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A Second Round of … Name That Color (Literally)!

Recently I posted on The Daily Artisan blog about a colornames.org request for the public to help name 16.7 million colors in the RGB (Red Green Blue) web space, and I was happy to have named the colors “Hand Churned Peach,” “Coastal Cotillion,” and “Cottage Peony.”

At that point, 2.86 million RGB colors had been named – and as of this writing, an additional 16,270 colors have been added to the list. And since I’m still thinking of names for colors, I named three more today – “Oysters of Pearl,” “Cream Rivulets,” and “Hydrangea Afternoon!”


The list on the left side shows the selected colors and names I gave them in my first round, and the right side are the new ones from today.

Honestly, I think I could spend time coming up with these new RGB color names every day of the week, but I’m trying to show some restraint and not hog the remaining 14 million unnamed ones!


If you’re interested in learning more about the RGB color-naming process – and how you can participate – be sure to visit my previous blog post for all the details.

You’ll find information on RGB colors; how the naming process works; other color numbering systems; and how I selected colors when designing the logo for The Daily Artisan.


My Latest Three Color Names From Today!

As with the first round, I used the search engine on the ColorNames website to make sure I wasn’t duplicating anyone else’s color names. And, I used the color wheel to identify colors I was interested in naming.

And then it was off to the races!

You probably know the term “going down the rabbit hole” when being on the Internet, meaning “a long and winding exploratory path with many connections and offshoots.” Well, this colornames.org website and the naming process is the ultimate rabbit hole, and it’s the best fun!

And my new names for the three colors today – and the reasons why – are (another drum roll):


“Oysters of Pearl:”

Where to start …? I love everything about oysters – eating them raw, steamed and fried; the subtle colors of the oyster shells; and the ultimate treasure of the pearl, which is my favorite gemstone.

I was surprised to see on the color-naming website that 14 colors have been named simply “Oyster,” and 53 colors just “Pearl,” which seem pretty basic. The good thing, though, is that no one had used my idea of “Oysters of Pearl,” and I was excited to find a muted grayish-bluish color that seemed perfect for this name!

“Oysters of Pearl” makes me think of the every-present mystery when shucking oysters and never knowing whether the find will be one or all of a delicious bite of seafood, a beautiful shell, or a creamy pearl – all get high marks in my book!


“Cream Rivulets:”

Cream, ivory, and white may be seen by some as on the boring end of the color spectrum, but I love all of them and the many shades for each. They feel very clean and soft, and evoke thoughts of crisp linen drying on the clothes line; cotton t-shirts in the summer; wedding dresses; and ice cream.

Although a “rivulet” technically is a small stream or brook (think baby river), I like using it when describing whipped or ice cream melting over hot desserts into a tiny, winding trail of deliciousness. I used it in the previous posts “Galettes Glory!” and “I Didn’t Know I Liked Pears Until Today – Photographing, Baking and Eating Them!”

The next time you make a warm dessert, be sure to add cream to it … and watch it slowly and beautifully transform your dish with “Cream Rivulets!”


“Hydrangea Afternoon:”

It was inevitable at some point I’d name one of the RGB colors “Hydrangea Afternoon” as it was the name I chose for an art and design company I started 12 years ago. The name of that freelance company (which I never seemed to have enough time for in light of my all-consuming career) was based on connotations for my favorite flower, and the business always will hold a special place in my heart.

With Hydrangea Afternoon, I designed and hand-crafted greeting cards, note cards, journals, memory books, and bookmarks, and this is what I wrote for my promotional materials, including inserts for shipped items, and often accompanying my logo:

“HYDRANGEA AFTERNOON:

Lazy afternoons lounging on the screened porch … Sipping iced tea … Curling up on a wicker settee with a light throw over your bare legs … Stealing away time to read a favorite book … Daydreaming … Catching up on letters and cards from family and friends … Feeling the breeze in your hair … Listening to geese over the lake … Writing a note to say hello, happy birthday, how are you, happy holiday, look at this precious baby, good job, thank you, good luck, happy day!

Today I spent a good bit of time looking at all the purple/lavender/lilac RGB colors, and when I saw this one I felt like it was the one because … after all … isn’t a hydrangea afternoon the best kind of all?!


Naming three more RGB colors today was so much fun, and I’m already thinking of more. Of course I could say my primary motivation is to help ColorNames make its goal of 16.7 million colors named – but the main reason is how much fun it is to play!


Have you named any colors through the ColorNames website? What are they, and how did you come up with them? Please comment below!


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2 Comments

  1. Reply

    Elaine

    March 1, 2022

    Look forward to seeing your posts every day!

    • Reply

      Susan Evans

      March 1, 2022

      Thanks so much, Elaine! I’m enjoying blogging, and appreciate your following along with me!

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