Own Your Encore

Carmine is the color obtained from the cochineal insect and continues to be used today in producing organic color. Carmine is a cool red (purple biased). A little history… Thousands of years ago, Mesoamericans discovered that pinching an insect found on prickly pear cacti yielded a blood-red stain on fingers and fabric. The tiny creature—a…

Sweet peas are, not surprisingly members of the pea family: their botanical name is Greek for “pea”. Sweet peas are Lathyrus odorous – or “fragrant peas”. But although they look alike, there is an important difference. Most peas are edible, including the wild, or “sea” peas , which in 1555, a year of famine, “miraculously”…

On a rainy day the large bright bill of the male Surf Scoter deserves attention. Is that Pyrrole Orange (top) or Transparent Orange? Pyrrole Orange [Daniel Smith PO73] wins. unforgettable semi-transparent/semi-opaque orange is a smooth, saturated and pure addition to the watercolorist’s palette.  Daniel Smith Pyrrole is an organic compound that defines the ingredients and…