Golden Opens. Nothing else. Golden Opens for the gelli prints and Golden Opens (the fluids edition) for the marbling, and all the colors I can afford, which is fewer and fewer, but still. I love my Golden Opens. The Golden Opens are my friend. Though I’m cautions around the cadmium hues and a little too enthusiastic in the company of the teals.

Once a friend asked me to make a wedding guest book for her niece, then told me the niece’s favorite color. There is no color like that in the Golden Open family, so I had to make my own. Bought myself a tube of Alizarin Crimson, a tube of Quinacridone Magenta, a tube of Quinacridone Red, and a tube of silver. I brought out my gelli plate. I smashed the colors around. It only took me two hours and two dozen tries to get the right tone, which I will never get again.