Local Color
From my backyard to world travels, each color palette represents a moment in time. In every season there are small moments to enjoy in the natural world.
I like to document the color of the seasons and different places I visit by painting color palettes of natural objects that I find, or the colors I see within the landscape and sky. When I take time to closely observe and paint the colors, I am often surprised by how many colors I need to note, and the beautiful impact of their relationships. I write notes on the back of the color palettes including the location, season, time of day, weather and habitat to further record the color impressions to my memory. This practice hones my observation and color mixing skills and often leads to a starting point for my paintings.
For over 20 years I have accumulated shoeboxes full of these color palettes which have become a visual journal of my perceptions of places. Making them allows me to nurture a deep connection to the beauty of nature and the changing seasons, as well as to local culture and history.
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
- Marcel Proust
Local Color
Seeing Place Through Watercolor
Interested in learning my process for making these color pallets? My book Local Color: Seeing Place Through Watercolor might be right for you.
This instructional book includes everything you need to sharpen your powers of observation, develop your color senses, and create beautiful palettes of local color
In an age of constant visual bombardment, this Zen-like process of color observation allows you to slow down and become fully absorbed in the present moment