When I began to put to think about the direction for the LATITUDE paintings, I knew they would be heavily influenced by my past four years in the Northwest.  While their style would create a common thread, I wanted them to be cohesive in other ways as well.  So I began looking through photos of the moments I wanted to capture, looking for palette commonalities.

To capture the look and feel of the Northwest,  I knew I wanted to include–

Cool blues and lavenders, echoing the water and overcast skies

Deep greens, for well, the evergreens so prevalent in the Northwest

Pops of pink and orange, to capture the warmth that sneaks in

Creamy whites and creams inspired by the fog and waterfalls

So I began the way I always do when honing in on a project.. with a Pinterest board, of course!  It was these images that I hung up on my studio wall, along with the moments that the paintings were to be inspired by.  And they informed my color choices each step of the way.

paintings top to bottom | lonely cliffs and waterfalls (41.20.26 N), tenderness and time (48.53.53 N), i get lost in my mind (46.26.84 N)

photo sources top to bottom | found here, here, here, and here

This exercise was invaluable to me as it kept my color choices in check and consistent with the vision I had for the completed series.  I’ve begun a new series ( more on that soon! ) and have started this process all over again.

What about you?  How do you approach color when working in series?

Image sources linked above.