PLENTIFUL PALETTE OF PAINTS PERK UP PAINTED POTS

I love colors, don't you? Houston is a strange place; we have plants that say 'East', but a culture  that says 'West'. And with the west we get the desert influences, the Spanish influences, and all the bright and vivid colors of Latin American culture. What fits best for my garden are the lavenders, the purples, and the blues of the Caribbean. Try painting some pots yourself and see where it takes you!

This Matisse painting contains many of the colors I'll try to match for future pots.

Last summer, I started with these two colors that I matched from a book on Morocco and a chair in a New Mexico magazine.

Here they are echoing the shades found in the blue agaves.

These two colors also blend in with my garden grays and silvers (but not the cat). They are both from a store called Sherwin Williams paints. The light blue is called 'Soar' and the dark blue-purple is called 'Valiant Violet'. 

There are lots of colors in my favorite magazine, New Mexico Magazine (sorry Texas Highways, please forgive me).

The photography and stories are superb. And as far as colors go, New Mexico is indeed the Land of Enchantment. Viva colores!

This year I expanded my color range to include some new shades of blue.

I also use a dark red called 'Stolen Kiss'.

Here it is with an 'Othello Green' rim and a baby agave.

This one shows the same colors only switched around. The plant is too bluish green, but I'm learning as I go.

The black star gravel looks good, so I'm keeping that feature.

Here's an aloe with "Sagebrush" and "Stolen Kiss".

And here's "Valiant Violet" with "Soar" and another species of agave.

Here's the whole collection. These are what I call rim painted pots.

Now I've moved on to full painted pots with different blends of paints. I invent color combinations when I'm stressed from a hard work day. Painting is very relaxing.

I also enjoy designs from famous artists, like this design by Ellsworth Kelly. It would make a terrific pot.

A Monet pot would be very cool as well, but very difficult!

I go to the paint store so often for samples that the owner finally gave me my own paint wheel. LOL

Sometimes no color matches what I want, so I take a piece of the plant in. This must be the highlight of their day at the paint store. 'Opuntia Green' is just waiting to happen. Ouch!

Someday when I retire I'm going to sell my little agaves in designer pots. Such crazy dreams....but maybe someday they'll come true.

For now, it's time to make lesson plants (oops!) plans for the next week of school.

Here come the children! 

David/:0)