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the string band got a cold gig
To save time, I’ve shortened the name of my new favorite book* to WNoCwaaaaaatrihutthAASpZBCMaMAtaesfwkitAVAMK. No need to thank me.
This is a lovely piece of public art, made by BC Gilbert, called the Friendly Cowboy Western String Band (or, if you want, TFCWSB.) The guy on the left is definitely Colour 76, Dutch Orange, which as you probably already know is “the orange yellow of Werner…gamboge yellow, with carmine.” It resembles, of course, the Seedpod of the Spindle-tree.
the snow day series
Lubbock, Texas
photographed 1.24.2026
*More commonly known as simply Werner’s Nomenclature of Colours, but it’s got one hell of a subtitle.
orange and blue and green
Now, then, about this book Werner’s Nomenclature of Colours…the full title has 44 words, which makes me realize how the title for my masters thesis fell far, far short of an impressive length.
I believe that the flower-painter* dude would agree that this shade is similar to Colour 78 – Orpiment Orange, described as “the characteristic color…about equal parts of gamboge yellow and arterial blood red.” That description raises a couple of questions:
- What is it characteristic OF?
- And gamboge yellow is what color?
- “Arterial blood red” – do what, now?
- And, the obvious question – what/who is an “orpiment”?
But I guess we can all agree that the book got it right when it says the color (“colour”) is similar to the “Belly of the Warty Newt.”
the snow day series
Lubbock, Texas
photographed 1.24.2026
*When my granddaughter Hannah was little, she aspired to be a flower-picker. She’s now in college studying international politics, which is practically the very same thing.

