Finding inspiration in the most unexpected places
I've always been a color girl.
Not necessarily the bright, bold, look-at-me kind of color. Although I certainly have my moments. I'm drawn to the unexpected combinations. The colors that shouldn't necessarily work together, but somehow do.
Dusty lavender and deep burgundy. Sea glass blue and chartreuse. A little plum thrown in for good measure.
And lately, I've been noticing them everywhere.
In the iridescent feathers of a bird. In the extraordinary patterns of an octopus. In the tiniest creatures tucked beneath the surface of the sea. Even in an outfit that makes me stop scrolling because the colors are just that good.
Image Source: Pinterest
It's funny how inspiration works.
I'll sit down to paint with one color palette in mind, and before I know it, something entirely different has found its way onto the canvas.
The same thing happens when I'm designing jewelry. I'll pull out a handful of gemstones, start playing with colors, and discover a combination I never would have planned.
Sometimes the most beautiful things happen when you stop trying so hard to make everything match.
Nature Has the Best Color Palette
Living along the coast, I'm constantly inspired by the water. The ever-changing blues, greens, sandy neutrals, and soft pinks of a coastal sky.
But the coast is so much more colorful than we sometimes give it credit for.
Look a little closer.
There's lavender in an oyster shell. Burgundy in the feathers of a shorebird. Electric turquoise beneath the surface of the water. Chartreuse in the marsh grasses. Deep indigo in the shadows.
Image Source: Pinterest
And then there are the creatures themselves. Honestly, some of them look like they were designed by an artist with absolutely no intention of following the rules.
I love that.
A Little Unexpected Is a Good Thing
I've been thinking about how much my relationship with color has changed as I've gotten older.
Or maybe it hasn't changed at all.
Maybe I'm simply rediscovering the girl who loved putting together unexpected outfits, rearranging her room, collecting shells, and making things just because she thought they were beautiful.
That girl never worried much about whether two colors belonged together.
She just knew what she liked.
And at 60, I'm finding myself drawn back to that same instinct.
I'm embracing richer colors, unusual combinations, and a little more contrast. Not abandoning the turquoise and sea glass blues I love so much, but inviting a few new colors to the party.
Burgundy, you're welcome here.
Plum, pull up a chair.
And chartreuse? Well, you might just be my new favorite troublemaker.
Image Source: Pinterest
Bringing It Into My Art
Whether I'm painting a whimsical fish, choosing gemstones for a necklace, or staring at a blank canvas, color is usually where the story begins.
Not with a perfect plan or a carefully coordinated palette.
Just curiosity.
What happens if I put this next to that?
What if the shadows are lavender instead of gray?
What if I add a little unexpected pink?
Some combinations work. Some don't. And occasionally, something wonderful happens.
Those are my favorite moments.
Because I've come to believe that creativity is a lot like life. It's more interesting when you leave a little room for the unexpected.
So here's to looking closer, experimenting more, and finding beauty in colors we might never have thought to put together.
And maybe coloring outside the lines every now and then.
Much love from the coast,
Tracy Marie
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