Color Palette Archive
Colors found, gathered, and stitched.
Color is where most of my work begins. This archive is a growing collection of color palettes pulled from studio paintings, coastal shorelines, plant dyes, and the everyday moments around me.
I use these color schemes as a starting direction in my own mixed media art, hand embroidery, and visible mending. To help you carry these colors into your own studio practice, each entry includes HEX and RGB digital codes alongside closest-matching DMC embroidery thread colors.
(DMC thread matches are approximate for physical floss. Because digital screens calibrate differently, always test colors against your physical materials under natural light).
Click any palette below to explore the full color breakdown, thread numbers, and the story behind the piece.
Carlyn Clark is working on a new collection of surface and print patterns and used an underwater scene as inspiration for the color palette.
In honor of Matisse's birthday, a color palette inspired by "The Creole Dancer."
A color palette taken from the Arm & Hammer Baking Soda package in honor of National Bicarbonite of Soda Day.
In honor of National Mutt Day I created a color palette inspired by the world's all-time best mutt, Mao Mao.
A color palette taken from a photo of sand and a stick in Joshua Tree, California,
A palette derived from a photo taken of my front yard during the first rainfall in months.
A California autumn color palette inspired by Liquidambar and birch foliage under a blue sky. Features HEX and RGB codes alongside DMC embroidery thread matches for stitching, mending, and fiber art.