Having found lists of obscure/obsolete color names and rounded out the alphabet with a few simply-charming-to-me colors, each day, I’ll introduce a color and a swatch I’ve painted and then write about whatever comes to mind as I muse about the day’s color. Fair warning, my mind is a non-linear traveler, so who knows where my contemplations will take us.
A is for… aurulent – gold; gold in color
I wake almost every morning to a vision in gold – I have a large framed print of Gustav Kilmt’s The Kiss in my bedroom. So my musings about aurulent begin there.
I have a hard time imagining anyone not liking Klimt’s art, and The Kiss was the final painting of his Golden Period. I suspect he was quite a fascinating man as well. Photographs and portraits of him certainly capture someone who looks intriguing, and apparently, the more famous he became, the shyer and more reclusive.
I also have the fabulous Golden Tarot of Klimt. It’s a gorgeous deck with lots of gold foil decorating it. Bulgarian artist A. Atanassov is credited with the artwork. He was inspired by Klimt’s work, and many of the cards are close copies of Klimt’s originals while others are similar in tone but don’t correspond directly. It’s truly a lovely luxe deck and, I think, a fitting tribute to Klimt.
I’ve never worked with gold leaf, but I’m suddenly really called to experiment with it. I’m trying to temper my enthusiasm because I have a suspicion I’m going to become obsessed with it.
I’ve also been thinking a lot about kintsugi – which means golden joinery. It’s the art of mending broken things, mostly pottery, with lacquer resin mixed with powdered gold. As a philosophy, it speaks to breakage and repair becoming part of the history of an object rather than something to disguise.
I find this such a beautiful way to think. One of the things I’m doing this year is making a study of the words and teachings of Hafiz. And when I came across this line, it really sparked something in me: “Look, we have a chance to paint each other gold.” It’s something that keeps coming back to me and speaking to me on all sorts of levels. With respect to kintsugi, I think of it as a reminder of how compassion can help heal wounds.
I have one more aurulent thing to show you. What do you think of this golden jeweled heart? It made its way to me in all its sparkly goodness many years ago, I had it for a while before I realized it actually opens. I like to keep a little secret message and tiny treasure in there. Never let it be said that I don’t have a heart of gold.
What about you? What aurulent treasures light up your world? Holding any secrets in your heart? Feel like you’re having a golden start to April? Do tell – you know I’d love to hear.
I went to see an exhibition of medieval illuminated manuscripts at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge several years ago. I was quite familiar with reproductions from Christmas cards and the like, but seeing the real thing is quite a different experience: they’re so sharp and detailed, and the blaze of gold is glorious.
It sounds like a lovely exhibit, Kathleen – I’m sure I would have enjoyed it. And I absolutely agree; originals are so different. Magical.
Thank you for the vocabulary and art lesson. I’m waiting for the gold (or at least the yellow) in my world to explode. Right now all I have blooming are crocuses (some of which are yellow) but soon the daffodils and yellow tulips will be out, along with forsythias. I am eager to see them.
Oh, yes, those lovely Spring yellows – such heart happiers! I’m playing the waiting game as you are and it’s sweet agony. I did get some forced forsythia branches last month and they did a wonderful job of cheering and stoking the anticipation of what’s to come.
I love the jeweled heart! How fun to keep secret messages there. Happy A to Z, Deborah. Looking forward to learning more ways to experience colors.
Janet’s Smiles
Can’t have too many hearts or too many secret messages. Wishing you a wonderful A-to-Z as well.
Great post & start to the challenge. My heart is full of secrets which is why Kintsugi is very meaningful to me. I think about it a lot too. Sort of metaphorically describes my shattered then put back together heart, time & time again. All those cracks are a story.
Lines of gold – so many stories indeed.
I love that heart and the warmth of the artwork. Au makes me think of chemistry and of or, the French word for gold. Although I admire the light of gold, I prefer the serenity of silver. Probably why my house has so much gray in it, with accents of greens, purples, pinks and blues. 🙂
Colors are endlessly fascinating to me, as is how each of us has a preferred palette. The photos you’ve shared of your home are always lovely and indeed serene looking.
While I definitely have favorites, I was always the kid who begged for the crayon boxes of 144 colors. 🙂
It so happens that I plan to write about kintsugi on the Challenge blog on K day…
Good start! Will watch from here!
Oh fun John – I’ll look forward to that post, as well as all your others.
Hari OM
Klimt is sublime… as is the golden heart. April? I have yet to grasp we arrived here already!!! YAM xx
Sublime is the perfect word! And I’m totally in agreement – wasn’t it just February?
Hi Deborah – ‘aurulent’ – great start to April … I love the Klimt painting … I wrote a WEP post (with a difference) when Klimt’s art was used as a prompt … cheers, and I’ll be reading through April – cheers Hilary
I’ll have to poke around your archives and find your post – I always enjoy your writing.
Hi Deborah – a great place to start with colours! I see people have mentioned colouring sets and time was when they only contained colours but now they often have metallics as well. I used to be a sign writer and often used gold leaf so if you have any questions… Or perhaps I will write a non A to Z post about it one day.
It’s good to be on the road again or should that be train! And especially to meet old friends again x
How wonderful you’re an experienced gold leafer. And how kind of you to offer to front any questions I might have. While I may take you up on that, I absolutely think you should write about it at some point.
I’m enjoying being aboard April’s train, and hope you have a great journey as well.
Aww, I’m not surprised you have a heart of gold! 🥰
Klimt, Klee, Kandinsky, so many great painters, and they all start with a K.
Have fun blogging (or painting?) through the alphabet, Deborah!
https://thethreegerbers.blogspot.com/2023/04/awards-at-auditorium.html
LOL – thanks for not scoffing at my hear of gold Tamara. Good point about the number of masterful K painters – so much wonderful art to appreciate!
I once thought I would kintsugi (can it be a verb) a broken cup I liked. But I never did. Today I went out to watch the golden sun come through the trees.
https://findingeliza.com/
How lovely to witness the sun waking the trees. The rosy morning sky might be my favorite. I think more people are becoming interesting in kintsugi – I saw a kit offered by POJ Studio, whose mission is to “introduce authentic Japanese artisanship into modern life to help preserve dying traditions.”
Ooh that tarot deck sounds lovely! I have some decks that have gold highlights or edges and I love how they shine. 🙂
The Multicolored Diary
Yes! That sparkle really ups the joy factor for me.
Thank you for your comment on A Dig Artist’s Diary Letter A. So glad to return the visit and find a ‘Heart of Gold’ fellow artist/art history enthusiast. So enjoyed the Kilmit story and history…been a while since studying his work. Interesting about the Tarot Cards…a treasure for sure. I do have a ‘Heart of Gold’ treasure….my mother’s gold filigree heart pendant necklace. Lovely letter ‘A’. I’ve added you to my AtoZ 2023 Blog List. I’ll be back!!!
CollectInTexasGal
The necklace sounds like a very special treasure. And I’m certainly looking forward to your series of posts.
Wow, the word is brilliant, and I love it. I am going to explore it more and see what I can divine out of it.
I am a huge fan of Klimt’s work, and it’s so delightful to find a fellow fan on the blog. The Tarot deck sounds amazing, and I never knew about it. I have recently started dabbling in Tarot and now I want to have a dekko at this fabulous deck that you have mentioned in the blog.
The heart of gold and hiding a secret message in it sounds divine – wonder who will ever find it, open and read it and then what……………………………
I’m so glad you enjoyed the post, Shalini – it’s always fun, isn’t it, when you find something that makes you want to explore a bit more? I love the mystery of leaving hidden secret messages. It’s like offering an opportunity without having any vested interest in whether it will be found or simply disappear. The universe is a wonderful place filled with surprises and beautiful treasures, and you never know when you’ll stumble on one.
When I visited the National Museum in Dublin, there was a display of gold bracelets and other jewelry that was discovered in caches in the peat bogs. The items were hidden, probably when the Viking invaders came. Either the owners died or forgot where they hid their treasures. The display was amazing.
Ha, you didn’t need the necklace to have a heart of gold! =D
What a great word. Thanks for teaching me a new color word. I had the great fortune to see Klimt’s work live in Vienna. It was one of the best weekends of my life. I love his work and the scale is amazing.
Your golden heart is beautiful.
I’ve been wanting to try gold foiling in my art practice as well, but I haven’t taken the plunge yet.
Love this! Looking forward to your color journey!
Thanks, Anne.