Cool Colour Palettes
Browse our collection of artworks with cool colour palettes.
Intro to Cool Colours & Colour Theory
Blues, greens, and purples tend to be categorized as cool colours, but unfortunately it’s not QUITE that simple.
Since each colour hue, aside from the pure primary colours, is developed by mixing of the primary colours (red, blue, and yellow), each colour has an element of warmth and an element of coolness. Certain yellows can be considered cooler than other yellows, as shown by the image below.

What determines whether the yellow above is cool or not is the “undertone” or “bias” of the yellow. This bias is defined by the primary or secondary colour which the colour in question leans towards.
For example, when thinking about yellows, the primary and secondary colours which surround it on the colour wheel are green/blue (on the cooler side) and orange/red (on the warmer side). In the image above, the yellow which has a stronger bias towards red is a warm yellow, while the yellow which has a bias towards green is a cool yellow.
This can be tricky to identify in isolation, but it is also somewhat intuitive. Without all that theory, you might have naturally arrived at the conclusion that the yellow on the right was cooler than the yellow on the left.
Colour temperatures are relative, and it therefore helps to put colours beside each other, or to use a colour wheel, to determine their relative coolness.
Link to a great article on colour theory if you really want to nerd out.

Design Considerations
- Cool colours have a receding quality and are generally less demanding / more passive on the eye.
- Cool coloured walls can be used in smaller rooms to make them feel more spacious.
- Cool coloured decor, objects, and artworks might contribute to a cleaner, less cluttered feel.
- Typical sentiments related to cool colour palettes:
Refreshing, Clean, Delicate, Earthly, Playful, Peaceful, Innocent, Loyal, and Comforting. - Neutrals such as browns and beiges tend to look excellent when paired with cool palettes. They provide contrast and coziness without taking away from the clean feeling.
- The 80-20 rule, while just a rule of thumb (which can and should be broken if you want), is a good fall-back when using cool tones in your palette. 100% cool tones might result in a sterile or (dare we say) COLD feeling.


Paintings with Cool Colour Palettes
All of the artworks shown below have a (predominantly) cool colour palette. They might may have other tones present, but the cool colours are dominant or the painting imparts a cold feeling.
Select any artwork to learn more, or to reserve / purchase the piece.
If you are a collector local to the artist, shipping is complementary and the artist is usually able to deliver the painting in person and tell you about their inspiration. Our mission is to build local connections!
Showing 1–45 of 207 results
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Water’s Edge
David Dawson
36 x 60 in
$4,000.00 -
Morning Light
David Dawson
36 x 60 in
$4,000.00 -
Morning Mist, Gull Lake
David Dawson
24 x 34 in
$2,200.00 -
Winter Sun, Muskoka Bay
David Dawson
36 x 26 in
$2,200.00 -
Oxtongue River, Algonquin
David Dawson
26 x 36 in
$1,800.00 -
Lightwaves
Mary Jo Major
24 x 48 in
$2,100.00 -
Sea to Sky
Janie Lockwood
60 x 20 in
$2,100.00 -
Sunlit Maples II
Janie Lockwood
24 x 48 in
$1,950.00 -
Sunlit Maples
Janie Lockwood
20 x 60 in
$2,100.00 -
Wavelength
Janie Lockwood
30 x 60 inSold
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Hiding in the Leaf Dreams
Alyson Davies
40 x 48 in
$4,500.00 -
Walking the Section
Alyson Davies
48 x 36 in
$4,000.00 -
Light Weight | Wheat | Quiet of Snow | Dawn of Spring
Alyson Davies
8 x 8 in
$150.00 – $550.00 -
Dreaming of Spring
Alyson Davies
36 x 48 in
$3,900.00 -
Amongst the Poplars
Alyson Davies
33 x 63 in
$4,700.00 -
Moth Dreams
Alyson Davies
50 x 64 in
$7,000.00 -
Nordic Skiers
Alyson Davies
40 x 48 in
$4,800.00 -
Waiting for Company
Alyson Davies
40 x 48 in
$4,300.00 -
Don’t Judge Me
Michele Taras
36 x 36 in
$1,500.00 -
Reclaim The Night
Michele Taras
36 x 48 in
$2,000.00 -
MerGirls
Michele Taras
48 x 48 in
$1,800.00 -
Blue Nostalgia
Cecile Albi
40 x 48 in
$4,700.00 -
Que Sera Sera
Cecile Albi
48 x 30 in
$3,800.00 -
Serene
Cecile Albi
36 x 36 inSold
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Journey to Assiniboine
Holly Burghardt
60 x 30 inSold
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The Edge of the Forest
Szonja Vucsetics
18 x 24 in
$1,600.00 -
The Valley
Szonja Vucsetics
24 x 36 in
$3,200.00 -
Fire and Snow
Szonja Vucsetics
20 x 20 in
$1,500.00 -
By the Shore
Szonja Vucsetics
36 x 18 in
$1,700.00 -
Rolling Hills
Szonja Vucsetics
14 x 18 in
$1,000.00 -
Kerepestarcsa Train Station
Szonja Vucsetics
16 x 36 in
$1,700.00 -
By the River
Szonja Vucsetics
40 x 48 in
$5,700.00 -
Tailing Ponds
Kate Cleland
24.5 x 24.5 in
$1,200.00 -
A Yoho Scene
Alison Philpotts
44 x 44 in
$3,300.00 -
The Pearblossom Fire
Deborah Burke
36 x 36 in
$1,335.00 -
Intuitive Interface
Deborah Burke
36 x 40 in
$1,450.00 -
Whispering Pines
Jean Grady
30 x 40 in
$1,300.00 -
Nature Untamed
Jean Grady
30 x 40 in
$1,300.00 -
Stained Glass Sunset
Jean Grady
16 x 40 in
$560.00 -
Stony Rapids
Jean Grady
30 x 24 in
$750.00 -
Awakening
Jean Grady
24 x 24 in
$750.00 -
River’s Bend
Lynn Cameron
24 x 36 in
$900.00 -
In Good Company
Lynn Cameron
24 x 18 in
$400.00 -
Just Chilling
Lynn Cameron
24 x 18 in
$400.00 -
Dramatic Skies
Lucie Bause
30 x 60 in
$2,700.00
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