The COAST of LIGHT prompts are a simple framework for an ongoing creative practice. They grew out of my own creative process and the places where I find inspiration. The same prompts will return each month with four new colours.
Everything is open to interpretation, so respond however you like, wherever you are: take photographs, record sounds, sketch shapes or lines, and so on.
The aim isn’t to post every day, but to observe and build creative rhythm and consistency. Focus on one prompt a week or one prompt a month, exploring the full set over time.
Come and follow along @coastoflight on Instagram or even join in! #COLCP26
Inspired by the coast, interpreted anywhere. A new project for inspiration.
Here are the prompts:
1, COLOUR as inspiration (see below for details)
2, FIRST LIGHT
3, A WALL as a canvas
4, WATER as a pattern
5, SHADOW play
6, FLORAL pattern
7, TREE
8, COLOUR as inspiration (see below for details)
9, LOOK UP
10, HORIZON
11, MOVEMENT
12, TEXTURE
13, LOOK DOWN
14, FRAMED
15, COLOUR as inspiration (see below for details)
16, A TRANSITION (In Between)
17, MATERIAL WORLD as a pattern
18, LIVING FORM
19, LAYER (DEPTH)
20, LINE
21, PERSPECTIVE
22, COLOUR as inspiration (see below for details)
23, EDGE
24, REFLECTION
25, CLOSE UP
26, CONTRAST
27, SHAPE
28, SILHOUETTE
29, GOLDEN HOUR
30, LAST LIGHT
31, BLUE HOUR
In the event of a shorter month I sometimes adjust the last few to my liking such as BLUE HOUR instead of SILHOUETTE.
THE COLOURS (May 2026 to April 2027)
DETAILS and HEX CODES of COLOURS
MAY
Still Green #77A670 the hills before the heat arrives, green and holding on.
Jacaranda #8785C6 the purple-blue of the trees in bloom, filling the streets of Jerez and Cádiz.
Electric Blue #0892D0 the electric blue of a flamenco dress at La Feria, spinning under the lights.
Hot Pink #E55982 the bougainvillea, climbing every wall it can find.
JUNE
Jasmine White #f9f8f5 the flower that climbs the walls in soft warm white.
Coastal Straw #cebc6a a bleached, weed-like yellow, dried but still alive.
Mar Esmeralda #2A7A6F the deep green-teal of the bay’s water in the channels.
Almadraba #E8A87C named after the ancient tuna fishing tradition, a warm sun-bleached terracotta.
JULY
Girasol #FDBE46 named after the sunflower fields that fill the Andalusian countryside.
Candela #F97F35 Spanish for flame or firelight, capturing the heat and energy of the month.
Higuera #A57179 the fig tree, in fruit right now, with flesh this exact deep dusty rose.
Piscina #3DBFCC simply swimming pool, that bright artificial turquoise so appealing in the summer months.
AUGUST
Chancla #F4A9C9 the cheap rubber pink of beach flip-flops.
Calima #B8CCD4 the hazy, dust-filled sky that blurs the horizon during the hottest stretch of summer.
Tinto #A8324A tinto de verano, the red wine and lemonade mix.
Noche #3a2f35 the deep, warm dark of an August night, still holding the day’s heat.
SEPTEMBER
Poniente #6A8FA0 the warm west wind off the bay as the heat of summer begins to ease.
Retorno #7C9A7E a quiet, settled green marking the return to routine after the busyness of summer.
Vendimia #C9A23D the amber-gold of grapes during the September harvest around Jerez and El Puerto.
Higo Chumbo #C81F6E the vivid magenta flesh of the prickly pear, one last burst of colour before autumn.
OCTOBER
Mosto #5C3A52 the dusky plum of grape must fermenting after the vendimia, the last of the harvest turning to wine.
Oloroso #8B4225 the deep amber-mahogany of an aged Oloroso, the sherry that gives Jerez its name.
Membrillo #D98A4A quince, the orange-gold fruit ripening in gardens this month.
Aceituna #6B7353 the green-grey of olives darkening on the branch as the October harvest begins.
NOVEMBER
San Martín #E8C98A the soft gold of the veranillo de San Martín, the brief warm spell around 11 November.
Nubarrón #5F6B78 the heavy slate-grey of a rain cloud rolling in over the bay.
Otoñada #9DB35C the fresh green that comes back to the fields and verges after the first autumn rains.
Castaña #6B4A38 roasted chestnut, and the smoke from the street vendors’ carts as the evenings draw in.
