Nature’s Neutral

Here we are in April, and with Earth Day right around the corner, the colors all around seem to bring a vibrant energy and motivation. A national day to focus on the environment feels extra important this year, and I think the balance and harmony we find in nature may do us all some good.

Photo of a sketchbook on a wooden floor showing a watercolor representation of a simple color wheel- clockwise: red, purple, blue, green, yellow, & orange by Ashley Sherwood.

The color green relates to balance and harmony. From a color psychology perspective, it is said to be the great balancer of the heart & emotions, creating equilibrium between the head & the heart. Green is also a color which symbolizes life, renewal, nature, and energy, and is associated with meanings of brand new beginnings, growth, harmony, freshness, fertility, and the environment. I love seeing nature used as inspiration, and design is a prime outlet for re-imagining!

Image credit: Pantone Color Institute. Photo is a banner size depiction of green leaves surrounding white words on a green background; in a white box it says: “Color of the Year 2017 Pantone” [with a Registered trademark symbol and a TM notation at the corner]; then, outside the box, “Greenery [15–0343].” source: Pantone LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of X-Rite, Incorporated.

Each year Pantone experts choose a “Color of the Year.” For this year, their choice was Greenery, surprising some with the bright, cheery, yellow-green.

It may be a slightly unusual choice for fashion, however, I think Greenery feels like a perfect fit for the season. The good people of Pantone have called it “a color snapshot of what we see taking place in our global culture that serves as an expression of a mood and an attitude.” Greenery reminds me of life, sunshine, tart limes, freshly cut grass, and sparkling new beginnings.

Photo of bright green new leaves on a tree in dappled sunlight in front of a red brick house and window by Ashley Sherwood.

The beauty of Greenery as the color of the year is that there is no need to paint your living room walls with it this Spring- simply open the blinds to find the color right outside!

Photo of bright green tree leaves set against the clear cerulean blue sky by Ashley Sherwood.

Here in Central Texas, we’re currently seeing Greenery paired with many lovely combinations in nature. At every turn, there are trees showing off their brand new leaves to the blue sky, fresh grasses growing alongside thousands of wildflowers on the sides of Texas roads, and blossoming buds on each and every bush. It is everywhere we look.

Photo of lush green blades of grass interspersed with Texas Bluebonnets and a single bright red & yellow Mexican Blanket wildflower by Ashley Sherwood.

What does Greenery make you think of? What is your favorite use of the color this year?

“Greenery bursts forth in 2017 to provide us with the reassurance we yearn for amid a tumultuous social and political environment. Satisfying our growing desire to rejuvenate and revitalize, Greenery symbolizes the reconnection we seek with nature, one another and a larger purpose.”

Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute. <source LA Times>

Our Gift to You

We counted down the days until April 2017 because we have been designing up something special for you! In honor of earth day on April 22, we made FREE custom backgrounds for download (no obligation, no registration required on Dropbox): http://bit.ly/2nF2Smv

The photo is a sample of a free wallpaper: A deep purple background behind a circle of various shades of green flora, trees, vines, and flowers with multi-color animals nestled in the trees and grasses: an elephant squirting water through her trunk, a giraffe, a primate, a male lion with a mane hugging an orange, black, and white tiger, and small birds in the trees. The middle of the photo has “Cal”, a one-eyed multi-color squid, on a black background with pink fish swimming nearby, an orange starfish, and various sized shells scattered around. The text in the bottom, right corner says in a script typeface: “Earth Day 2017” and the SeaLab company logo of “Cal” is in the left bottom corner. ~Custom Illustration & Design by the SeaLab Design Team~

See what else we’re up to!

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More on Pantone’s “Color of the Year”

The Future is Purple- Ultra Violet Purple