Training My Eye

I’m launching a new category of posts on the blog. I think I’m going to call it Training Day. These posts will document the journey of me Training my Eye in order to gain a better understanding of colour and design.

I realised that exposing my eye to interesting ‘things’ is something I’ve been doing informally for a while. It’s never been a chore as it’s something I enjoyed. I’ve always loved walking around new towns and cities and taking things in, sometimes buying them, collecting them. I don’t think this is a unique hobby, but it’s definitely something that gives me energy. When I do it, I feel really alive.

Taking things up a notch

I think many people have pursuits like this. Maybe they really enjoy baking, or putting outfits together, or being in the presence of live music. With with this idea of training my eye, I’m aiming to take things up a notch. As opposed to this being a casual endeavour, my plan is to take an almost academic approach to improving my knowledge and skill with colour and combining colours. I’m really hoping as I do this I won’t kill my love for colour. On the contrary, I hope that a steady, consistent approach and a commitment to learning will lead me to become really strong in this space. I want a level of mastery and a unique approach in this area.

I wondered, when did I stop doing something I loved so much? Then I realised that I’ve been through a whirlwind over the past 5 years. With two children under the age of 5, the last few years have been a mix of morning sickness, pregnancy, sleep training, breastfeeding, returning to work – you get the idea. So while things may not be an absolute walk in the park yet, I’m getting to a place now where I feel like I can dedicate time to this. I’m really excited by the idea.

Raising Colour Experts

I have so many ideas of things I can do and places I can go to train my eye. Galleries, gardens, flea markets, exhibitions – you name it, I’ll be there. I’m going to collect samples, images, ideas and come home and play with combinations. I’ve also thought about how I can test my eye with my wardrobe, make up and also with taking risks in my interior design choices. I’m going to make as much of my real life a palette on which I’ll experiment and learn.

My little muses are about to become colour experts, due to the way our work is set up, I’m likely to be with the girls a lot on the weekends. I thought hard about this. I don’t want to stop the fact that I’m with the girls to limit my exploration. As a result I’ve decided that we’re going to have to go on these training excursions together. I’m hoping that they don’t hate them and they come to develop a love for colour and also a well trained eye from an early age. I’m biased, but what a wonderful gift to give your children!