangely to others those colors are too calmly. See, it does come down to FEELING.
Secondly, the pleasure factor. Pictures in the design books fail to show the beauty in one’s own belongings. An impersonal “perfectly” designed-for-no-one-in-mind model house is not my ideal of home. I want life and joy and personally for me: some quirkiness. (I just had to find a place for the new color GECKO!) This is my home and my rules of color. Yet, as I have said before, I absolutely love it when people come into my house—and even if the colors are not the ones they would choose for their spaces—they are amazed at how these beautiful Devine colors transform and create. The colors sing and they hear/feel it. They can’t ignore that color can’t be ignored and that color truly makes a huge difference in our spaces.— Donna D 08/28/2006 08:18 AM #
I thought you might be interested to know I just bought your very insightful book Devine Color at a Barnes and Noble store in Honolulu Hawaii, not on line. I am looking for the “colorpeeks mentioned in the afterward and am not able to find it. Any help?
Thanks, kellie Wachter
— Kellie Wachter 08/28/2006 03:03 PM #
Glad you got the book at Barnes and Noble! I hope they carry it in all the stores! Having said that, the color peeks are in a website that shows colors in nature through a series of pictures. Let me know if you can’t find the site, here is the address….. www.devinecolor.com/colorpeeks
Thanks for contacting us and hope you enjoyed the book.
— Gretchen Schauffler 08/29/2006 11:19 AM #
Is there any place on this site that shows different colors that go well with each other? I have only found pictures of two different rooms, and it doesn’t identify which colors are used. Thanks,
Donna
— donna bevens 09/04/2006 03:29 PM #
I am about to set up the blog that have pictures that identify great color relationships. Keep tuned in. Thanks so much for your posting
— Gretchen Schauffler 09/04/2006 05:09 PM #
Can’t get to the web site to look at the colors!
— cindy standen 09/12/2006 06:54 PM #
Cindy, go to the home page, click on paint and click on color palettes, there you will find all the colors! Let me know if this works!
— Gretchen Schauffler 09/12/2006 08:24 PM #
I bought your book via your web site. It changed the entire way I perceive and and view color and has given me such inspiration! I am a decorative painter, so this is huge for me!
— sharon mitolo 03/24/2007 11:02 PM #
We have just moved from the South(brick,traditional) and have bought a modern home. It is all white. I am so excited to bring it to life with your paint. We are painting the kitchen Bon Vivant and our decorator said to paint the exterior wall Green Tea. I can’t do it. I thought I could but I need another idea! We have light/red hardwoods through out and a lot of windows. It looks similar to your home online.
— Marsha Milliken 03/12/2008 03:24 PM #
Hi Marsha!
Thanks for sending the pics! I will look at them and let you know my suggestions. I would love to post them in our gallery after :) I think there might be other color relationships to explore that express what you are all about!
g
— gretchen Schauffler 03/19/2008 02:05 PM #