Over the last few weeks, I have become much more attuned to color theory by experimenting with water color. I have started to learn my shades, my tints, and how colors work together. In a way, I have been thinking more about color the last month than I have for all of my obsession for art history. Making color for your own art is quite different than viewing it in a museum gallery or a catalogue for that matter. This may be an obvious statement, but I am going to keep going and keep testing the waters. There is quite a sensation when you discover the exact color to paint fog with the right amount of blue, the right amount of water, and a slight addition of green. It is an art in itself.

I have a ways to go, but I am constantly on the lookout for inspiration for new colors. I have had an endless obsession with Pantone, their color system, and overall influence on design. For the last 25 years Pantone has named a Color of the Year. It has been another way to mark the year ahead, reflect on our surroundings, and re-examine color theory (and to be honest, build PR). The Color of the Year is also a blend of my foresight trends work, pop culture, and the creative act. I have always had fun with it and I love that friends of mine be sure to text me when the announcement hits the internet.The selection process itself is fascinating to me (and a secret dream job of mine). The company sends colorists around the world to interview fashion makers, interior designers, and other creative individuals to help inform the finalists. The Color of the Year is meant to give the collective a north star for hope. Pantone leverages the color for collaborations with other companies all driving awareness of Pantone’s landscape of influence. I like it for the pure conversation starter. Most people don’t spend a lot of time thinking about color and how it impacts our daily lives. Here we are and here I am reflecting, interrogating, and enjoying all of it.Enter 2024’s Color of the Year: Peach Fuzz. I haven’t liked a name this much since 2012’s Tangerine Tango. Obviously, I thought of my first facial hair and the endless jokes of young men attempting their first beards. Alas, I don’t think this is what Pantone had in mind. From the press release, Pantone’s executive director, Leatrice Eiseman, asserted: “Peach Fuzz brings belonging, inspires recalibration, and an opportunity for nurturing. Drawing comfort from PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz, we can find peace from within, impacting our wellbeing.”

Pantone’s history of Color of the Year ranges in colors, but typically seem to lean on the reddish hues and more pastel ranges. Peach Fuzz is a toned down red. I made mine with Cadmium Red with four drops of water and a slight hint of a true yellow. We never want too loud of a color, or a color that makes too much of a statement to represent the year. They might be right with 2024 with Peach Fuzz, we all need a bit of a “dad joke” and some calm in our lives in one way or another. Why not bring it in through some color.

What do you think of “Peach Fuzz?”

What is your 2024 Color of the Year?

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