Gamblin Torrit Grey: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Make Great Art

If you took all the pigments in the colour spectrum and mixed them together, what colour would you make?

Every spring, to celebrate Earth Day, the paintmakers at Gamblin Artists Colours clean their Torit® Air Filtration system and collect all the pigments used throughout the year to make Gamblin Artists Colours. They then mix the pigments together to craft the most unique colour of the Gamblin line: Torrit Grey.

“Pigment dust should not go into the earth, water, or landfill, but into paint,” maintains Robert Gamblin. Earth-friendly Torrit Grey not only recycles pigment dust into paint, but also focuses artists on the importance of recycling, studio safety, and environmental responsibility.

Because the mix of pigments changes throughout the process, every batch of Torrit Grey is different. Last year, Gamblin made over 30 batches of Torrit Grey, creating just as many distinctive shades. Torrit Grey varies from a medium dove grey to a dark earthy grey. Gamblin encourages artists to collect and enjoy the individual qualities of each limited edition. What you create with these popular colours is solely up to you and your imagination!

The Torrit Grey Painting Competition, conducted annually in the fall, attracts more entries every year. In 2009, more than 300 entries were submitted from artists in 37 states and 4 Canadian Provinces. Your challenge: to create a value-based painting using only Torrit Grey and any black or white oil paint. Limitations can be your greatest creative asset; it is remarkable what talented artists can achieve with a limited colour palette. The competition is judged by Robert Gamblin, and the winners will receive a supply of Gamblin Artists’ materials. View the winning entries from 2009 at www.gamblincolours.com. This year’s guidelines and entry form are also available on the website.

“We invite you to enjoy the paint today – to capture its subtle monochromatic excitement – because this special colour will only exist next year as paintings,” says Robert Gamblin. Complimentary tubes of Torrit Grey are now available with purchase while supplies last.