Little White Lies

Look at anything you think is white.

Go ahead … stare it down.

Now here’s the truth:

It’s probably not white. It’s just telling a little white lie. White loves to pretend it’s pure and simple … like it has nothing to hide. But under the right light, it spills all its secrets.

You’ll find blushes of pink, dabs of pale blue, hints of yellow, whispers of lavender …

Turns out white is a drama queen just waiting for a spotlight.

One of my favorite art class moments is sending my students outside and saying: “Look at the clouds. Tell me every color you see … except white.” They come back stunned.

It’s like the sky has been gaslighting them their whole lives.

And here’s where the real fun begins … once you see that white isn’t really white, your paintings start to come alive.

They glow.

They hum.

They speak.

Because now, you’re not using white as a default … you’re treating it like the diva it is.

Me? I save pure white for absolute highlights. That sparkle on a wine glass … the glint in a horse’s eye … those tiny places where it needs to pop. Because when everything is white … nothing is. Overusing it is like seasoning your food with nothing but salt. It’s fine … but it’s not flavor.

A lot of artists I know don’t use pure white at all. They tint it … just a nudge … warming it with yellow or cooling it with blue. Even their “white” has an opinion.

Now, if you’re not an artist, try this: Go outside. Look at the clouds. Really look. And then tell me what you see that isn’t white.

If you’re a practicing artist…

do you use pure white? Or have you joined the secret society of those who know: white is a sneaky little liar …

and the real magic is in the mix?

Because in the world of color, white doesn’t tell the truth ...

it just knows how to blend in.