The PANTONE Color Institute has established a color of the year since 2000 to reflect a color that represents the landscape of global art. The colors have ranged from PANTONE 17-2031 Fuchsia Rose (2001) to PANTONE 18-3942 Blue Iris (2008), but all have encompassed the passion and excitement that each new year may bring.
The 2018 color of the year is PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet. Purple has been the color of royalty for centuries since the pigment originally was terribly difficult to find and expensive to buy when it was found. Kings and Queens had access to buy violet threads regularly, which created a royal reputation around shades of purple. The color was quite literally a royal color for years. It wasn’t until 1856 that a synthetic purple was invented making the color easier to access for those of us who are not Kings or Queens.
This year's color purple can be seen in artist Karen Velasquez's The Color of Joy (pictured below) and, if you look close enough you can find Ultra Violet in her other pieces too!
Molly Wright also finds the perfect fit for PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet in her floral paintings. Flowers, painted or real, bring onlookers peace and a lighthearted hope for the future.
Angela Moulton highlighted Ultra Violet in Two Chickadees No. 120:
And Teil Duncan masters the color in Sandy Skip:
Do you have a place where PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet is going to fit in your new year? Perhaps a remodeled bathroom or an accent pillow? Luckily we live in 2018 where Ultra Violet can represent all of us and our unique passions.
Happy New Year, may it be filled with color and joy,
Christenberry Collection & Kayla Cole
*Cover image and quote taken from Pantone.com