Color, don't be afraid to use it!

Costa Maya, Mexico Artisan Market

When I was in Mexico some of the most beautiful creations that I saw were painted with amazingly bright colors that all of the artisans used; they were not afraid of color, and you should not be either. How many times have you been to an event where the colors were so bland, they blended into the background. Colors like taupe or champagne were the color used to highlight the most important feature on a table scape? Have you ever received an invitation that was black serif font on a white card stock with no embellishment? Boring, right? Many people are afraid to use color so they completely shy away from it all together, but color can be used to add interest and liven up almost any piece of design. It can set the tone for an event, or can be the main element on an invitation. So why not experiment? You can be simple with color or as bold as you want! For example a simple glass vase with a lime green hydrangea can add color to a table dressed with all white linens, or a fuschia backer layer can be used on an invitation with a white invitation layer and light pink satin ribbon. When sitting down and planning an event or starting out on a new project I always determine what my feature color will be. This sets the tone for the color palette. From there, I chose an accent color or two, (usually one that complements and one that contrasts) and decide how I will be incorporating each of them. This color palette is always mixed and matched through each piece of a design ensemble in different ways, creating a very cohesive look. Color palettes can be bright, soft, jeweltone, earthtone, dark, light and so on...the combinations are endless! Look at how each of these artists uses color in a different way, some use many colors in their combinations others use one or two, but in the end each combination creates a design that stands out on it's own and creates a beautiful interesting piece that is daring and unique. They certainly caught my eye!