BBA BTS | Zesty Color
- Samantha Buckley
- Feb 27
- 5 min read
Lemon-lime has such a distinct taste on the palette. I start thinking about it too long and my mouth starts watering from the shocking sour, delightful zing, and intensely nostalgic flavor. I've been busy devouring Bonnie's home-grown and home-made Lemon-Lime Marmalade, which has my brain hyper focusing on one of my favorite colors & flavors. Combining what lives rent-free in my brain with recent sightings, I've curated what's standing out as Lemon-Lime inspiration -- moldy fruit sculptures, zesty album art, fluorescent architecture, SF watercolor paint news, and all sorts of other.
Leading up to the opening of Bar Brucato, I got to join a dessert tasting with Chef Chip on a sunny Friday morning in the home of Brucato Amaro owners, James and Sierra. Until I sat around a table with six other people comparing five different outrageously delicious desserts, did I realize how polarizing a lemony dessert can be.
I am a lemon-before-chocolate person 93% of the time. (Unless we're talking about truffles, I don't want a fruity truffle.) Chef's lemon tart had a buttery pine nut crust, topped with a salted cream and a spicy drizzle of something kumquat magical. It was an absolute stand out (for us lemon-lovers). Once they open, I'll be bringing friends and family with me to devour another slice along with amaro cocktail pairings. Becoming a part of their team & designing their restaurant, bar, and distillery was such a fun and rewarding process -- I am immensely proud of the intimate cali-itali space. You can jump to our portfolio to see and read more on Brucato Amaro, opening to the public Friday 3/29.
Currently it's still Meyer Lemon season in California, so if you don't make it to Bar Brucato soon, you'll have to get by with making the Smitten Kitchen (Deb Perelman) Classic Lemon Curd Tart. Her cookbooks and blog are my go-to for most recipes because they are realistic effort with detailed instruction for all levels of home-chef and I actually enjoy reading what she writes long form. Bonnie is excited to share her Lemon-Lime Marmalade recipe but I haven't seen it yet, so maybe it's a by-request-only situation and you should reach out to her. (I imagine Bonnie wanting to elbow me when she reads this bit. I will update the blog post with the recipe once I get it.)
To pair the delectable with something entirely different, please enjoy this feast for the eyes with artist Kathleen Ryan's Bad Lime (Dark Star), Bad Lemon (Tart) and (Sour Blush). She has turned rotting and moldy foods into the most captivating sculptures, bejeweled in a variety of semi precious stones, pearls, and glass. Each individually pinned into place. I've been obsessed with her work for years, and I hope you'll go down a rabbit hole and seek out her works. You can see a list of Kathleen Ryan's public collections here, including the LACMA, Crocker Art Museum (Sacramento), MFA in Boston and Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas.
"It’s supposed to be brilliant, intense, and rich without being mistaken for tasteful." - Kathy Kelleher
In the spirit of shockingly sour, I am personally obsessed with fluorescent yellow. Neon post-its and highlighters, my coffee mug and cell phone case, and a career attempt to paint the interior of an entire parking structure in RAL 1026, Luminous Yellow. My first memory of this color obsession was during a college case study of the Seattle Public Library by OMA + LMN architects. I fell in love with the fluorescent escalator and how the 2004 design felt fresh. In 2016, I rode in the elevator at the New Museum by SANAA completed in 2007 and bathed in its glow, I was delighted by the experience.
Part of the magic of fluorescent colors is that they are so limited -- lacking shades and tints. The color doesn't easily become a trendy shade, although Brat Green did just happen. Or maybe because it's my favorite color, it's the hill I chose to die on.
Shades and tints leads me to the exciting news from one of my favorite small businesses in San Francisco. Case for Making makes watercolor paints by hand, co-founded in 2014 by artist Alexis Joseph. Below are a few of their colors (all of which are in my personal palette, and linked if you click them). Over the years, I've taken watercolor paint making classes, and online classes with various artists. But recently, BIG news! They've taken over their neighboring space to create a workshop - there are now so many more classes, in real life at the CfM Art Room (at Judah & 45th)! I highly recommend the Atmospheres with Dave Muller class (virtually or in person).
During art week, Bonnie and I each went to the Minnesota Street Project galleries at the end of January. On Monday morning, we shared our stand out favorite artists from the event. Despite our ever differing opinions, we both had narrowed down to Janet Jacobs. Janet Jacobs's solo show in the Eleanor Harwood Gallery was big and energetic, nostalgic, joyful.
Lastly, during this season of lemon-lime hyper fixation, I've started noticing album art. Then, I mentioned this creative project to my music-obsessed guitar-playing partner Scott. For days on end, he scrolled through his saved artists and sent me screen shots. So, here is a visual playlist. I cannot recommend this compilation for a listening party as it's been curated exclusively for album art color, but if you're curious, you can listen on Spotify here.
Thanks for joining along for this ride of whimsy and inspiration. While your brain is spinning on zesty colors, please send any of your favorites my way. I'd love to see more fluorescent architecture, learn about some of your favorite artists, and listen to more lime album art.
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