Where It All Began

These pears are the first watercolor I ever did and it’s still hanging on my dining room wall. Entitled “Fruition”; the memories are like deep, entangled roots and I’ll never sell this piece (but prints are available!) 

Here’s How it Happened

In November 2011, I took a watercolor class to learn techniques to apply to my digital photography. Instead, I fell in love with the magical and mysterious flow of pigment and paper. I was smitten and could not stop. For 5 years, I painted only watercolors and branded myself as “Watercolor Bloom”, a name that suited me at the time. I went through many phases including a “purest” stage where I only used long lasting, archival pigments vs. something like Opera Rose which is a fugitive (fades quickly) color. I quickly abandoned that practice because curtailed my need to discover and explore; it was too restrictive. There were just too many lovely colors begging me to pick them off the shelves and give them a spin! Which I did in plenty.

I settled primarily on Holbein’s watercolors. The pigments are rich and saturated. The caps were easy to screw off and on…something that discouraged me from using other brands. Holbein doesn’t have it all though. Daniel Smith has the most gorgeous, bluish Payne’s Grey – almost indigo… I keep that in my stash.

Alizarin Crimson was hands down better in Winsor Newton, but Holbein has a gorgeous deep, ruby red called Carmine. Some colors I could not see any difference and I stayed with Holbein for those colors. I made color charts and more color charts as a way to get to know each color; highly recommend.