Painting without a plan has something in common with bungee jumping. Although you know it probably won’t hurt and could be exciting, you’re still pretty nervous about stepping off the edge and letting gravity do its work. There are days when I know exactly what I’m going to paint. Tomorrow for example I know I’mRead more ⟶
Author: Diane
Don’t watch this video!
Don’t watch this video if you are looking for slick polished content with not a second of breathing space between words! Don’t watch if you want to see a performance of dazzling skill, impressive mastery of a demanding medium over a tricky subject, or a humbling demonstration of nineteen different tricks you should have knownRead more ⟶
Why do we love to paint?
Most of us say these days that we paint for relaxation, don’t we. We used to talk about our hobbies, but nowadays you rarely hear that term used, as young people love to consider their mental health, their need to relax, the pressure of life and social media, and much much more. Long gone areRead more ⟶
Easy-Peasy Bumble Bee-Zee
Our garden is full of bees at the moment, bumble bees, honey bees and various other types of bee, all buzzing around merrily pollinating the flowers which are merrily giving me hay fever! So today I thought I would paint three quick bumble bees in my loose style, accompanied by some equally loose floral elements.Read more ⟶
From the Archives
Watch this video if you have either of these questions going round in your head: Both these problems are answered in this video which gives you a glimpse inside my studio where the paint gets stuck in its tube, the brush gives up the ghost and I get covered in blue!
Tufted Titmouse and Friends
This tiny bird is very hardy and manages to survive in the far north of America even in the bitterest of cold winters. They are clever birds who store food in cracks in tree bark or in holes, and they manage to remember – unlike squirrels – where they have left the food and canRead more ⟶
Modern Mandala Painting
Painting a Mandala Today I thought it would be nice to do a mandala in watercolor and to talk a bit about what they are and why they bring so much into our lives, if we let them. Mandalas are traditional designs based on religious motifs which originate from the Buddhist and Hindu traditions andRead more ⟶
Gelli Printing with Watercolor Paint
I have only recently discovered Gelli plates, and even more recently started to experiment with using them for creating backgrounds and images. The whole idea of gelli plates is widely covered on YouTube almost exclusively by artists using acrylic paints, maybe various acrylic inks and similar, but I soon discovered that doesn’t mean you can’tRead more ⟶
Delicate Dragonflies
It’s been a minute or two since I last painted dragonflies, so today’s video is a treat for me and you. Scroll down to the bottom of this post if you want to see links to some of the dragonfly videos I’ve published before. You can find others if you simply search on google forRead more ⟶
Black-Eyed Susans Simple Style
If you want to create a quick and easy yet friendly and fun little message card or gift for a nature lover, you can’t do much better than to paint a page of Black-Eyed Susans! Who doesn’t love these cheerful blooms which liven up so very many gardens? More than a daisy, less than aRead more ⟶
Mixed Media Rocks!
Sometimes it’s just fun to play around with everything you can lay your hands on! In my “art drawer” beside my painting desk I have an assortment of pencils, pens, brush pens, paints and all sorts of things that can contribute to the look of a painting which might have started out as a watercolor.Read more ⟶
Paint a Page of Beach Bookmarks
In my latest video we feature my method of painting a page of bookmarks the easy way. You could also use this idea to create a little landscape painting if you don’t divide the page up! Materials For these bookmarks I used a sheet of the Meeden watercolor paper, size 7 x 10 inches, whichRead more ⟶
Unboxing the Meeden Artists Watercolor set of 24 colors
Meeden Art recently sent me a 24 color set of their 12ml tubes of Artists Watercolors to try out. It is a remarkably low-priced set and I knew I would be very interested to see what colors were included in the set, and to give them a road test to see how they compare withRead more ⟶
Vintage Violas in Watercolor
Painting Vintage Style Pansies – Simple Secrets to Successful Watercolor Sketches Why not start a botanical sketchbook this summer? Take your box of paints and a small mixed media sketchbook like mine from Canson XL and make some simple but charming vintage style sketches while enjoying the sunshine. Any patch of garden or park willRead more ⟶
Watercolor and Ink Poppies
With the Superbloom in full force at the moment what could be more appropriate than a page of poppies? This quick video will give you plenty of ideas for your own poppy fiesta! Any paints are suitable for this style of painting. Materials Here are the materials I used for this little page of poppies.Read more ⟶
Paul Rubens 4th Generation Artists Tube Watercolor Paint
Today I’m talking about using the Paul Rubens colors I’ve been testing just recently. I’ve linked below to the video which looks at them in detail, with complete swatching of all the colors. We’re just posting a second video today demonstrating very simple flower painting and color mixing using these Paul Rubens paints on myRead more ⟶
Discovering Intuitive Art
We talk about Intuitive Art and painting from the heart but where to start? I wanted to share with you something that I’ve found to be immensely helpful and discovered recently – Aboriginal song lines! Song lines are these amazing pathways of traditional knowledge, stories, and practices that are deeply connected to the land ofRead more ⟶
Create your own Reverse Coloring Book
Currently, there is a popular trend of drawing on top of pre-printed loose watercolor backgrounds. People are purchasing books with these pages to add their line work on top. But why not make your own personalised reverse coloring book to your own taste? Today, I would like to discuss how and why you might wantRead more ⟶