First I would like to thank you all, readers and subscribers to my blog, for faithfully following me during these long months (nearly a year and a half!) while I revised and improved the final version of this book… your comments, little hearts and likes have made my day whenever they appeared in my inbox! Hues in Tubes will be available on this website forever (that’s a long time!), as my idea from the start was that it would not only be freely accessible but also that you can refer to it or refer someone to it when the need for such information arises. If you feel like it, now that we must part, I would be delighted if you left me a last comment/ send me an email!(inbedwithmonalisa@icloud.com)

my gratitude also goes to

the endless questions of my clients, as they got me started on this colourful journey…

and to all those who answered them…

Victoria Finlay and Philip Ball, my first two book mentors

David Coles from Langridge Artist Colours
who makes beautiful paint and shared patiently so much of his knowledge, and his partner Louise…

Sarah Sands, who writes the best articles on paint with gusto and panache,
answering more questions than I ever knew I had…

She-who-whispers-to-the-ochres, Heidi Gustafson,
who helped me deepen my love and relationship with pigments… just by being who she is…

Tilke Elkins, who, for years, sent me every month a Hand Ground colourful treasure in a hand-written envelope and who understood (way before I did) I was destined to become a Pigment researcher…

To Derek Grantham, late President of the Australian Colour Society,
who gave me the opportunity to deliver the very first version of Hues in Tubes…

to all of you who kindly opened your factories and studios and gave some of your precious time to explain, show & tell and answer my queries…

Jacques Blockx (the last of them) who was the first to ever so graciously open his doors to me;

Ricard Escoda and all his brush family;

Art Guerra & Seren Morey from Guerra Paint;

Mark & Barbara Golden, Jim Hayes, Ulysses Jackson
and all 166 owners (at the time) of Golden Artists Colours;

Richard Frumness who is both the R and the F of R&F and a delightful human being;

The employees of the Kobaien Co. Ltd sumi-e ink factory in Nara
who remained polite and charming in the face of my totally exuberant delight;

Dominique & Sophie Sennelier, father and daughter
overseeing the perennity of this venerable institution with such expertise;

George & Tatiana O’Hanlon both so full of enthusiasm for Natural Pigments
and so dedicated to informing artists, also to their lovely son, Anton;

Isabelle Roché & Margaret Zayer whose passion for making the best pastels
in the world is not only moving but totally catching…

And the beautiful and kind Unison team who, too, strive to make the best pastels in the world!

to all who supported me during this long research Vianney, Theotime, Uriel, and encouraged me to rewrite the book entirely to make it more me (when I thought I was finished)… Francois, Caroline, Annique, Sharon, Zoe… I could go on… so many of you!

but, too, to Maria Popova, who, week after week, selects the most encouraging words from creatives of all ilk and offers their “resiny, earthlike, and fragrant” visions.The Marginalian, her labour of love, is a nourishment for the mind and heart, sustaining me, as probably so many others… Her newsletter is where I came across Neruda’s beautiful story: “The Hand Through the Fence” which I recommend you read in its entirety and from which I have borrowed my opening and closing quote
and to Artie Wu, who encouraged me to follow my Bliss…

And, finally, to you Lucy, Nicholas, Catalina, Elisabeth, Melonie and other pigment lovers out there on the planet and in cyberspace who share my passion and have taught me so very much!

P.S.: I have now also completed my Bibliography, if you are curious, click here!