THIS JUST IN… the color trend soothsayers at PANTONE have announced their Color of the Year for 2020 and we’d be lying if we didn’t say we weren’t a little bit surprised. Moving away from recent choices with names like “Radiant Orchid”, “Tangerine Tango”, and “Mimosa”, Pantone has named “Classic Blue” as the next Color of the Year.

In a statement published along with the announcement, Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the PANTONE Color Institute, explained their color choice this way:

We are living in a time that requires trust and faith. It is this kind of constancy and confidence that is expressed by PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue, a solid and dependable blue hue we can always rely on. Imbued with a deep resonance, PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue provides an anchoring foundation. A boundless blue evocative of the vast and infinite evening sky, PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue encourages us to look beyond the obvious to expand our thinking; challenging us to think more deeply, increase our perspective and open the flow of communication.

Now that we can all put our predictions to the side, we can find exciting pieces of art by artists for upcoming projects that either complement or reflect this color trend. Here are just a few artist + color pairings that we’re particularly excited about:

Rosie Emerson – London, UK

London-based artist Rosie Emerson was first drawn to printmaking during her time in University. The ability to layer, combine mediums, source new techniques and rediscover traditional ones fit well with her layered and textural style. We’re particularly drawn to her work with cyanotypes which heavily relies on a Classic Blue color scheme.

Laura Guese – Colorado, USA

Laura Guese is an oil painter whose series “Cloud Abstractions” isolates the shapes found in building thunderheads onto a solid background. Her perspective plays with the etherealness of water vapor and the strong, solid imagery of her cloud depictions. Her work encourages reflection and meditation, truly bringing to life the inspiration for PANTONE’s Classic Blue: the expanse of a twilight sky.

Matt Bilfield – California, USA

Matt Bilfield is an artist driven into graphic design by his attention to detail and love of order and minimalism. Bilfield’s work reflects his striving for functional and aesthetic impact out of design simplicity. His goal is to push the amount of emotion he is able to portray using a methodical medium that forces him to make definitive color placement choices. In this piece, Classic Blue plays a more subtle role, making this a great piece to help highlight blue tones elsewhere in a space.

Cindy Hsu Zell – California, USA

Cindy Hsu Zell’s art stems from her love of nature and movement, as well as a deep curiosity about form, texture, and minimalism. Working predominantly in large-scale wall sculptures, Zell works with hand-spun rope made of sustainably-sourced natural fibers. Her work explores the influence of gravity on composition, and embraces interaction, and touch.

John Watson – California, USA

John Watson is an interdisciplinary artist who has recently found inspiration in producing intricate pattern and textile designs. This Classic Blue-hued piece is from his “Tapestry Target” series and is nothing short of hypnotizing.