variety and harmony

i end up spending a lot of my life thinking about palette. what are the colors that belong with each other within a particular field of view? how can colors create a mood that both invigorates and soothes? how much variation is enough to create an interesting thing to look at, but not so much that the view becomes jarring or chaotic? as always. nature is the first place to look for answers.

palourdes, mediterranean clams