August feels like a slower month, reminiscent of the long summer holidays before starting a new school term. I fondly remember always being excited to choose new pencils for the return to school, and collecting fruits from the trees in the garden. August is a bountiful and busy time in the fields, as crops and soft fruits like Peaches, Apricots, and Apples are ripening and ready to harvest. These have all inspired my Colours of August.
This is the second month of the year (the first being July, after Julius Caesar) that is named after a major figure of the ancient Roman world, Rome’s first emperor, Augustus. Other months were typically named after Roman Gods/Goddesses, festivals, or numbers.
The Colours of August that I have chosen are softer and gentler than the vivid colours of the height of summer. However, they are more saturated than the browns, reds and golds the Autumn months will bestow on us. The colours representing the month of August are Green Gold, Peach and Mauve.
Green Gold is inspired by the primary birthstone for the month, Peridot, a yellowish-green transparent variety of olivine symbolising strength. I was also inspired by the colour of the landscape as colours change from the brighter greens of early summer to a more a green golden glow.
The full succulent rich greens of the summer trees begin to soften as deciduous trees get ready to go into their full glorious autumn colour. The harvesting of silage for Winter feed continues and Spring planted wheat crops begin to ripen turning the fields to a green gold with pops of red poppies (one of the birth flowers for August). This all happens before the rich browns, ochres and russets of fully ripened crops appear for the September harvest.
Ripening Wheat in Watercolour – Anita Pounder
Peach is my second choice for my Colours of August, and is named after the pale colour of the interior flesh of the peach fruit. It was first recorded as a colour name in English in 1588. This vibrant shade of orange red with yellow undertones radiates warmth and energy of the late summer month.
The fruit Peach is a stone fruit, from the rose family, along with Cherries, Plums and Apricots. These are ready to harvest in the late summer month of August, after a magnificent display of delicate, sweet fragrant blossoms in the Spring. Native to China, having a special significance in where they are symbolic of unity and immortality, and appear in mythology and legend, art and literature.
The ‘Prunus Persica’, translating as ‘Persian plum’ is thought to have been cultivated from 6000 BC. It was transported west and throughout Europe originally by the Persians then the Romans.
Peaches in Water Mixable Oils – Anita Pounder
This distinctive colouring has also been used as name for several varieties of Gladioli, another of the birth flowers for August. It is part of the Iris family and native to sub-Saharan Africa. Varieties such as Peach Blossom, Georgia Peach and Gladiolus ‘Columbine’ all have a soft peach colour to them. The funnel shaped flowers grow in tall flowering spikes. The etymology of the name evolves from the Latin gladius meaning “Little sword“. Associated with Gladiators in ancient Rome, symbolising strength and skill in combat. They were also often used in ceremonies for Mars the Roman god of war.
Gladioli in Watercolour – Anita Pounder
During August the Scottish heathlands and moorlands undergo a transformation as the Mauve coloured Heather reach their peak. Mauve, a pale purple colour with a pink tint has an interesting history. This was first used as a word for a colour (in English) in 1796–98, as the colour was previous referred to as mallow, after the mallow flower.
This was introduced as a synthetic dye when chemist William Perkin was trying to synthesise quinine as a treatment for malaria. He noticed that the residue had an exciting colour. Perkin marketed this as a dye in 1859 under the name of Tyrian Purple but later renamed Perkins Mauve, or Mauveine. This became a very popular colour in the fabric industry. Unfortunately the colour faded quickly, and by 1873 it was replaced with other more lightfast synthetic dyes. You can learn even more about chemist William Perkin here.
This tough little plant transforms much of the Scottish heathland in the later summer months. It is also an important grazing feed for sheep and deer. Historically, heather has been used for a variety of purposes. This includes as a yellow dye for wool or to tan leather, fuel, building materials, and as a flavouring during the middle ages in beer.
Heather Landscape in Mixed Media – Anita Pounder
These are the Colous of August, which represent the final month of the summer. Before Autumn puts on a display of rich earth browns, reds and oranges to mark the changing season, let’s celebrate the rich tones of summer.