Color Inspirations :: August

Hello, Beads of Clay readers! It's Brandi, from Brandi Girl Blog, and I'm excited to be here, sharing color inspiration with you all.

Like Marsha announced last month, I'll be popping in every third Thursday to share a few color palettes with you, to inspire your own designs and projects. Since we're just getting to know each other, let me start by telling you that I am obsessed with documenting and breaking down the colors I see around me. Applying color, playing with it, experimenting with color theory and psychology - all of this is endlessly fascinating to me.

With that said, I want this series of posts to be as much fun for you as it is for me. While I am here to share palettes inspired by the seasons, I'm also open to questions you might have about using color yourself. So, if you have any, please don't hesitate to ask.

Now, on to the palettes!

As August ends and the summer winds down, there are quiet moments to be found within arm's reach. This summer in particular has been exceptionally busy for me, and spending the late afternoons on my back porch unwinding has become a favorite past-time to combat the hectic pace. When the burning Texas heat of the day has eased enough to be comfortable, and the sun's shining through the trees, it is just flat out lovely.

So lovely, I had to grab my camera and take a few quick snapshots.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of summer, and all of the bright colors of it, but right about now is when I start to crave deeper, richer hues that comes with fall. Golden yellows, sage greens, medium blues - all colors you can see right in that first photo. The colors of my backyard tell me that time is moving as much, or maybe even more than, a calendar.

So, yes, once I start to see the bright summer colors fade, I'm ready for the deeper colors of fall to start appearing.

Like the ones here:

I look at this palette and it screams "autumn" to me - how about you? I especially like deep purples paired with navy and aqua blue, or that pop of orange-y yellow keeping things from feeling too heavy.

So, in translating these into designs and glazes, opt for a deeper, richer hue. Go for golden yellows (instead of light or bright yellows), dark saturated purples and blues, and grayish aquas and greens. Toss in some medium shades of brown, and you've got the makings of a nice fall palette.

Which of the two palette speaks to you more? What colors do you gravitate to as summer ends?