Artist Prompt: Making a Palette

Making a Palette
Designed by Julia Norton

 This artist prompt is based on a Saturday Studio on the Farm workshop offered in partnership with Common Ground Farm.

Photo: Eva Deitch

Introduction: Thinking about Color
What is a rainbow? What is a palette? How are rainbows and palettes similar? How are they different? How many colors are there? Name as many as you can.

A rainbow is a natural phenomenon created by light waves passing through a prism. A rainbow is scientific.

A palette is determined by an artist, not science. With any colors you wish, you can make a palette to tell a story or provide a mood for what you create.

Materials
- Paper
- Water in small containers
- Paint brushes
- Glue

Exercise
Find seven objects in nature, each a different color. What colors can you find? Look to the ground, to the trees, under rocks. . . there are endless options!

To make your palette, draw seven identical squares on your piece of paper and arrange your found objects in the squares—one color per square. You can paint or smear colors on with brushes or with your fingers, or you can simply glue the objects down. To make a natural paint, depending on the object you found, you can crush it up and mix it with water, adjusting the ratios to play with the consistency. This works best with objects that are soft, like dirt, flowers, or berries.

What kind of story does your palette tell? What mood does it represent? Give your palette a name that represents its meaning—perhaps something to do with the location or season, or maybe an emotion, person, or memory.

Once you finish making your palette, feel free to make more! Find more objects out in nature to add to your palette collection. Try mixing your paints together to make new colors.

We would like to see your creations and add a selection of them to the blog. Please share images of your work by emailing submissions@diaart.org.

Julia Norton paints with natural pigments and dyes, which she forages for and collects from around the world. Both an artist and researcher, Norton explores how to use colors while being mindful of their respective histories and origins.