climate-inspired collection

Our climate-inspired collection is central to the mission and ethos of the Art of Soil. Each watercolor was carefully crafted to represent an important environmental challenge or source of climate optimism. Colors include: WILDFIRE SUN, RESILIENCE, HOPE, RECOVERY, GLACIAL MELTWATER, EROSION, SOIL ORGANIC CARBON, & WILDFIRE. Read about each color here. Cherry (lighter) and walnut (darker) wooden palettes are 2.5” x 5” x 1” and contain 8 ecopods set in the wells.

A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of this palette will be donated to Protect Our Winters. “POW helps passionate outdoor people protect the places and lifestyles they love from climate change. We are a community of athletes, scientists, creatives, and business leaders advancing non-partisan policies that protect our world today and for future generations.”

WILDFIRE SUN is reminiscent of the reddish color of the sun that is visible through smoke clogged skies. It’s beautiful but terrifying when you think about why you are able to stare at the sun during mid-day. The carbon previously locked up in an ecosystem ablaze is now in the atmosphere.

GLACIAL MELTWATER is inspired by the blue glacial meltwater that flows from these giant rivers of ice. The soil base is composed of ancient clays (#11) deposited during a period when a large part of Wyoming was covered by an inland sea. This pigment signifies glacial recession as a result of contemporary human-caused climate change. This is the only non-toxic, synthetic pigment used in this collection.

One of the greatest environmental challenges we face is soil EROSION. Soil loss by wind and water as a result of poor management decision and changing climate results in nutrient loss and soil degradation. This color signifies the barren, light gray brown dust being lost from our soils.

WILDFIRE, blackened earth, scorched by fire - this color represents the fragile, scorched landscapes.

HOPE is a natural, yellow, iron oxide-rich soil-based watercolor that offers a sense of hope. There are things we can all do to halt climate change. See my stories for a wonderful podcast that offers such solutions in the face of what some people describe as climate despair.

RECOVERY is a natural, green soil and mineral-based watercolor that represents growth and recovery. It contains within it the notion that ecosystems recover when disturbed – only now we must be part of the solution to help ecosystems heal and recover.

SOIL ORGANIC CARBON - the true black gold (well, really dark brown) of the earth. The upper meter of soils hold nearly twice as much carbon as the atmosphere (FAO, 2021).

RESILIENCE was collected from 11,000 ft in the Rocky Mountains of SE Wyoming – this soil is perched on a ridge that was bypassed by the most recent glaciation (Pinedale, ~15,000 yrs BP) and the previous (Bull Lake, 150 ka) resulting in a soil that is far more weathered than anything you would encounter under current climatic conditions. This pigment signifies the strength of the earth and her ability to withstand climate extremes.