Hi artist,

Watercolour is the hardest medium.

How many of us started painting with that warning ringing in our ears? Maybe it made you doubt whether you had what it takes to be able to paint competently. Maybe it made you tighten your grip on the brush, working warily and ready to switch to damage control as soon as the painting took an unforeseen turn.

How I wish we'd been told this instead:

I didn't realize until years into my watercolour journey that my favourite parts of painting were found in the unexpected moments, when the paint would flow, colours would mingle organically and create magical effects. I had spent so many years invested in learning how to be in control, so I wouldn't make mistakes, and my paintings were so tight and cautious!

When I teach now, I love telling artists, "Watercolour wants to be beautiful." This isn't a medium we have to manage. We don't have to be the ones wielding the tricks to make it look spontaneous, fresh, inspiring. Watercolour is most beautiful when we leave our egos at the door and accept that most of the time the most wonderful parts of our paintings are going to happen when we let our guard down and give up control.

Ultimately this such good news! It means my mistakes don't have to ruin a painting. It means I don't have to be skilled in order to paint something beautiful. It means I can invest in creating a beautiful process built on presence, attention and response, and trust that my outcome will reflect what I'm giving, and what I'm hoping to receive from this beautiful medium.

I'm deeply grateful for that truth, and even though I don't do it perfectly, tipping into control more often than not, there's the grace of a fresh piece of paper and a new beginning. There's a moment of calm in the chaos of daily life. There's the gift that art gives the artist, and anytime someone comments on an artist being gifted, I think we should tell them that "gifted" only means we're the ones being given something beautiful.

in gratitude for watercolour's gifts,

Angela