Wondering Wild
Inspire, Nurture, Grow
Colour Palettes
For those of us in Ireland, our worlds have just gotten a whole lot bigger, we can now explore anywhere within our county, and up to 20km from home if we cross a county border. I am incredibly lucky to have both lake and woodland on my doorstep, but for many people this may be the first time that they can access wild and natural habitats in quite some time. For those who may not have been to a favourite woodland or natural space in some months, the colours and lush growth might come as a surprise, as though spring passed you by and you find yourself waking up in summer. While I love to observe the woods through all the seasons there is something magical about returning to a place after some time and noticing the great changes that have taken place, slowly if we are observing them daily, but in some ways, even more impressive when we see it full of growth having last been there in early spring, when there were only the whisperings of new life.
Just being able to return to these familiar spaces is uplifting. Some of you might venture out and explore hidden gems within your county that you have never visited before. Wherever you find yourself it is always a pleasure to slow down and notice all that surrounds you.
A simple way of doing this, is to observe all of the colours that make up the space you are in. There is a striking pallet of greens, browns, and yellows, on the floor and in the canopy, along with the many colours of the rainbow when we look at the flowers in bloom. Using paint sample cards*, many of which have names relating to nature, try and match the colours of the woods, or beach, or open space to these, and maybe even renaming the colours based on what they most resemble around you.
*Generally, I try to provide ideas that do not need any resources other than those that you can find in nature, allowing you to connect with nature, whenever you may find yourself there, without any forward planning. However, for this simple activity you will need to bring along some paint sample cards. You may already have some lying around the house from the last time you wondered about painting the kitchen walls. If not, they are readily available at any hardware shop, and very light and easy to carry.
Wondering Wild 