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THE COLOURS OF A FOREST
SEASONAL COLOURWHEEL
The forest is a living archive of time, a place to slow down, observe, and re-tune the senses. It exists in continuous transformation, balancing emergence and decay, stillness and renewal. With each passing season, its atmosphere shifts: the tender greens of early growth deepen into dense summer foliage before dissolving into muted autumnal tones. Every shade tells a story of transition.
Colours of a Forest is a year-long research project that traces this quiet evolution. Over the course of twelve months, the hues of trees, leaves, and undergrowth in Eindhoven’s Dommelplantsoen were systematically collected and documented. By translating these observations into colour compositions, the project captures the rhythm of natural change, revealing how colour becomes both a record of time and a mirror of perception.
As a result of this research, a seasonal colour wheel was developed, a visual tool designed to support designers and architects in working with the changing palette of the forest throughout the year. It serves as both a practical instrument and a poetic reminder of nature’s cyclical wisdom, offering an alternative to market-driven colour forecasting. Instead of following short-term trends, it invites a deeper, more contextual engagement with colour grounded in ecological observation and time.
© 2025 Tina Stieger. All rights reserved.