Color and Texture in the Olive Grove

Olive Drab Isn’t What It Used to Be

Thomas DeVere Wolsey

Olives on the Tree ©2022 by TDWolsey

When we think of colors that inspire, that capture our visual imaginations, we do not usually think of the color of olives. Olive drab, used in military color schemes around the world, is known for blending in, camouflage, uniformity[i]. After all, olive drab is, well, drab[ii]

But the olive grove or orchard is alive with color, shape, and texture. It is no wonder that Catalonia is the home and inspiration for Gaudí, Picasso, Dalí, and Miró.[iii] Limestone terraces line the landscape while soaring mountains rim the Mora d’Ebre river valley. Nearby Horta de Sant Joan[iv] was Picasso’s home for part of his early years, and it is a source of the artistic connection he makes between the people who inhabit a space and the land they inhabit.

Olives on a Limestone Slab ©2022 by TDWolsey

Olives and olive trees are not just olive drab, though. The hue of olives ranges from monochromatic to complementary. The olives in the photo above came from the same tree harvested at the same time. Color sampling[v], one sample from each olive, shows a different hexadecimal for each olive with different tones, shades, and…