When reading art books that talk about theory, or that outline concepts, many authors waste no time in getting down to the brass tax of explanation. Collins Jermain flips the script on this, adding the important ingredient of wonder to the mix, as part of showing readers what color theory and seeing color means. The book is filled with immensely practical exercises as well as anecdotes that bring concepts to life against varied landscapes: quarries, fields, vast landscapes, amidst tall grasses, and even through the eyes of animals for whom color represents survival. Nature of Color defines and invites readers into a way of being-with the world. The author's book also integrates Indigenous wisdom without appropriating, which is of the utmost importance to all readers but especially Canadian readers whose lives unfold with the Turtle Island landscapes. The book is immersive in that if you are seeking a step-by-step toolkit, it might not be the best fit, but for those who experience (or hope to do so) their art as a way of expressing their inner being, and interconnectedness with the land around them, it will take you on a journey. The destination isn't linear or set in stone, but Collins Jermain shows readers that seeing color is part of a way of being that, once tended to, enriches the soul as much as it does a work of art. I would recommend this for artists looking for mindfulness exercises, those looking to refine an art practice. If anyone runs library programming, or arts-based programming, this book has wonderful exercises that could be helpful inspiration to explain color theory while also integrating mindfulness skills. Thank you to the publisher for an advance reader copy of this ebook!

This was a really informative and interesting book about colors in nature! I found it super interesting as an artist, photographer, and avid nature lover!

It has some gorgeous artworks and photography and some really fun little activities!!

Definitely recommend for any artist, new or experienced!

This book is unlike one I've ever come across for color theory or something in that arena. This book is not a red + blue = purple. This book is more of an exploration into how to translate what you see into actual colors. There are exercises to practice translating what you see into colorful landscapes and natural beauty. It is immersive and honestly an interesting angle on dissecting the intricate details of color that you might not have noticed before. This book will teach you to question what you see at face value. It's honestly fascinating. I suggest this for artists and those that work with color to enhance your perception of what you are really trying to capture. Thank you to Kimberly Collins Jermain, Familius, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Nature of Color by Kimberly Collins Jermain is her original proposition into how the natural world should and can shape our art, decor, architecture, homes, wardrobe etc. In essence, nothing is more beautiful or inspiring than natural color and Jermain explores all the ramifications of this into a handy field guide to take on your next nature hike, beach stroll, mountain climb, or ocean dive. Simple “Try this at Home,” and “Try this on the Trail” activities are sprinkled throughout the text. Eighteen inspiration photos and paintings are also included.
In this age of technology and scrolling, we need to unplug and get outside whether on our own, with a friend, or with our families. All facets of painting or sketching outdoors are covered including taking breaks, bringing supplies, understanding poisonous plants “mug shots,” etc. All the bases are covered.
This field guide is a must for art teachers and students of all education levels. Parents who are looking to break the technology addictions in their families can use this to set up a day in nature. Other people who would benefit are architecture students, interior designers, interior decorators, hardware store paint consultants, and more.
Although I do wish there had been more images included the ones that the author chose appear to be very high resolution and appropriate. Jermain’s writing style is engaging, clever, and at times humorous. An author’s note, preface, handy glossary, and bibliography are included.

What an incredibly interesting book, the information is both scientific and artistic and very relatable. The exercises throughout the book are full of ideas for finding colour in nature as well as ideas of what to do with said colours once you find them.
My only criticism would be the lack of pictures and illustrated examples of the exercises. For a book about colour and art, I feel like there could have been more in the way of illustrations.

I am going to come forward and say first off, I am not artist, y'all, but I come from a family of artists, so I found this book incredibly intriguing. The author connects the colors we see everyday with experiences, feelings, emotions, memories, and gives tips on things to do outdoors to bring out your creativity, or what color to paint a room, or different techniques to just be better with colors in general. Some of the author's personal pictures and works of art are in the book and they are beautiful. It is over all just a fun and informational book. I really enjoyed reading it even if I don't identify as an artist per se. I would recommend this book for anyone age...hmm, 8 and up? 4/5 stars because sometimes the wording got a little long, but overall a great work of art.

This is a really interesting and challenging book! It's challenging in that it asks readers to consider what they see very seriously, and it is not prescriptive about what those answers will be. It's often posing questions rather than providing answers. Some of the exercises are definitely out there--looking at nature while eating pop rocks! But I am curious to see how my more "traditional" understanding of color will be changed by the practices detailed here.

Nature of Color reads as a field guide for nature lovers and how to trasnfer the color we see out in nature into our art. Jermain takes the time to share what she feels are necessities to prepare for outings such as hiking, as well as gives us a overview of color theory and how to apply our knowlegde of color while creating art. I enjoyed the tone of the book, as well as the exercises. I do wish that there was more information about color theory as well as more works of art in the book, but it serves it's purpose as a field guide. I do like that it leaves me wanting to explore more about topics touched upon to expand my knowledge of color in nature. Hope to see something similar to this by the author in the future!

Thank you to Netgalley, Familius, and Kimberly Collins Jermain for this e-ARC for review!

Nice aesthetic and presentation.

High quality images.

Easily digestible.

Includes thoughtful prompts for reflection.

Will be of interest for the right audience.

For some, myself included, this felt geared towards beginners-- those who may not have spent much time considering connections of color before. Those new to the subject matter may find the material particularly eye-opening and worthwhile.

3.5 ⭐ - This book emphasises taking inspiration from the natural world around us, and to become more attentive to understanding the dynamics of colors. I love understanding the psychology or science behind natural phenomenon and how it influences us. I enjoyed the parts through the story that focused on painting, nature, culture and our perceptions from that angle.

I found the point on how memory informs our real-time perception interesting, and the fact that we need to seek out nature more actively, as we are mostly conditioned to built-in environement. There is much to to be said about the joy of discovery through curiosity in nature and how it can inspire creativity.

There were a lot of specific instructions to do with hiking, surroundings, what to wear, what supplies to use, how to carry them etc. I didn't find these relevant to what my interest was in reading and the kind of painting I do. While I love painting nature, I haven't often done so plein air. There were many practical exeercises, but I skipped over reading those as my focus wasn't on using this as a workbook. Some parts also felt a bit repetitive.

I would say this book was focused on the artists personal journey, experiences, specifically with hiking and outdoor painting along with some workbook like exercises. If you are interested in these things primarily, you will find the book much more useful!

Personally, I would have enjoyed the book more if it had been focused on nature and color in a thematic way.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc of this story. I received it for free, and I'm voluntarily leaving my honest thoughts and opinions in this review.

I had high expectations of this book. I did not find the exercises helpful. I expected more color paintings to explain the exercises.
I received this galley from NetGalley.

Jermain's book "Nature of Colour" is a short field guide on exploring colour in nature. It doesn't explore colour in the traditional sense (explaining the colour wheel and deep-diving into colour theory, only making brief mentions throughout).

While I think that this is an interesting premise and way to go about viewing colour in nature, I'm not sure it necessarily worked for me. As an artist myself, I would have preferred a bit of a deeper dive into how traditional colour theory worked in nature. However that is not this book's fault, that is my own!
I think this book will be perhaps more important for those starting out in their artistic journey or just people who want to view the natural world a little bit differently. Hopefully this works better for some people!

Thank you Netgalley for letting me receive this arc in exchange for an honest review.