Mural Pricing

Murals, as we have mentioned, are fantastic forms of reflection and expression. Murals bring art into the public on such a tremendous scale. Utilizing obscure walls or ceilings to compliment an environment or standing main stage as a room's focal point or to accent a theme. Murals benefiting the artist(s) and critic(s) add life to any place by making a political stand, defining a current era, reflecting an individual personality or a group's collective thoughts, etc.

Murals are typically very detailed works of art painted on a large scale. Due to the skill level involved to paint a mural, these works of art are generally paid for by sponsorship or grants.

Typical mural pricing goes along a Tier Guideline. Usually, muralists offer 3 Tiers to define pricing and complexity of detail per square footage. This pricing is NOT inclusive of per diems, scaffolding, furniture removal, and wall preparation.

Each project always has a minimum charge regardless of size and detail, in this case, the minimum charge vacillates between artists.

Generally speaking, a basic mural of which one would select for a small child's room is considered a Tier 1 project. The complexity of detail is basic and somewhat rudimentary.

Tier 2 murals are the most popular in selection. These murals have more detail rendering recognizable characters. Tier 2 murals are more three dimensional with multi-toned shading. These murals are executed in children's rooms, dining rooms, formal foyers and parlors, and many commercial environments.

Tier3 is the top of the line mural. These murals encompass exquisite detail, precision perspective, multi-toned shading, and complex subject matter.

Tier 1 begins at a minimum charge plus $25.00/sqft
Tier 2 begins at a minimum charge plus $20.00/sqft
Tier 3 is a more intricate and formal bidding process usually involving multiple renderings and price options.

These are just basic parameters. Each artist owns differing talents than the other. As a guideline, this pricing may perform as a base when soliciting bids from muralists or as an artist's reference point when bidding their own work.

Selecting Specific Colors for Specific Domestic Rooms

Each of us has a favorite color, one that represents our personality. Observing my own children, each of them navigate their lives through their favorite colors. One loves red so he has red comforters, red shoes, red binders, red sweatshirts, red skis, red toothbrushes, etc....another favors pink and nearly every facet of her existence is saturated in hues of pink.

If you have been following any of my topics for discussion, you will note color to have a tremendous impact on our moods and psyche. But despite wearing a flash of happiness to uplift your day, we need to focus on painting environments with color that will last for multiple months and possible years. The color selection is extremely important. So, I thought I could assist with some proven research and concepts in painting your home and specific rooms in specific colors.

How Color Impacts our Lives

Knowing that white is a color associated with purity, we utilize white in domestic environments for sterility; bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms. Often times, white is utilized to merge two colorful rooms together since it is considered a neutral color.

Black is associated with power. Using black as accents or for a dominant piece of furniture brings a significant sense of drama and power to your room. Bachelors love using black in bathrooms, living rooms, bed rooms and offices. Too much black will offer emotions of depression and fatigue.

Blue is a calming color and a color associated with trust and honesty. This color is commonly used in spas, bathrooms, offices, bedrooms, and parlors. Complimented with contrasting colors, blue can be in every room of your home. It has been researched people working and studying in blue rooms are more productive than rooms of another color.

Orange and Yellow are bright and cheerful colors. To stimulate your appetite, it suggested to utilize hues of orange or yellow; i.e. melon colors in a dining room or kitchen.

Gray is a neutral color and offers itself as a great catalyst for any color. Utilize gray for large pieces of furniture enabling the room to change dramatically with colorful accent pillows or other accessories. Gray oftentimes depicts sadness or time for reflection. Like a rainy day, gray can offer intense productivity. Use gray in offices, perhaps in a black and white abstract painting showing movement. This will stimulate productivity and not depression.

Green is today's most hip color. Green is associated with natural and organic elements of life. It has been proven that green is an energy color and oftentimes associated with intelligence. Be careful, green can also cast an ill reflection while regarding your visage if painted in a bathroom. I suggest, if utilizing green, sage green in spas or rooms for relaxation. Kelly or grass green for rooms to invigorate. An entire room painted in green is a bit overwhelming. Utilize green in a faux finish where it is mottled or utilize green as an accent.

Red is the notorious color of passion, power, and Chinese Good Luck! When I think of my son being attracted to red, I believe he must have descended from an Asian background since he doesn't seem to encompass the traits of power and extreme passion. Red has been a very popular color over the many past years. We became bold and began painting red in our offices, dining rooms, and even boudoirs. Today, red is a fantastic accent wall in an area where you would like to have power. I suggest utilizing red in a home office.

Brown is a fantastic color for domestic environments. It is a color of grounding and humbleness. Brown has been associated with humanity since the beginning of time since it is a color of the earth/soil. I suggest brown glaze throughout the entire core of your home. Dressing rooms with hues of brown are terrific. For example, a dressing room with brown stained wood cabinets and shelves painted with a sand background offer a neutral background for selecting your daily attire.

Now, hire a contractor or do it yourself, but paint your world beautiful!

Mural Examples

The internet enables all of us to peruse artists' work while sitting in the luxury of our own home in front of our computer-fabulous! Other artists inspire us to push the envelope and become more innovative. By observing and studying what others can do, we realize what is attainable and begin to think outside of the box.

I have collected a few mural examples for us to observe, study, and to become inspired by....please regard detailing, shadowing, color choices, and moods conveyed.

For other examples, please visit me on Facebook/Painted and Brushed, LLC and Facebook/Color Me Happy, Inc.

Enjoy!

How to Paint a Mural

Murals are exciting hand-painted over sized images painted directly to the surface of a wall or a ceiling. There are a few methods of which you can utilize to assist in painting a mural.

Utilize a projector to cast the image onto your wall. There are many projectors on the market. Shop for price and clarity. Explain to the salespeople at the electronics store that you are looking for a high quality projector to cast images onto large surfaces at a fairly close range. Projectors range anywhere from $1000.00 to Tens of thousands.

The internet is chock full of ideas and images. By utilizing a projector, you can capture a photograph, cast the image onto your wall, outline the the picture and begin to render with paint.

By having the image up on the wall, you can create a paint by numbers reference or simply color block color onto the wall. Some people prefer to make a color photo copy of the image being painted as a tangible reference guide.

It is up to you, but drawing a grid onto the photocopy and replicating the grid onto the wall is a great way for beginners to successfully execute the image. Oftentimes, even highly experienced artists prefer this methodology when painting several feet in width and height. It is easy to get lost or overwork areas when challenged with super size dimensions.

Establish your palette. Prior to beginning, you will have already purchased your paints for the project. However, blending paints will clearly create more colors for your palette. I like to pre-mix all of my paints and keep in an air tight container. I utilize acrylic latex and add a bit of floetrol or glazing liquid to the pigment enabling a smooth flow. Play with your paint and mix to the consistency of which you like.

Once the paint is mixed and ready for the project, I organize according to color and hues, i.e, all greens from dark green to sage green, navy blue to sky blue, etc...I have a bucket of rinse water and towels for my brushes.

At this point, you will utilize a 2 to 3 inch painting brush and block out your color. Make certain to feather out or blend the lines eliminating hard and unprofessional lines while blocking in color.

There are a plethora of mural brushes out there to utilize in painting your image(s). I personally enjoy utilizing three different types of brushes. A round or oval brush is generally used for 90% of your mural. The oval or round brush is used for blending, blocking in color, shadows, and even for details. The flat brush is for filling in large expanses, shadows, and detail lines. Then there is the angled brush. The angled brush enables the muralist to achieve precision lines. In murals, lines and shadows are what interpret the believability of your painting.

Be certain to NOT utilize anything that is copyrighted. Trust your interpretive abilities to deliver and execute the image. This is the creativity which makes a mural an interesting image to regard.

Healing with Color

Color healing, known as Chromotherapy, has been an integral part of our civilization for as long as we have scribed. There are records dating back to ancient Egypt where the ill were escorted to the halls of color. These people who were suffering any type of malady were bathed in light which was filtered through various colored glass panels or windows.

Spiritual healers or Energy healers utilized color in many aspects of their healing rituals. Their technique utilized mental powers by directing specific colored rays of light into the patients' aura and physical realm.

With that being said, what is Chromotherapy? Chromotherapy is the science of using colors to keep the vibrations of the body in a frequency resulting in health, welfare and harmony.

Everyone I know speaks of all things are good provided they are kept in balance. I don't know if this is one hundred percent true but I like the concept. This then enables me to sustain some of my bad and enjoyed bad behaviors provided I keep them in check.

Dr. Laura De Giorgio, (www.deeptrancenow.com)speaks of "balancers" when discussing chromotherapy.

"Balancers: we administer the color(s) someone needs more of, or we give the opposite of the color someone has too much of."
Dr. De Giorgio explains we are attracted to certain colors due to our personalities (self-expression) and oftentimes are in need(completion) of specific colors for specific reasons. Your body craves color to balance out your mood. An example would be an angry person who is in a state of frenetic energy requires a pool of blue water or a soft blue/gray waterfall to sooth their mood.


The following is a chart of colors and their meanings researched and defined by Dr. Laura De Giorgio:

Red

Healing properties: Brings warmth, energy and stimulation, therefore good for energy, fatigue, colds, chilly and passive people. Red energizes heart and blood circulation, it builds up the blood and heightens a low blood pressure. Energizes all organs and the senses hearing, smell, taste, vision and touch. Increases sexual desire and activity. Stimulates ovulation and menstruation. Never treat cancer with red, because this color will stimulate cell growth!

Red links with and stimulates the root chakra, at the base of the spine, causing the adrenal glands to release adrenalin. This results in greater strength. Red causes hemoglobin to multiply, thus increasing energy and raising body temperature. It is excellent for anemia and blood-related conditions. It loosens, opens up clogs, releases stiffness and constrictions. It is excellent for areas that have become stiffened or constricted.

Esoteric: Deities of love, passion, sexuality and war (to stimulate a healthy portion of assertiveness). Great energy, courage, will-power, determination, speed, assertiveness, aggression, masculinity, independence, physical strength, sports, competition, conflicts, health, sexual attraction and potency, love and passion, fertility.

Preference for red: Red is associated with passionate love, sex, great energy, impulse, action and stimulation, assertiveness and aggression, courage, strength and power, adventure, danger, warnings, revolt and revolution. Temperamental and ambitious people with a need for personal freedom.

Aversion to red: A person who has an aversion to red may be over-active, too impulsive, hot-tempered, aggressive and egocentric, or have difficulties with people with such characteristics. It can also symbolize deeply hidden fears and rejection of his own assertiveness.

Orange

Healing properties: Orange is warm, cheering, non-constricting. Orange has a freeing action upon the body and mind, relieving repressions. Orange shows new possibilities and other options in life. Stimulates creative thinking and enthusiasm, and helps assimilate new ideas.It is also helpful in dealing with excess sexual expression.

Orange stimulates the lungs, the respiration and the digestion. Increases the activity of the thyroid. Reliefs muscle cramps and spasms. Increases the amount of mother milk.

Finally, orange links very strongly with the sacral chakra.

Esoteric: Deities of good luck and fortune. Attraction, charm, kindness, encouragement, stimulation, optimism, success, abundance, prosperity, feast and celebration, energy, achieving business-goals, investments, success in legal matters.

Preference for orange: Orange represents the warmth of the fire. It brings even more energy than yellow, celebration and great abundance, comfort, enjoyment of the senses. Warm, sociable, dynamic and independent people who dedicate themselves to whatever they do.

Aversion to orange: A person who has an aversion to orange may have suppressed sexual feelings or other difficulties with sensual enjoyment of life. The attitude can also be over-sensual, indulgent, or too materialistic.

Yellow

Healing properties: Yellow helps strengthen the nerves and the mind. It helps awaken mental inspiration and stimulates higher mentality. Thus, it is an excellent color for nervous or nerve-related conditions or ailments. It also energizes the muscles. Dark yellow soothes pains in the nerves (shooting pains)

Yellow can be used for conditions of the stomach, liver, and intestines. Speeds up the digestion and assimilation, and the stool.

It helps the pores of the skin and aids scarred tissue in healing itself.

Yellow links with and stimulates the solar plexus, or psychic center. It can be used for psychic burnout or other psychic-related conditions or ailments. Activates and cheers up depressed and melancholic people. Gives lust for life.

Esoteric/magical: Elemental air. Deities for trade, travel, knowledge and magick. Life-force, vitality, change, progress, contact, communication, trade, commerce, to persuade with confidence, joy, cheerfulness, learning, knowledge, mental clarity, concentration, memorizing, tests, speaking and writing, traveling, affirmation, visualization.

Preference for yellow: The color of the sun, life-force, vividness, vitality and energy. The color of cheerfulness, curiosity, alternation, flexibility, progress, amusement, contact through traveling and communication, learning and practical knowledge. A feeling for writing and speaking.

Aversion to yellow: A person who has aversion to yellow may be emotionally disappointed and bitter.May have tendency to rationalize feelings, or to avoid the depth of life by often changing relationships, many superficial relationships and/or constant changing activities.

Green

Healing properties: Green is the color of Nature and the earth. It is balance and harmony in essence and possesses a soothing influence upon both mind and body. It is neither relaxing nor astringent in its impact. Green can be used for just about any condition in need of healing.

Green rings psychological and emotional harmony and balance.

Green links with and stimulates the heart chakra. Green affects blood pressure and all conditions of the heart. It has both an energizing effect and a moderating or soothing effect.

It cures hormonal imbalances. Stimulates growth hormone and rejuvenation. Cleans and purifies from germs, bacteria and rotting material. Harmonizes the digestion, stomach, liver, gall. Has a healing effect on kidneys. Increases immunity. Builds up muscles, bones and tissues. Stimulates inner peace. Strengthens the nervous system.

Esoteric: Elemental earth (dark green) and elemental water (blue-green). Nature, fertility, growth, rejuvenation, recovering, healing, harvest and abundance, prosperity, harmony, balance, peace, hope, mother earth, home, herbal magic, plants and animals, counteract greed and jealousy.

Preference for green: Green brings peace, rest, hope, comfort and nurturing, calmness and harmony. Interest in nature, plants, fellowmen, children and animals, health and healing, natural and plain life. Longing for a safe home and family-life. A dislike of conflicts.

Aversion to green: A person who has an aversion to green may be more interested in independence and self-development than in a warm family-life. May prefer to keep a certain distance in (sexual) relationships.

Blue

Healing properties: Blue is cooling, electric, astringent. Dr. Edwin Babbitt, in his classic, "The Principles of Light and Color," states that "The Blue Ray is one of the greatest antiseptics in the world."

Cools down inflammations (don't forget rheumatic inflammations), fever, high blood pressure, stops bleeding, reliefs the bursting headaches, calms strong emotions like anger, aggression or hysteria. Brings tranquility. Anti-itching. Anti-irritation (for instance redness of the skin), anti-stress. Soothes suffering.

Blue can be used for any type of ailments associated with speech, communication, or the throat. Excellent for laryngitis or inflammation of the larynx.

Blue links with and stimulates the throat chakra. The throat chakra is often referenced as the "power center" and "the greatest center in the body" because it is the primary center of expression and communication, through speech.

Esoteric: Elemental water and elemental air. Deities of the sea, truth and wisdom. Peace and tranquility, calmness, truth, wisdom, justice, counsel, guidance, understanding, patience, loyalty and honor, sincerity, devotion, healing, femininity, prophetic dreams, protection during sleep, astral projection.

Preference for blue: Cool and soothing, dreamy and magical. Peace and rest. For people who keep a certain distance, but give calm and practical help; they are faithful and loyal, have a sense for order, logic and rational thinking. Flying in day-dreaming, ideals or nostalgia when felt misunderstood. Dark blue is more severe and can be melancholic. Blue is also the color of truth.

Aversion to blue: A person who has an aversion to blue, may be very disciplined, strong career worker, with an aversion of commentary or restriction. He may have charted out a clear direction for his life.

Indigo

Healing properties: Indigo is a great purifier of the bloodstream and also benefits mental problems. It is a freeing and purifying agent.

Indigo combines the deep blue of devotion with a trace of stabilizing and objective red. Indigo is cool, electric, and astringent.

Indigo links with and stimulates the brow chakra (third eye) and controls the pineal gland. It governs both physical and spiritual perception. It can be of great assistance in dealing with ailments of the eyes and ears.

Violet / Purple

Healing properties: These are colors of transformation. They heal melancholy, hysteria, delusions and alcohol addiction and bring spiritual insights and renewal. These colors slow down an over-active heart; stimulate the spleen and the white blood cells (immunity). Bring sleep. Soothe mental and emotional stress. Decrease sexual activity. Decrease sensitivity to pain. They help in detoxification.

Leonardo da Vinci proclaimed that you can increase the power of meditation ten-fold by meditating under the gentle rays of Violet, as found in Church windows.

Esoteric: Elemental spirit. Divination and prophecy. Angels. Psychic abilities, divination, counter-acting negativity/black magic, reversing curses, psychic healing, psychic power, inspiration, meditation, spirituality, spiritual power, astral projection, third eye, compassion, counter-acting depression.

Preference for violet/purple: Colors for meditation, contemplation, mysticism, spirituality and religion power. A longing to ascend and dissolve polarities (purple consists of the active red and passive blue), to improve the world. Reservation, mystery and dignity. Soft, sensitive people with often paranormal abilities.

Aversion to violet / purple: A person who has an aversion for violet / purple may have very serious attitude towards life; and may find it difficult to give dreams, fantasies, vague fears or memories a place in it. May have tendency to rejection everything he regards as unnatural or unrealistic.

White

Healing properties: White is the perfect color; for it is all colors, in perfect balance and harmony. It is the color of the awakened Spirit; the light of perfection; the light of the Cosmic Consciousness,the Divine Light.

Just about everyone has heard of surrounding people with the "White Light of Healing and Protection." White light raises the vibration of one's consciousness and the body, bringing harmony in all aspects of one's life. Directing white into to a part of the body that needs healing is one of the fastest ways to bring about healing.

Esoteric: Purification and cleaning on all levels, contact with higher self and spiritual helpers, (inner) peace, aura-healing, truth seeking, consecration, spiritual enlightenment, protection against negativity by raising your vibration, breaking curses, exorcism, meditation, divination, inspiration, clairvoyance, invoking spirits White can be a replacement for any other color your magic requires.

Preference for white: White points at innocence, purity, virginity, cleanliness, freshness, simplicity, nothingness, oneness and completion, truth. In certain cultures white is the color of death and mourning.

Aversion to white: A person who has an aversion to white color is foremost or solely interested in 'realistic' and tangible things, not in illusions or things that are beyond seeing or understanding. Knows and accepts the own imperfection and does not wish to achieve perfection.

Magenta

Healing properties: Strengthens contact with your life purpose. Stimulates adrenaline and heart activity.

Esoteric: Scorpio-energy. Magnetism, to attract or speed up things, extra power, when immediate action and great spiritual power are needed, life purpose, life path.

Preference for magenta: Much energy and activity focused on achieving power and self-realization. Strong but controlled passions and emotions. Daring, ready to fight, willing to give everything for a goal. Can drive things too far and have fixed ideas.

Aversion to magenta: A person who has an aversion to magenta may feel overwhelmed by people with strong convictions or heavy emotions like jealousy; also may have difficulties with exposing deep emotions.

Pink

Healing properties: Heals grief and sadness. Restores youthfulness. Brings you in contact with your feelings.

Esoteric: Softness and tenderness, romance, caring, nurturing, for children, youth, peace, friendship, femininity, emotional love, emotional healing.

Preference for pink: Regarded as a feminine color. Pink symbolizes softness, sweetness, innocence, youthfulness and tenderness. Soft and kind people.

Aversion to pink: A person who has an aversion to pink may have a challenge with expressing soft, tender, female side.

Turquoise

Healing properties: Increases intuition and sensitivity. Works disinfecting and antiseptic. Tones the general system. Builds the skin. Relaxes sensations of stress.

Esoteric/magickal: Alterations, intellectual and intuitive insights, technique, inventions, originality, renewal, brotherhood, humanism.

Preference for turquoise: Just like the wide turquoise sea you don't want to feel restricted and you don't immediately bring to the surface what goes on in you; emotions can remain hidden. A color for non-triviality, renewal, innovation and inventions, alternative ways of living together, and humanity.

Aversion to turquoise: A person who has an aversion to turquoise may be looking for solidity and security in society, especially in marriage. Also, may be reluctant to think originally or to walk new paths.

Brown

Esoteric: Elemental earth. The planet-spirit Saturn. Stability, grounding, conservation, protection of household, family and pets, healing animals, finding lost objects, material constructions (buildings etc.), material increase, to make relationships solid, to increase decisiveness and concentration, attracting help in financial crisis.

Preference for brown: An earthly color for practical people with a preference for natural, tribal and primitive things, solidity and simplicity. Brown can be warm and cozy but also depressing. Family-life persons, stable people, loyal friends.

Aversion to brown: A person who has an aversion to brown may feel an aversion against normal, boring, trivial life; may not feel connected with his roots (home-land, family, etc); may experience instability in health and attitude.

Grey

Esoteric: Neutralizing negative influences, erasing or canceling situations, causing stalemates.

Preference for gray: Very neutral and indifferent, non-expressive. It can be deliberate, but also lifeless, fixed, depressed and apathetic. Reserved, cool people; unwilling to expose themselves or to have obligations. Grey can be refined and tactful.

Aversion to gray: A person who has an aversion to gray may prefers to be straight to the point, no time for political and tactical attitudes. Demands clarity, a knowing where one stands.

Black

Esoteric: Elemental earth. Deities of the underworld. Repel/banish evil and negativity, protection, banishing, binding, breaking free from bad habits/addictions, deep meditation, opens up deep unconscious levels.

Preference for black: Symbolizes seriousness, darkness, depression, death, mourning, mystery, secrecy, occultism, a standing apart from or revolting against triviality, provocation, underground, underworld, things that have to remain hidden, nothingness as the great source of all creation, the need to keep your energy with you. Black is a color for extremes, everything and nothing. People who foremost trust themselves.

Aversion to black: A person who has an aversion to black may have fear for the unknown, or fear for the abuse of power. Desires to become free from all kinds of dependency, blockages, hindrances; to throw off shackles.

Gold

Esoteric: Absolute authority, (self)confidence, creativity, perfection, solar energies, male energy, financial riches, investments, luxury, winning, worldly power, magical power, overcoming bad habits/addictions.

Silver

Esoteric: Female energy, cycles, rebirth, reincarnation, healing of hormonal imbalances, emotional stability, remove or neutralize negativity, intuition, dreams, psychic abilities and psychic workings.

Copper/Bronze

Esoteric: Love and passion, for positive relationships in love, friendship and business, career promotions, negotiations.

I encourage everyone to regard color in your daily life and observe color through today's marketing. While doing research, observe color through history's fashion, textiles, and rituals.

Enjoy!

Color Therapy. What do colors mean?

We live a very colorful life in the physical sense and in our emotional sense. Color plays an integral part in our day to day....Black is slimming but also the color of which all presidential vehicles are painted advocating authority and power. We are soothed by sea foam greens and wish to cleanse ourselves when surrounded by whites, blues, and soft blue greens; seeing these colors, our bodies produce calming chemicals within.

Black

Black is the color of authority and power. It is popular in fashion because it makes people appear thinner. It is also stylish and timeless. Black also implies submission. Priests wear black to signify submission to God. Some fashion experts say a woman wearing black implies submission to men which I disagree heavily! When I see women like, Donna Karan wearing her highly stylized black ensemble, I do NOT envision her pulling out a freshly baked apple pie and serving it to her hubby seated in a lazy boy. Just saying. Black is a popular color representing Halloween. With Dracula, witches, and omens appearing in black clothing and black hair, this suggests negative powers of authority and power.

White

White is pure, clean, bright, positive, angelic, celestial, ambiguous, and common. Brides wear white symbolizing innocence and purity. Reflecting light, white is considered a summer color. White is popular in decorating and in fashion because it is light, neutral, and goes with everything. Doctors and nurses wear white to imply sterility. Throughout history, white was one of the most important colors to wear. Wearing white always had a social status definition whether it is implied or demanded. Even today, wearing true white...and presenting it as crisp and cared for white, this suggests pride and wealth.


Red

The most emotionally intense color, red stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing. It is also the color of love. Red clothing gets noticed and makes the wearer appear heavier. It has been stated that red is a power color. Many experts have suggested wearing red to meetings for negotiations and sales, however since it is an extreme color, red clothing might offend people in negotiations or confrontations. Red cars depict speed and affluence and are popular targets for thieves. In decorating, red is usually used as an accent. Interior designers utilize red furniture in living rooms and dining rooms. In the living room where you would engage in conversation, a red chair will get you noticed. In a dining room, red is known to stimulate your appetite.

Pink

Pink is innocence and ironically, romance. Pink is pure passion. Caucasian babies are referred to as pink. Clearly girls' rooms are painted pink accentuating pure and feminine innocence. Many sports teams will paint the guest lockers bright pink to suck the team players' energy. Pink is soft, warm, and fuzzy. Pink paired with green can be flash back preppy and also organically calming (depending on the tone).

Blue

Often used in bedrooms, blue is a calming color. Truly one of the most favored colors by humans across the world. Blue is the color of the ocean and our sky representing earth like no other color. Water is usually depicted in blue hence, water being calming, so is blue. I often wonder if the ocean was orange, then would orange be the calming color? Blue can also be cold and depressing when mixed with a bit of gray. Fashion consultants recommend wearing blue to job interviews because it symbolizes loyalty, trustworthiness, and it has been proven that people working in sales have a higher closing rate while wearing blue. People are more productive in blue rooms. Statistically, weightlifters are able to handle heavier weights in blue gyms.


Green

Green, another color of our Earth. Green represents all things organic and is presently the most popular decorating color. It is the easiest color on the eye and can improve vision. It is a calming, refreshing color. People waiting to appear on TV sit in "green rooms" to relax. Hospitals often use green because it relaxes patients. Brides in the Middle Ages wore green to symbolize fertility. Dark green is masculine, conservative, and implies wealth and high intellect. Green is the color of Ireland hence representing the luck of the Irish and St. Patrick's day. However, on the eve of a fashion show, seamstresses often refuse to use green thread fearing it will bring bad luck.

Yellow

Yellow is the color of pineapples hence the color of hospitality. The color of the sun, which sustains life, yellow is considered cheery and a great attention getter. Yellow enhances concentration, hence we use it for legal pads.
While it is considered an optimistic color, people lose their tempers more often in yellow rooms. Too much yellow can create anxiety. It is the most difficult color for the eye to take in, so it can be overpowering if overused.

Purple

Purple is the color of royalty con notating wealth and opulence. It is feminine and romantic. Men should avoid both purple and pink as wardrobe choices to an interview. Both colors symbolize femininity. A male wearing pink or purple to an interview may seem to be undecided and unsure of himself. Purple may connect the mind with things artificial correlating negative images.

Brown

Another Earth color, brown. Perhaps it is because of UPS, but brown denotes a solid and reliable makeup. Again speaking organic, brown conjures images of wood, leather (or pelts), dirt; all raw and organic materials for survival. Brown can also be sad and wistful. Men are more apt to say brown is one of their favorite colors.

Gray

This fabulous color is often used for home furnishing accents or larger objects only to be accessorized by vibrant colors. Men and women wear gray suits when interviewing candidates suggesting they are neutral in their decision making processes. Gray can mean sorrow, maturity, and balance. When utilizing gray in a landscape painting, mist, fog, waterfalls, etc...these grays can conjure ideas of rest, tranquility, escape, avoidance, and retreat. Gray can be a very mystical color embodying the desire to meditate.

Orange

A vibrant color made by combining red and yellow. Orange suggests vitality and possibly aggression. It is not a hostile color but more so one of invigorating life!
Like red, orange is thought to stimulate your appetite. Many people naturally correlate an orange to the color orange connotating succulence and mouth watering goodness. Health, warmth, and vitality sum up this color.

Color impacts every moment of our lives in so many ways and on so many levels. The next blog will discuss colors that heal-How and Why.

In the meantime...color yourself happy....allow yourself to indulge in color to make your world a brighter place.

Quality Tools and Materials equates professional finishes!

Successful Painting Projects begin with Quality tools and materials!
Don’t purchase cheap paint!:

Remember: You get what you pay for. This adage applies to everything including paint. Select high quality paint with more resin, premium pigments, and LESS water. Don’t cheap out on paint otherwise, you will find yourself replicating the same paint job within a year. The inexpensive paints do not contain enough resins or bonding agents to enable a long lasting finish. Another interesting fact, when trying to color match with inexpensive paints, the color will dry darker than that of higher quality paints. Why? The chemical compounds have more space inbetween each other, there are less bonding agents, and the pigment is not sufficiently ground as finely as in higher quality paints.

Better quality coatings will give more square footage per gallon due to the “clear” vehicle added to the higher end paint. Higher quality paints bond better to the substrates being painted, are easier to clean, and will last much longer than inexpensive paints.

What type of rollers and brushes do I need?
When determining which roller cover (nap) to purchase, you must understand the walls’ texture. Most naps are made from natural or synthetic fibers. Naps are available in various lengths and thickness; so use the one recommended for the surface you’re painting. The longer the nap, the more paint it will hold. Use the following as a general guideline.
• 1/4-inch nap for smooth or fine surfaces, such as new walls, ceilings, and wood
• 3/8-inch nap for smooth to light-textured walls
• 1/2-inch nap for most walls and medium rough surfaces, such as textured plaster, and concrete
• 3/4-inch nap for rough surfaces, such as textured walls and ceilings, heavily textured plaster, and concrete
• 3/8- or 1/2-inch nap is a good general-purpose roller cover.
In general, for those of you with little painting experience utilize a 9” roller frame and a 9” nap in the size specific to your walls being painted. To eliminate mess, I suggest you pour your gallons of paint into a 5 gallon bucket and use a grid attached to the bucket rather than using a tray.

For selecting brushes, it is important that you understand the distinctions between the various materials used to create the brush. The material generally comes in two forms: natural bristle and synthetic filament.
Usually you use a synthetic brush for latex paints and a natural bristle brush for oil (alkyd). You may use a synthetic brush for oil if you want, but you should not use a natural bristle brush with latex. Natural bristles, when used in water can damage and swell the bristles.
Synthetic brushes usually polyester, nylon, or a blend of both. The good quality brushes will retain the right balance of stiffness and flexibility.
Natural bristles tend to be made from hog or ox bristle.
Brush Selections:
Inexpensive paint brushes will shed bristles into your freshly painted surface, they will NOT hold a significant amount of paint, and do not have the firmness/softness balance to execute a professional finish. Below are the two top paint brush manufacturers, I suggest you make your selections from either of these companies.
Purdy Brushes
Purdy produces only the highest quality paint brushes and have been the choice of professionals for over 75 years. Each Purdy brush is an individually built instrument designed, formulated, and handcrafted for maximum painting performance. Their attention to detail in the manufacturing processes makes Purdy brushes the industry standard among paint tool manufacturers.

Wooster Brushes
The Wooster Brush Company is known as one of the most innovative manufacturers of paint equipment. During 155+ years in business, Wooster has established many milestones in the industry:
• Invention of popular paintbrush styles such as the angle sash and the Shasta
• Development of the "Foss-set" process to cement bristle into paintbrushes
• First to use nylon filaments to create brushes that performed in latex paints
• Creation of the Exploded-Tip® process to make soft flags on filament ends
• First to introduce synthetic fabrics for roller covers, now an industry standard

When deciding of what size for what project, follow these simple rules:
1—2 Inch is a good choice for small surfaces such as touch-up, trim, moldings and window sashes.
2—3 Inch work great for general cutting in of walls as well as exterior trim.
4—6 Inch brushes are for large areas such as back brushing behind an airless sprayer or applying stain to a deck floor.