Hey there, Reader!

When I took time away from making art and publishing content, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to redesign my workspace. My old workspace was crowded and it didn't have good lighting.

So, I embarked on an exciting project that completely revolutionized the environment in which I create art. Here are some of the positive changes I made:

• I painted the walls (You'll see the new colour in upcoming YouTube videos!)
• I bought a cozy rug that feels super soft
• I rearranged the furniture in order to optimize the space
• I purchased lovely curtains to brighten the room
• I added pleasant decor to make the space feel inspiring and relaxing

Overall, my workspace feels more comfortable, it looks more aesthetically pleasing, and the improved lighting makes a HUGE difference when it comes to creating art. Especially watercolours.

Because if you know anything about watercolour paintings, you know that transparency is one of the main characteristics of this beautiful medium.

For this reason, I'm able to paint in a room where I have more access to natural light from a window. That means I can lay down layers and observe the vibrancy of the pigments more easily than in my old workspace, where natural light was limited.

That being said, returning to watercolour painting feels like I'm reconnecting with an old friend.

For instance, I felt a little awkward holding a paintbrush and laying down brushstrokes due to a lack of practice. Nevertheless, the muscle memory is quickly kicking in, and the familiarity of painting feels comforting.

Now that my workspace is much more optimized, I'm curious to see how painting with better lighting will effect my artwork.

All in all, reconnecting with watercolour has been an interesting experience. In some ways, it feels unfamiliar because I don't really know what kind of subject matter I want to paint nowadays.

I'm not the same artist I was a year ago, so I'm curious to see how my watercolour art style will evolve.

As I reconnect with watercolour, I rediscovered a set of 24 watercolour pencils that I had completely forgotten about. In my opinion, quick practice sessions are easier to do with watercolour pencils than tube or pan paints.

Why? Because you can colour with them as if they're coloured pencils and use them as dry media. Or you can lay down colours and add water to dilute the pigments to transform them into watercolours, which is wet media.

For that reason, I'm playing around with these pencils because, as I discussed in last week's newsletter, one of the best ways to ease back into creating art is to reward yourself with small, easy wins that can be accomplished in a short amount of time.

However, as I reconnected with watercolour, I ran into an unexpected problem. It's one I didn't anticipate.

After taking a break from painting and drawing, I'm returning to art with fresh eyes and a brand new perspective. Moving through this learning experience has been quite eye-opening.

In next week's newsletter, I'll talk about that unexpected challenge and reveal how I'm working through it. It's a common challenge that many artists relate to, so stay tuned, Reader!

ACTION STEP: Reply to this email to let me know which type of watercolour do you prefer to paint with. Pans? Tubes? Pencils? Inks? There are many different types of watercolour, so I'd love to know which one resonates with you the most and why.

Talk to you again soon,

Your friend,

Miranda

P.S. Update on my experience doing the The Artist's Way program: This week, I'm reading the introduction of the book. Next week from July 6th to 12th, I'll start Week 1: Recovering a Sense of Safety. I'm documenting my journey, so I'll start sharing the adventure with you later this month. Stay tuned, my friend!

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