Esté MacLeod, Artist + Designer
@estemacleod.bsky.social
Artist, designer and educator based in Berkshire, England. Check out www.estemacleod.com and join my weekly #coloricombo colour challenge.
This week's #coloricombo is a special Christmas-themed treat. Colours are Ruby, Soft Pink, Teal & Mint and come from a beauty advent calendar. There's two video demos (+ another two for contributing subscribers). Full post is at coloricombo.com
December 15, 2025 at 6:10 PM
This week's #coloricombo is a special Christmas-themed treat. Colours are Ruby, Soft Pink, Teal & Mint and come from a beauty advent calendar. There's two video demos (+ another two for contributing subscribers). Full post is at coloricombo.com
The architect and visionary Frank Gehry passed away last week and today's #coloricombo looks at some of this amazing designs. Colours are Purple Blue, Punch, Fuscia and Buttercream taken from the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle.
December 8, 2025 at 4:58 PM
The architect and visionary Frank Gehry passed away last week and today's #coloricombo looks at some of this amazing designs. Colours are Purple Blue, Punch, Fuscia and Buttercream taken from the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle.
Knitting, crocheting or even sewing are skills I don’t possess but I really admire people who do this with ease. I'm in London today meeting up with FreeSpirit Fabrics and wanted to highlight an artist who has had an incredible influence on my career from very early on. Full post at coloricombo.com
December 1, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Knitting, crocheting or even sewing are skills I don’t possess but I really admire people who do this with ease. I'm in London today meeting up with FreeSpirit Fabrics and wanted to highlight an artist who has had an incredible influence on my career from very early on. Full post at coloricombo.com
Join me on Substack today at 5pm London time for a little creative playtime where I will share a fun sketchbook technique with you. Week 47's colours are Blue Sky, Taupe, Spring Green & Grass Green from photograph of a scientifically bluer sky in South Africa. Read more at coloricombo..com
November 24, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Join me on Substack today at 5pm London time for a little creative playtime where I will share a fun sketchbook technique with you. Week 47's colours are Blue Sky, Taupe, Spring Green & Grass Green from photograph of a scientifically bluer sky in South Africa. Read more at coloricombo..com
What do you think... do all kingfishers eat fish? I've been looking at the ten species of kingfisher in South Africa where I'm spending some time with family. Colours are Powder Blue, Thunder Cloud, Sanguine Red & Parchment, read the full post at coloricombo.com to find out.
November 17, 2025 at 7:20 PM
What do you think... do all kingfishers eat fish? I've been looking at the ten species of kingfisher in South Africa where I'm spending some time with family. Colours are Powder Blue, Thunder Cloud, Sanguine Red & Parchment, read the full post at coloricombo.com to find out.
"In Flanders fields the poppies blow", one of the most famous poems of WW1 and fitting for Remembrance Day, celebrated at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Colours are Scarlet, Crimson, Sand & Olive. Find out how the poppy is linked in this week's #coloricombo at coloricombo.com
November 10, 2025 at 6:18 PM
"In Flanders fields the poppies blow", one of the most famous poems of WW1 and fitting for Remembrance Day, celebrated at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Colours are Scarlet, Crimson, Sand & Olive. Find out how the poppy is linked in this week's #coloricombo at coloricombo.com
'Remember, remember the 5th of November'. It's Bonfire Night in the UK, commemorating the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605 when a group of plotters tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London. Colours are taken from a Japanese woodcut of fireworks, read the full post here coloricombo.com
November 3, 2025 at 1:14 PM
'Remember, remember the 5th of November'. It's Bonfire Night in the UK, commemorating the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605 when a group of plotters tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London. Colours are taken from a Japanese woodcut of fireworks, read the full post here coloricombo.com
Since it's Halloween I wanted to include some dramatic orange and purples in today's prompt. The artist featured was famous for creating dramatic backdrop landscapes and movie scenes. Eyvind Earle's work is renowned in animation art circles and amongst Disney aficionados. Read more coloricombo.com
October 27, 2025 at 11:33 AM
Since it's Halloween I wanted to include some dramatic orange and purples in today's prompt. The artist featured was famous for creating dramatic backdrop landscapes and movie scenes. Eyvind Earle's work is renowned in animation art circles and amongst Disney aficionados. Read more coloricombo.com
Could this be the crime of the century? The #coloricombo colours this week are taken from the Orléans Sapphire Parure which was one of the items of jewellery stolen in Paris yesterday. Read the full post on Substack coloricombo.com
October 20, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Could this be the crime of the century? The #coloricombo colours this week are taken from the Orléans Sapphire Parure which was one of the items of jewellery stolen in Paris yesterday. Read the full post on Substack coloricombo.com
This week two controversial artists are featured, one from the 19th century and one contemporary. They're linked through an iconic stencilled artwork that appeared overnight in 2021 and from where I've taken colours. Any guesses?
Full post here: www.coloricombo.com/p/two-contro...
Full post here: www.coloricombo.com/p/two-contro...
October 13, 2025 at 12:27 PM
This week two controversial artists are featured, one from the 19th century and one contemporary. They're linked through an iconic stencilled artwork that appeared overnight in 2021 and from where I've taken colours. Any guesses?
Full post here: www.coloricombo.com/p/two-contro...
Full post here: www.coloricombo.com/p/two-contro...
Colours this week are from a stained glass window in the Saint-Pierre de Gourdon church. How old do you think they are?
I've also added two watercolour paintings that were based on pebbled floors and their organic patterns. See the full post on Substack coloricombo.com
I've also added two watercolour paintings that were based on pebbled floors and their organic patterns. See the full post on Substack coloricombo.com
October 6, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Colours this week are from a stained glass window in the Saint-Pierre de Gourdon church. How old do you think they are?
I've also added two watercolour paintings that were based on pebbled floors and their organic patterns. See the full post on Substack coloricombo.com
I've also added two watercolour paintings that were based on pebbled floors and their organic patterns. See the full post on Substack coloricombo.com
This week's colours come from a fantastic piece of street art we came across in Bergerac by Mathias Brez aka @brez72. Read all about it and check out my sketchbook drawings based on an antique key (download the scan as a PDF). The full post is available on Substack www.coloricombo.com
September 29, 2025 at 9:06 PM
This week's colours come from a fantastic piece of street art we came across in Bergerac by Mathias Brez aka @brez72. Read all about it and check out my sketchbook drawings based on an antique key (download the scan as a PDF). The full post is available on Substack www.coloricombo.com
Hello @everyone. I had the opportunity to visit Saint-Cirq-Lapopie then the caves of Pech Merle to admire artworks from the Ice Age, including the breathtaking 'Dappled Horses', Colours are Iron Oxide, Limestone, Burnt Umber & Yellow Ochre and the full post is on Substack www.coloricombo.com
September 22, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Hello @everyone. I had the opportunity to visit Saint-Cirq-Lapopie then the caves of Pech Merle to admire artworks from the Ice Age, including the breathtaking 'Dappled Horses', Colours are Iron Oxide, Limestone, Burnt Umber & Yellow Ochre and the full post is on Substack www.coloricombo.com
Coloricombo is coming to you from the Dordogne in France this week and colours are linked to the Château des Milandes and the incredible Josephine Baker. Read the full post on Substack www.coloricombo.com/p/the-chatea...
September 15, 2025 at 8:36 AM
Coloricombo is coming to you from the Dordogne in France this week and colours are linked to the Château des Milandes and the incredible Josephine Baker. Read the full post on Substack www.coloricombo.com/p/the-chatea...
Today's post is About Beans, Magic and Orleans and I've chosen these colours: Warm Pink, Light Fuchsia, Lilac & Deep Purple. Read the full post here: www.coloricombo.com/p/about-bean...
September 8, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Today's post is About Beans, Magic and Orleans and I've chosen these colours: Warm Pink, Light Fuchsia, Lilac & Deep Purple. Read the full post here: www.coloricombo.com/p/about-bean...
Hello @everyone, have you heard of a town called Saffron Walden? Ever wonder about it's name? Colours this week are Burnt Orange, Saffron, Mustard & Warm Yellow. Read more about the colour, the spice and the town on Substack. www.coloricombo.com/p/named-afte...
September 1, 2025 at 10:22 AM
Hello @everyone, have you heard of a town called Saffron Walden? Ever wonder about it's name? Colours this week are Burnt Orange, Saffron, Mustard & Warm Yellow. Read more about the colour, the spice and the town on Substack. www.coloricombo.com/p/named-afte...
This week's colours are Ochre, Soft Pink, Sea Green & Indigo. They're taken from a painting by the Surrealist Dorothea Manning and you can read about her long life and marriage to Max Ernst in Substack. There's also a video for contributing subscribers. www.coloricombo.com/p/an-artist-...
August 25, 2025 at 11:28 AM
This week's colours are Ochre, Soft Pink, Sea Green & Indigo. They're taken from a painting by the Surrealist Dorothea Manning and you can read about her long life and marriage to Max Ernst in Substack. There's also a video for contributing subscribers. www.coloricombo.com/p/an-artist-...
Juicy Jelly! This week's post includes two demos, one free and one for contributing subscribers. Colours are from an anniversary Caran d'Ache Neocolor II set: Light Cadmium Red, Fast Orange, Purple Violet, Magenta & Rose of Garance. Full post on Substack coloricombo.substack.com/p/juicy-jell...
July 28, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Juicy Jelly! This week's post includes two demos, one free and one for contributing subscribers. Colours are from an anniversary Caran d'Ache Neocolor II set: Light Cadmium Red, Fast Orange, Purple Violet, Magenta & Rose of Garance. Full post on Substack coloricombo.substack.com/p/juicy-jell...
A late post as I've been travelling all day and just arrived home from Portugal. I'm a great believer in serendipity and this prompt’s colours are indeed based on such an occurrence: Dusty Rose, Mustard, Cadet Blue & Mouse Grey.
Read the full post on Substack coloricombo.substack.com/p/its-worth-...
Read the full post on Substack coloricombo.substack.com/p/its-worth-...
July 21, 2025 at 4:40 PM
A late post as I've been travelling all day and just arrived home from Portugal. I'm a great believer in serendipity and this prompt’s colours are indeed based on such an occurrence: Dusty Rose, Mustard, Cadet Blue & Mouse Grey.
Read the full post on Substack coloricombo.substack.com/p/its-worth-...
Read the full post on Substack coloricombo.substack.com/p/its-worth-...
Yesterday we took a drive to Cascais to see the Casa das Histórias (House of Stories) which houses a permanent exhibition of Paula Rego’s work. Colours are Peach, Warm Brown, Emerald & Powder Blue and the full post is at coloricombo.substack.com/p/visiting-t...
July 14, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Yesterday we took a drive to Cascais to see the Casa das Histórias (House of Stories) which houses a permanent exhibition of Paula Rego’s work. Colours are Peach, Warm Brown, Emerald & Powder Blue and the full post is at coloricombo.substack.com/p/visiting-t...
This week's colour prompts come from Portugal, and specifically the beach in Lourinhã where Giant Sea Holly grows abundantly in the dunes. These plants are striking and I chose Week 27s colours of Periwinkle, Steel Grey, Chartreuse & Dark Olive from them. coloricombo.substack.com/p/sea-holly-...
July 7, 2025 at 9:38 AM
This week's colour prompts come from Portugal, and specifically the beach in Lourinhã where Giant Sea Holly grows abundantly in the dunes. These plants are striking and I chose Week 27s colours of Periwinkle, Steel Grey, Chartreuse & Dark Olive from them. coloricombo.substack.com/p/sea-holly-...
Hello @everyone we're off to Portugal this week with colours taken from an example of Portugal's most recognised art form: azulejos tiles. The colours I've chosen are Mustard, Sunshine, Dodger Blue & Yale Blue and you can see the full post on Substack: coloricombo.substack.com/p/inspiratio...
June 30, 2025 at 10:47 AM
Hello @everyone we're off to Portugal this week with colours taken from an example of Portugal's most recognised art form: azulejos tiles. The colours I've chosen are Mustard, Sunshine, Dodger Blue & Yale Blue and you can see the full post on Substack: coloricombo.substack.com/p/inspiratio...
This week's #coloricombo colours come from a print of psychedelic blooming flowers by the American artist Peter Max. Born in Berlin, his pop / psychedelic art was synonymous with the Summer of Love in 1967. See the full post on Substack coloricombo.substack.com/p/psychedeli...
June 23, 2025 at 4:17 PM
This week's #coloricombo colours come from a print of psychedelic blooming flowers by the American artist Peter Max. Born in Berlin, his pop / psychedelic art was synonymous with the Summer of Love in 1967. See the full post on Substack coloricombo.substack.com/p/psychedeli...
We're just back from Scotland and the Isle of Arran where I spent a week recharging. Today's #coloricombo takes colours from the amazing geology of the island. Join me at 5pm London time on Substack for a live demo. Details and this weeks prompt here:
coloricombo.substack.com/p/arran-a-pe...
coloricombo.substack.com/p/arran-a-pe...
June 16, 2025 at 2:36 PM
We're just back from Scotland and the Isle of Arran where I spent a week recharging. Today's #coloricombo takes colours from the amazing geology of the island. Join me at 5pm London time on Substack for a live demo. Details and this weeks prompt here:
coloricombo.substack.com/p/arran-a-pe...
coloricombo.substack.com/p/arran-a-pe...
Hello everyone, I'm in Scotland this week and colours are Buttermilk, Spring Green, Sap Green & Tan. I took these from a 'wally close' I walked past on Hyndland road and stopped to photograph. What's a 'wally close'? Find out here coloricombo.substack.com/p/what-is-a-...
June 9, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Hello everyone, I'm in Scotland this week and colours are Buttermilk, Spring Green, Sap Green & Tan. I took these from a 'wally close' I walked past on Hyndland road and stopped to photograph. What's a 'wally close'? Find out here coloricombo.substack.com/p/what-is-a-...