Did you end up writing a Gratitude List after my post last week?

Are you ready for today’s prompt to help open your eyes to the beauties and joys of summer*?

This week I want you to focus on COLOR.

Color has been on my mind a lot lately. I’ve been putting together a lesson for an online summit I’m participating in that’s all about color (I’ll share more about that next month). I’ve been working on a series of paintings for a fun commission and delighting in mixing colors for each painting.

And I was so inspired by Dana Barbieri’s recent blog posts about color. First this one on the colors in her garden and then this one on the power of color.

As an artist color is often on my mind,

whether I’m gathering flowers for a painting and deciding which colors will work best in a composition, or I’m mixing paint to recreate an exact color.

Even if you’re not an artist, color is such a source of joy. And an opportunity for creativity.

Deciding which colors to wear when you’re getting dressed.

Or which colors to use as you decorate your home.

And if you’re a gardener, which colors to plant in your garden.

But also, I find joy in the simple fact of color. Noticing interesting colors and color juxtapositions. In nature. In my garden. In the salads I create from garden bounty.

Color is everywhere. There are so many ways to celebrate and savor the colors around us.

I hope this week you’ll take some time to pay attention to color. Here are a few ideas:

• Put together a bouquet of beautiful colors.

• Mix some watercolor paint and swatch it in your sketchbook.

• Take some photographs of colors that catch your eye.

• Choose a pretty colored yarn (or fabric) for a new project.

• Pull together a salad composed of a rainbow of ingredients.

• Or simply look around you and see how many colors you can pick out.

Whichever ways you choose to celebrate COLOR, I hope it brings you joy!

*Southern Hemisphere Friends, each week’s prompt can easily be used to discover the joys of winter, too!