The Process

How I get from a blank page to a realistic watercolour painting..

Every painting begins with seeing something of interest – a leaf, a flower, some seed pods. If I haven’t seen it, then the kids bring me something they’ve found on the playground and ask me to paint it.

The hardest part for me is the composition. Figuring out which angle looks best, finding the right light (sunlight is best) for a photo against a white piece of paper and which produces the best shadow. The process is slow and intentional. Sometimes I find what I think is an amazing looking item but can’t get a photo to capture it correctly, so end up having to abandon it. My camera roll always looks like this with tens of photos at different angles with different shadows all trying to get it just right.

From there, I print it out in the size that I want to use so I can see how it looks. I try to keep the size as it would be in nature, so end up with small pieces of art. I want it to look like it’s just sitting there and could be picked up.

To transfer to the watercolour paper, I either trace or freehand draw it. It depends on the complexity of the shape and shadow. Sometimes I’m tracing the outline and freehand drawing all the details on the inside.

Then it’s time to paint. I love the smooth surface of hot pressed 100% cotton paper for the detail that it allows me to create. I start by layering – starting with the lightest colours and then the darkest. Then it’s filling in all the colours in between. Watercolour is beautifully unpredictable at times so I’ve learned to let go of a little control when layering up colours seeing how they all combine.

I paint in the tiny pockets of time I have – usually between kid duties and when there are moments. It’s not always neat or quiet, but it’s honest. I enjoy that I can build up a painting made of tiny stolen moments of time – especially in today’s busy world.

Each painting holds a little story — of childhood curiosity, of resilience, of beauty in the overlooked — and I hope they speak to something in you, too.