If you've ever wondered why your 'relaxing' art hobby doesn't always feel relaxing, this article is for you!

Maybe you picked up watercolour painting expecting those peaceful, meditative moments everyone talks about, but sometimes you sit down to paint and walk away feeling more frustrated than when you started. Or maybe you even abandon your painting altogether like I did with this little flower journal I had started.

Let’s explore why this happens and how to find the kind of creative calm that actually works for you.

Have you ever abandoned a creative project because it didn't seem to be turning out exactly as you might have hoped?

I certainly have, and I want to show you a very old project of mine that I just rediscovered. that looked like it could have been a lot of fun, but I'm guessing my got in the way and made me give up on it.

Bit sad, don't you think? So let's talk about why this happens - you know… fears, doubts, and a little bit of perfectionism! We’ll figure out how to overcome those in order to reclaim the joy in our creative hobbies.

Let’s not let our sketchbooks feel like a test we are afraid to fail!

Have you ever enrolled in a course you didn't finish?

Started a creative project only to abandon it midway through?

If you're nodding along, you're in good company. As creatives, we've all been there, and honestly, it would be odd if we hadn't. But there's something important that we need to remember: unfinished does not mean wasted.

Let me explain….

Have you ever found yourself wondering what loose watercolour painting actually means?

I can promise you you're not the only one. After a good many years of watercolour, I want to share the two tips that I found to be the most helpful in allowing me to embrace this forgiving and fun approach to watercolour. Spoiler alert… its a lot to do with mindset.

Some of the most joyful watercolour pigments you will find are in the family of pinks and reds - but alas the one you like best is described as ‘fugitive’.

And let me guess… you just had one of those fervent know-it-alls condemn the use of a colour like opera pink because of this particular characteristic. 😲

So let's first clarify what a fugitive paint is and then figure out how much we should care about that in our watercolour adventures.

There are no art police.

Yet somehow, it feels like they're watching, doesn't it?

Those nagging voices in our heads, the guilt, the endless "shoulds" that sneak in and steal the joy from creating.

Let’s bust 5 of the most common rules (that are actually totally made up myths) so that you can get on with enjoying painting again.

Is the dagger the brush all watercolour painters should be using, or is my old favourite still the best all-rounder?

Let me show you the dagger brushes I've tried and what they can do, so you can figure out if it's the sort of thing you'd like to add to your painting kit.

If you love that fresh, spontaneous look in watercolor but find yourself getting caught up in tight, controlled painting, you're not alone.

Today I'm sharing three super practical tips that you can try immediately to help you loosen up your painting and make the whole process much more enjoyable.

Does that blank page stare back at you like an intimidating white void? Do you find yourself procrastinating on sketching because you're worried about making the "wrong" mark? If you're nodding along, you're definitely not alone.

So let’s see what we can do about that right now.

This is not just a fun way to fill a page with watercolour. It's also a great way to know what your brushes can do.

If you've ever felt clumsy with a new brush or struggled to feel confident in your watercolour paintings, I have the perfect exercise for you. This simple challenge is going to make you feel so much more confident in your next watercolour painting, and honestly, it's more fun than you might expect.

How do you loosen up your watercolor painting? That's a question I'm often asked, and usually the painter asking that is actually just trying a little bit too hard—because more is not necessarily better.

One of the most helpful ways I know to go about loosening up watercolour painting is to simplify.

Do you ever find yourself in the middle of a watercolour painting that feels a little bit meh?

You have a subject you like and it's nice enough, but now something feels like it's missing. Let's figure out exactly what that is and I’ll share 5 tips and techniques you can use today to make your watercolours pop

If you're looking for watercolour paints that create stunning texture and depth with minimal effort, granulating pigments might just become your new obsession. These special watercolour paints separate and react with water to create multiple colours and beautiful granulated effects from a single tube—they practically paint themselves.

Want an easy way to turn an ordinary painting into something a bit special?

Granulating colours might be the perfect solution!

If you're wanting to loosen up your watercolor, there's one thing that you don't want to do. It's a way to paint smarter so that it's more fun for you and more fun for your viewer.

I'm talking about not overexplaining.

The wrong painting subject can make you give up on watercolour before you've even begun. But the right painting subject? Well, that makes watercolour feel easy, fun, and totally doable.

So, let me take the mystery out of choosing the best watercolour subject so that you can actually get painting much more often and with far more ease and joy.

Did you know that there are at least 7 reasons you DON’T need masking fluid?

Its awful stuff, but luckily there are many alternatives to the dratted masking fluid that allow you to preserve the white space in your watercolour paper with ease.

Let me share 3 reasons NOT to use masking fluid and then show you the many (and infinitely preferable) alternatives that are available.

Choosing the best colours to create skin tones in your watercolour painting can seem a daunting task.

Seldom does a watercolour paint set provide a sensible colour to use as a realistic skin tone. Fair enough considering the wondrous variety of skin tones we come across in real life.

So the best bet is to feel comfortable working out how to mix appropriate skin tones in watercolour.

Let’s get started doing just that in this article.

Ever heard the advice to paint in a series and wondered if it’s actually a good idea?

It’s a suggestion that comes up often in watercolour circles—and for good reason. Working in a series is often recommended as a way to build creative momentum, reduce decision fatigue, and deepen your understanding of a subject.

But does it really make a difference in practice?

In this post, I’ll share the three biggest lessons that I have learned after painting 82 watercolour series.

Drawing is the first stage of watercolor painting - so pretty important! Let’s find out what an underdrawing is and whether you actually need one.

I have lots of tips about drawing for watercolor painting to share with you - so let’s get started!