Description

Color of the Year

Turquoise Puya,* Boyce Thompson Arboretum, AZ
30×60 oil on canvas
April 5,th 2022 5:21 pm

(page down to see video of the plant)

In the design world, a lot of attention is given to color trends. And so, if you look back at the various colors that you lived with in your home, or wore, chances are the trend was dreamed up by humans.

Remember your avocado green refrigerator? Oh dear, now I’ve dated myself.

But what if nature were in charge? Across the globe, depending on time and place, creation inspires with color, shape and texture.

In April of 2022, around the corner and down the trail at Boyce Thompson Arboretum, a very special bromeliad was preparing to bloom. The last time this Puya berteroniana had graced us with its saturated turquoise blooms was in 2008.

Plant enthusiasts dropped what they were doing and drove to Superior to see it, photograph it, and pay homage. The color of this beauty almost looks unnatural, but I assure you it is very natural, very special.

Like agave, the puya put all their energy into producing a flower stalk, then they die. But off-shoots live on, and with any luck, in 10 years or so, there will be another bloom.

So, I challenge you, when seeking color inspiration, take a walk, look around. I think Puya Turquoise is on point.

*Puya is Spanish for “point” as in sharp point, like the tip of a bullfighter’s lance.