Today is Thanksgiving in Canada, a holiday saturated in warm autumnal hues. I have always loved this photograph by Chris Glass featuring maple leaves gathered from the same tree, arranged in spectrum order and matched with Pantone swatches. The changing leaves of autumn are one of the best palettes in nature…

(photograph via chris glass)   

I can’t imagine not living next to the ocean. An endless source of inspiration and natural beauty, oceans provide stunning colour palettes from dreamy persimmon sunsets to streaks of foggy lavender to layers of neon sailboats. I love this shot of Venezuela by photographer Sergio J. Padrón A because it highlights the many dimensions of water hues and how just a bit of colour pops against a textured blue canvas…

(photograph by sergio j. padrón a)

Oh, how I love sport photography (especially when it is downright artful). This shot by Peter Svoboda of cross-country skiers in the Austrian Alps is a sublime example. Beautiful geometry/angles and crispy textured tracks…

(photograph by peter svoboda)

Yes, I am a broken record of coloured smoke gushing (see here, here and here). I admit I am a tad obsessed. There is just something beautiful about an eyesore or neutral landscape suddenly bursting with colour. Until now, I have admired this mini-movement in still images only but then I spied this sublime video by New York based studio floto+warner (photography/director team Jeremy Floto and Cassandra Warner). The photographs are gorgeous but the video captures the dreamy way coloured smoke suddenly and vibrantly fills spaces while dancing and dispersing in the wind. I sure hope I see a fuchsia plume of smoke cross my path one day…

(photographs and video via floto+warner)

Spanish photographer Lola Guerrera created her series ‘Nebula Humilis’ in the deserts of Mexico and I love the juxtaposition of harsh, neutral rock formations and soft, vibrant plumes of coloured smoke. The red image really feels like a magical volcano, don’t you think? (p.s. I am a huge fan of this coloured smoke movement in art. Take a look at my other two postings on the subject here and here).

(photographs via lola guerrera)

I love these photographs by London-based author, stylist and designer Sania Pell that explore a contrast of neon paint and real sprigs of berries and hydrangeas. The palette of dark and light natural hues mixed with vibrant artificial neon is stunning. These are just “photo sketches” at the moment so I can only dream of where the idea will lead Sania…

(photographs via sania pell)

I am more than considering buying a last minute ticket to Melbourne to see this extraordinary ‘Spring Orchard’ paper creation by Gloss Creative. A 30-foot vine made with a kilometre of rope and over 2000 individually crafted paper pieces of fruit and vegetation, the installation was designed for Melbourne’s GPO fashion centre to celebration contemporary art and the spring birth of new fashion. I love how Gloss Creative described their work: “we have created a ‘new generation’ orchard, a mass of overgrown, monstrous fruits & vines bursting over the balconies, down to the ground floor.” If it is this gorgeous in photographs, I can’t even imagine how incredible it would be in person. What a feat of vibrantly colourful paper art, breathtaking detail and craftsmanship.

(photography by Sam Ali and Marcel Aucar; images via gloss creative’s blog and stylehunter)

How stunning is this photograph by Oleg Gordienko? Such a gorgeously leafy tunnel feels like proof that trains really do head to magical lands (à la Harry Potter). I can’t seem to find any information about this special spot other than that it is in the Ukraine. If you know more, please let me know!

Curaçao is a brightly hued island country surrounded by the sparkling turquoise of the Southern Caribbean Sea. It recently became an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands but the architecture and design soul of its native country remains a distinct characteristic. In fact, Curaçao is often called Caribbean’s “Little Netherlands”. The neon blue liqueur “curacao” is probably the first thing that comes to mind when the country name is mentioned but aside from insanely bright booze, it is an absolutely stunning country. The island is covered in gorgeous natural hues from uniquely vibrant flowers to a lush green landscape edged with a vibrant blue sea. In addition, the capital city of Willemstad is full of beautiful historical buildings that feature Dutch details and a crayon box’s worth of colourful paint. The cityscape is so unique that UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site. Thank goodness. That means these vibrant shops and homes are here to stay. Curaçao is full of spectacular nature, colourful building and festivals, intriguing history and beaches with dazzling sea vistas. I could post endless pictures and adjectives but the bottom line is that I have a major crush on this colour saturated jewel in the Caribbean Sea!

(photography via infinite magic photography, infinite magic photography, mari ward foster, peter koke, keith delong, pietcur, versgeperst, haroldo castro, dksluis, scout13ca, derpunk, bea moedt, greetje dijkstra, michael from minnesota, syncronaut, haroldo castro, pietcur, soul aperture, syncronaut, derplunk, hawkfish, air farce and duenitas digital world)

I am mesmerized by N SKY C, a website that showcases the average colour of the New York City sky every five minutes via a block of colour. Hover over the block and you see a webcam snapshot of the sky in that five minute period. Created by web designer Mike Bodge from the viewpoint of his Noho and East Village facing desk, the website is a beautiful representation of weather, sunsets, sunrises and the transitions of a day. I love that each day can be summed up in its very own colour palette.

(found via new york magazine)

The Indigo Bunting is a small seed-eating bird that migrates from south-eastern Canada to northern Florida to South America. That’s all very interesting but l can’t focus on anything but that stunning shade of blue! Living on the opposite coast, I have never spotted one of these natural works of art but I imagine they are gorgeous comets of brilliant blue as they fly through the air. Interestingly, female indigo buntings are brown year-round while males are brown in the winter and vibrant blue in the summer. If you ever needed evidence that nature makes the most incredible hues of all, indigo buntings are proof positive!

(photographs via brian tang, captain narender, larry jw, rob hanson & pbase)

A brilliant fashion editorial photographed by Viviane Sassen for Dazed & Confused magazine. The vibrant work of colour-loving designers like Missoni, Diane von Furstenberg and Vivienne Westwood looks spectacular against the rich tapestry of Netherlands tulip fields. Don’t even get me started on the mix of textures! A beautiful fusion of colourful fashion and nature. (p.s. I previously did a post on tulip fields if you fancy a look)

(photography by viviane sassen, styling by katie shillingford, modelling by lisanne de jong)
(via models.com)

The beauty of wood grain never ceases to amazing me. I love how each type of wood has unique characteristics, patterns and, of course, different colours. Vicky from Asher Jasper created these Hardwood Building Blocks to not only give children a natural toy to learn from but to teach what makes wood different from colour to smell to texture. Talk about inspiration imagination-wise. I love the design and the stamped wood name. I wouldn’t mind a set myself to keep as wood colour swatches and general examples of beautiful design!

(to purchase, head to the Asher Jasper Etsy store.)
(photographs via asher jasper)

British photographer Louis Lander-Deacon is one of those artists you just know you are still going to be hearing about 30 years from now. His work reveals an immense talent and curiourity that can only result in spectacular photography. I love this series Louis created using coloured powder and a few willing friends. The very subdued and cold hues of the forest are a perfect backdrop to the vividly pigmented clouds of colours. Colour powder and smoke bomb photos seem to be growing in popularity and I personally love the randomness that results. Who knows what photograph you will end up with? The first image shown above has a colour palette that actually took my breath away. Yep, I need to find some willing friends and see what colour I can cover them with… (p.s. these photos also remind me of posts I have done on holi celebrations and silence/shapes by filippo minelli)

It’s always nice to see a car advertisement that is a bit different from the usual shiny car/people enjoying said car/masculine surroundings combination. Volkswagon seems to be the king of going a unique direction but this Land Rover piece really caught my eye. The ad captures Land Rover’s off roading brand essence by showcasing all of the colours you will see when exploring the world in your new car and where these colours will appear longitude and latitude-wise. I love the global colour names including Mont Blanc Blizzard, Mauna Loa Lava and La Palma Banana. Anyone fancy going on a global colour scavenger hunt?

(to see a bigger version of the ad, click on the image)
(image via ads of the world)

Golden desert sand, brilliant blue skies, lush green land, dusty urban life, ornate traditional dress, pure white snow, chestnut and ebony wild horses – Mongolia has such a stunning and distinct colour palette. Part of the reason Mongolia is the land of a million earthy colour swatches is its geography. A landlocked nation, Mongolia includes the Gobi Desert to the South, snowcapped mountains to the North and grasslands, forests, lakes and rivers in between. In addition to all of the beautiful landscapes, I have always been fascinating by the vibrant and completely unique faces of the Mongolian people. There is just something magical about them. A sparkle in the eye perhaps? When preparing this post, I also learned more about the traditional Mongolian khadags – blue silk scarves symbolizing goodwill and the open sky. These scarves are given for occasions like weddings, funerals, births, graduations, departing friends and other ceremonial events. When researching photos, the beautiful blue textiles seemed to pop up all over the place and only added another layer of gorgeous colour to the wonder that is Mongolia.

(images via dimitri mundorff, daily travel photos, daniel zollinger, li gang, melinda, daniel zollinger, john white, jim murray, yeeship, christopher de bruyn, charles meacham, mark heard, daniel zollinger, irena portfolio, john white, ms aitch, pixdaus)