The colour Teal
You’ll find, in nature, a colour that falls somewhere between being an alchemist and trickster. It is found in the shimmer of a bird’s wing, the darkening sky holding onto sunset, and the elusive Himalayan poppy. I’m writing about teal, a VIP member of the blue-green family.
Many, many years ago, my best friend Rosie introduced me to the enigma of teal when she described her sister’s dress to me. I was fascinated by this colour, hiding itself through the warp and weft of shot silk and only revealing itself through swishing. With time, I came to know other relatives of this wonderful tribe; luminaries such as aqua (also known as cyan), turquoise, azure and cerulean. It made me realise how much we owe to this exotic brood. Where would we be, for instance, without Tiffany ring boxes and peacock feathers, or the ocean, from its tropical shallows to Atlantic depths?
Wonder upon wonder, its complementary colour is coral. Sitting directly opposite on the colour wheel, party planners the world over give thanks for this combination, a much more adventurous mix than pale pink and blue for a baby shower. And so, when thinking about this month’s project, I could neither go past a feather motif nor a teal and coral colourway! COLOUR FACTS: TEAL
The word teal, when referring to a colour, has only been in use for around 100 years. The colour name comes from the Teal duck. Teal is the colour point exactly halfway between green and blue.
Turquoise is about 70% blue and 30% green. In colour psychology, teal is not only calm and soothing, but also rejuvenating!
Teal is a shade: black added to blue-green. Turquoise is a tint: white added to blue-green.