January: Aquamarine, icy blue
Trying my hand at the SundayStills challenge from SecondWindLeisure (Link), I decided to jump in with January’s color theme: Aquamarine, Icy Blue.
The first thing that came to mind was a frosty forest walk—perhaps a little on the nose, but sometimes the obvious answer is obvious for a reason. There’s something undeniably magical about cold air and ice-kissed trees, the way pale blues and silvery tones soften the landscape and make everything feel quiet and suspended in time.
These images are filling me with extra joy this week, especially as the weather outside has been decidedly uninspiring. Today, in fact, it’s raining. I don’t mind a little rain now and then, but the combination of a drab grey sky and snow that has melted into a muddled, slushy mess is enough to make anyone feel sleepy and unipressed.
So I find myself gravitating back to these frosty frames—sparkling branches, crisp air, and that fleeting icy blue light that winter does so well when it wants to. I’ll take frosty, glittering trees over snow-mud any day.
What I love most about color challenges like this is how they shift the way I see familiar spaces. A simple walk I’ve taken dozens of times suddenly becomes a quiet hunt for light, tone, and mood. Focusing on a single color slows me down, encourages intention, and reminds me that inspiration doesn’t always require a new place—just a new way of looking. In the depths of winter, that feels like a small but meaningful gift.
