Colour. One of my favourite subjects. This season has me reflecting on the impact of colour. There is no better resource to plan, work with or learn from than nature. Sure, my art deviates from it but I have learned the essence of working with colour, juxtaposition and composition by studying natural items — peacock feathers, water, flowers, fruit, animals and human flesh. Here’s a little exercise for you - stare at the skin of your arm for an extended period of time (natural light is best but wherever you are...) As you visually absorb the area, multiple colours will appear to you. While I paint figures in various tones of purple for maximum cultural bridging, there are always other colours within. They give the forms dimension, depth and access to the concepts.  
Corporate branding from the logo and marketing materials to the interior of the space a company occupies, deliver messages in colour as well as words, images, furnishings and fixtures. What do your corporate colours say about your company? How do you influence it presenting it to your team and customers?

Oh, just a minute, I’m going to put my interior design hat on regarding corporate branding ...
Notwithstanding the ambient noise (music? traffic? machines?), furnishings, fixtures, scents and lighting, the colour of your interiors, beginning with the walls, is critical to your environment.
Retailers... I’m sure you’ve worked with a designer to ensure optimal presentation of your products. If not, get an expert in and plan your background colours.

Offices open to the public (well, as pandemic regulations permit).  What do you need to inspire ? calm, excitement, stability, professionalism, formal, informal ?

Offices / production facilities . where most work is not generally open to clients or consumers. What kind of energy do you need to bring to the space and in turn, the team? Peace, very active, multiple levels ?

Offices open to clients or consumers. Do you reiterate your brand identity? A complementary colour to your logo, an accent wall in a colour from the logo, a neutral tone that emphasizes the corporate image?

This is a glimpse in to the importance of colour. Unless you are colour-blind, colour always affects you. Even at that I would suggest that the tints and tones of the grays you see influence your reception to an idea or item. I encourage you to step back and really see the colours around you and your team. If they don’t align with the corporate vision and brand identity and team engagement, it’s time to scheme...
Take your colour branding a step further. When I present (or work on) art, as when I worked in interior design, I always wear black or white clothing - the idea is to not influence how the colours of the art or the selection of finishes for interiors are received by the viewer. Black and white neutralize and stabilize the surround. Your clothing says something about you but when you’re representing a concept, selling an item or service it should complement and augment the idea with a positive reinforcement.
and the artist in me is back...
For heaven’s and artists’ sake don’t forget about the art on those walls! You can bring multiple messages in with art from the concept to the colours and the positions they occupy in your space. That’s a whole other post I’ll share with you in the future... for now...on this first weekend of autumn, take a walk or a drive and relish in the glory of natures’ colour as the trees shift to prepare for our winter landscape... You may take away an inspiring palette to reenergize your space, revitalize your personal or corporate brand, and at the very least you will be awed by the beauty surrounding us in these crazy times.