I love to make art. I really do. I love seeing colors explode on the page in surprising ways. I love dancing my brush around, exploring the difference in textures that can be made. I love trying to capture the feeling of whatever it is that I’m experiencing. I love being “in the zone”, or experiencing “flow state”, where the whole world disappears except for my art and my subject. But as much as I love these things, it’s sometimes difficult to sit down and do it. I’m constantly waging a war against burnout — long work hours and two young kids leave little time for self-care and hobbies. So how ..read more

Recently, I wrote about setting up a new watercolor palette. Well, I marked another milestone at about the same time: I completed a watercolor sketchbook! I decided to document my process as I archived that one, and selected my next one. Why use a sketchbook? First things first, I should note that I almost exclusively paint (not swatch) in bound books. Why do I use a sketchbook for my artwork? Well, I have several reasons: My on-the-go art supplies 1. They’re easily portable I am always on the move. Although I have a dedicated art space, I am rarely able to sit there and work. Instead, my supp ..read more

All of this writing, and I haven’t shown my actual paintings yet! What?! Well, today’s the day to fix that. Welcome to my first artwork showcase. And no, there are no swatches. I painted this delightful duck derriere last week, as I was wrapping up my latest sketchbook. I needed something to fill out a small space in a spread from my France trip — ideally, something from that same day. As I flipped back through my memories and photos, I recalled watching the ducks diving for their meal, spinning about without a care in the world. They must have been famished — they were bottoms-up in all the ..read more

Earlier this month, over the course of two weekends, I (virtually) attended Renee Walden’s “Snowy Landscapes” watercolor workshop. I figured I’d write up a review of the experience, for anyone else who might be interested. I’ve long admired Renee’s vibrant and clean color application, so when I received a message announcing her workshop, I joined straight away! So quickly, in fact, that I accidentally overpaid – but Renee was kind enough to reimburse me. I opted to attend both of the two sessions, but could have selected only one. As I live on the east coast of the US, the class time ran from ..read more

In my last post, I mentioned I might like swatching colors more than painting — well, I think I like setting up new palettes even more than that . To me, assembling a watercolor palette is more than just squeezing paint tubes. It’s a symbol of new possibilities: new color mixes, new stories, new adventures. All are exciting things to explore and grow through! If I let myself build watercolor palettes without restraint, I’d probably have hundreds of them. So, I try to have goals in mind each time I set a new one up. This time is no different! With spring right around the corner (although frankl ..read more

Sometimes, I wonder if I enjoy painting or if I like to swatch colors . I have a huge collection of swatched papers! Have you ever heard of the term “brush miles”? It’s the idea that the more you practice and paint, the better your paintings will be. As someone who loves watercolor, I find joy every time I sit down to paint. But what happens when life gets in the way? How can one get their brush mileage in to make beautiful paintings when they can’t commit to finishing a full painting in one go? When I’m tired, when I only have a few minutes to paint, or when I am lacking in motivation (so bas ..read more

I know what you’re thinking: “who starts a blog in 2024?” Yes, I’m very, very late to the game! I’ve thought about setting one up so many times over the years, but like so many other things, the idea fell by the wayside as life got in the way. The idea keeps returning to mind, though, so I figure now is better than never! So why start a blog? Well, I suppose I’m looking for a community and accountability. I am keen to explore more of my interests, mainly art and photography. As a mom of two rambunctious little boys, and as a software engineer-turned-manager, I find it difficult to make time fo ..read more