As a de-facto color connoisseur and lover of all things color-full, I felt inextricably drawn to the Museum of Natural History on a gray rainy Friday morning to see their latest exhibition, The Nature of Color.
Patti Carpenter with color shadows
All Photos Credit: Patti Carpenter
Primarily colored Poisonous Frogs
I dashed through the drops to the preview day in an effort to avoid the ever-present crowds that descend for these special exhibitions. Giddy with anticipation, I was not disappointed. Greeted with an amazing amalgam of interactive experiences in the world of Color, that engaged my inquisitive inner child, every button was pushed and every lever pulled. Each display was thoroughly enjoyed. I was awed by the intensity of the primary colors of tiny, living, poisonous frogs. Don’t eat them!
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- Shiburi image
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- Orchid Mantis
Learning the history of the color blue, I tested my knowledge of Indigo Shiburi dying. Beautiful patterns emerged. Grasping the effects of light on color above and below the sea, flora and fauna came alive before my eyes. Have you ever heard of an Orchid Mantis? Did you know that bees can’t see the color Red? CuttleFish are kings of camouflage and they appear as beautiful flowers on the floor of the ocean. The afternoon sped by.
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- Child running through my palette of color
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- Brandon Maxwell red dress
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- Elaine Schiff and Patti Carpenter
I created several color palettes of my own that cascaded down museum walls as small children danced through their colors with abandon. I love that we live in such a colorful world. I love New York. What could be more fun?
Patti Carpenter is principal of carpenter + company/Trendscope and an award-winning Creative Director in globally sourced home decor, personal accessories, gifts, and fragrances. With extensive experience in product design and development, merchandising, and color + trend forecasting, Patti is a Micro Enterprise specialist with U.S. presidential recognition for domestic and international expertise in artisan development, small producer and entrepreneurial training and economic development.
Patti has designed, sourced and created innovative Private Label products for brands including Bloomingdales, Sferra, Neiman Marcus, Crate & Barrel, The Phillips Collection, ABC Carpet and Home, Yankee Candle, Donna Karan Urban Zen and Ralph Lauren.
Patti has traveled and worked nationally and in fifty-seven countries speaking and writing on Color + Trend and Design around the globe as the Global Trend Ambassador for Maison & Objet in America and Paris and is a consultant with Pantone. An active board member of SERRV International, which is a founding member of the World Fair Trade Organization, Patti is also an Advisory Board Member of the Black Artists and Designers Guild, BADG.
Contact Patti at:
Website: www.patticarpenter.com
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