diff --git a/app.css b/app.css
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1ec70fb5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app.css
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+.canvas {
+    background: grey;
+    display: flex;
+    flex-wrap: wrap;
+}
+
+.controls {
+    display: flex;
+    flex-wrap: wrap;
+}
+
+.color-picker {
+    width: 30px;
+    height: 30px;
+    border-radius: 50%;
+    border-style: ridge;
+    border-color: dimgrey;
+}
+
+.brush-indicator {
+    width: 50%;
+    padding: 40px;
+    margin: auto;
+    border-style: ridge;
+    border-color: dimgrey;
+    text-align: center;
+    font-size: 25px;
+    font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app.js b/app.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2a026bfc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app.js
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+console.log("app.js begin");
+
+const NUM_PIXELS_IN_ROW = 44;
+const NUM_PIXELS_COLUMN = 26;
+const PIXEL_WIDTH = 40;
+
+// get reference to grid holder
+const canvas = document.querySelector('.canvas');
+const controls = document.querySelector('.controls');
+
+
+canvas.style.width = PIXEL_WIDTH * NUM_PIXELS_IN_ROW + "px"; 
+
+for (let i=0; i < NUM_PIXELS_IN_ROW*NUM_PIXELS_COLUMN; i++){
+    const pixel = document.createElement('button');
+    // style pixels in the canvas with a .pixel class
+    pixel.className = 'pixel';
+    pixel.style.width = PIXEL_WIDTH + "px";
+    pixel.style.height = PIXEL_WIDTH + "px";
+    canvas.append(pixel);
+}
+
+let colorSelection;
+
+const pixels = document.querySelectorAll('.pixel');
+for (pixel of pixels){
+    console.log("creating event listener for pixel: " + pixel);
+    pixel.addEventListener('click', (event) => {
+        const clicked = event.target;
+        clicked.style.background = colorSelection;
+        clicked.style.borderColor = colorSelection;
+    });
+}
+
+let colorPalette = ['Crimson','DarkRed','DarkSalmon','FireBrick','IndianRed','LightCoral','LightSalmon',
+'Red','Salmon','DeepPink','HotPink','LightPink','MediumVioletRed','PaleVioletRed','Pink','Coral','DarkOrange',
+'Gold','Orange','OrangeRed','Tomato','Bisque','BlanchedAlmond','Brown','Burlywood','Chocolate','Cornsilk',
+'DarkGoldenrod','Goldenrod','Maroon','Peru','RosyBrown','SaddleBrown','SandyBrown','Sienna','Tan','Wheat',
+'DarkKhaki','Khaki','LemonChiffon','LightGoldenrodYellow','LightYellow','Moccasin','PaleGoldenrod','PapayaWhip',
+'PeachPuff','Yellow','Chartreuse','DarkGreen','DarkOliveGreen','DarkSeaGreen','ForestGreen','Green','GreenYellow',
+'LawnGreen','LightGreen','Lime','LimeGreen','MediumSeaGreen','MediumSpringGreen','Olive','OliveDrab',
+'PaleGreen','SeaGreen','SpringGreen','YellowGreen','Aqua','Aquamarine','DarkTurquoise','LightSeaGreen',
+'MediumAquamarine','MediumTurquoise','PaleTurquoise','Turquoise','CadetBlue','Cyan','DarkCyan','LightCyan',
+'Teal','Blue','BlueViolet','CornflowerBlue','DarkBlue','DeepSkyBlue','DodgerBlue','LightBlue','LightSkyBlue',
+'LightSteelBlue','MediumBlue','MidnightBlue','Navy','PowderBlue','RoyalBlue','SkyBlue','SteelBlue',
+'DarkMagenta','DarkOrchid','DarkSlateBlue','DarkViolet','Fuchsia','Indigo','Lavender','Magenta','MediumOrchid',
+'MediumPurple','MediumSlateBlue','Orchid','Plum','Purple','RebeccaPurple','SlateBlue','Thistle','Violet',
+'AliceBlue','AntiqueWhite','Azure','Beige','DarkGray','DarkSlateGray','DimGray','FloralWhite','Gainsboro',
+'GhostWhite','Gray','Honeydew','Ivory','LavenderBlush','LightGray','LightSlateGray','Linen','MintCream',
+'MistyRose','NavajoWhite','OldLace','Seashell','Silver','SlateGray','Snow','White','Whitesmoke','Black',
+'White']
+// make palette - start with 1 color
+for (let i = 0; i < 142; i++) {
+    const colorChoice = document.createElement('div');
+    colorChoice.className = 'color-picker';
+    colorChoice.style.background = colorPalette[i];
+    controls.append(colorChoice);
+    colorChoice.addEventListener('click', (event)=>{
+        colorSelection = colorPalette[i];
+        console.log(`picked ${colorPalette[i]}`);
+        brushIndicator.textContent = `Brush color is: ${colorSelection}`
+        if (colorPalette[i] == 'black') {
+            brushIndicator.style.webkitTextFillColor = 'white';
+        } else {
+            brushIndicator.style.webkitTextFillColor = "black";
+        }
+        brushIndicator.style.backgroundColor = colorSelection;
+    })
+}
+
+const brushIndicator = document.createElement('div');
+brushIndicator.className = 'brush-indicator';
+controls.append(brushIndicator);
+if (colorSelection == 'black') {
+    brushIndicator.style.textEmphasisColor = 'white';
+}
+
diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index e69de29b..abee6c41 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+<!DOCTYPE html>
+<html lang="en">
+<head>
+    <meta charset="UTF-8">
+    <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge">
+    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
+    <title>Pixel Art Maker</title>
+    <script defer src="app.js"></script>
+    <link rel="stylesheet" href="app.css">
+</head>
+<body>
+    <div class="container">
+        <div class="canvas"></div>
+        <div class="controls"></div>
+    </div>
+</body>
+</html>
\ No newline at end of file