True Colors - Michelle Ward/Lisa Renner

TRUE COLORS

Michelle Ward
Autumn

True Colors: The Project

Perfect timing: in this day of online journaling and slick publications, it was a unique experience to have the ‘real thing’ in your hands. Unmatched. Much to see. Much to touch. Much to learn. Every page. Every artist. Every color. The only thing online was our dialogue. It celebrated the process and forged friendships. Participation: an honor privilege. Motivation: accountability to myself and the others. Autumn: a favorite season of color, and treasured completed journal.

True Colors: The Book

Selfish glee: observing so many pages I had never seen. Evidence: pages I made for someone else. The Stories: priceless bonus (and favorite part of the book that never would have happened). To witness journal love by the many readers? An awesome added benefit. Being part of something that encourages artistic growth, including my own? That rocks.


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Lisa Renner
Blue & Ochre

It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost 10 years since the True Color collaboration began! I remember when I first got the email from Lynne in 2001 about doing a collaborative project involving Color and Books, I was so excited I couldn’t type “Count me in” quickly enough!! What else could be better than that, right? Not only was I looking forward to the project, but also to working with the group of assembled artists: some of them I already knew from various teaching events and conventions, and some I had not met yet, so I was eager to share inspirations, art, and friendship.

Simple concept: We were each to make or purchase a book, choose a color for our book, mail it to each artist, and he or she would do a page or two in our color and mail it to the next person to repeat the process until everyone had worked in everyone else’s book.

What was really wonderful to me was that this project allowed me (forced me, really!) to work in colors, some of which I had never worked in before. It provided new insights into translating color without restriction, and in the process, new discoveries were made. I looked forward to receiving each person’s book and to the challenge that would follow. It was truly an act of love and dedication with each entry made.

When my finished “Blue and Ochre” book arrived home at my door, I could barely contain myself until I had examined each and every luscious page, which had been carefully considered and artfully mastered by each talented artist. I treasure it to this day.

Of course when we first began, we did not know at that time that it would be published- we were all in it for the sheer joy of collaborating in such an open format. When Stampington expressed interest, and in 2003 published our project as “True Colors”, it was such a happy ending for one of the most innovative projects I’ve had to the pleasure to be involved in.