Watercolor was my call back to art.

After graduating from college, I found a career in the nonprofit world. Nonprofit work is gratifying, but it left little time and energy for making art. I went almost 15 years without painting.

Then, one day, out of the blue, while grocery shopping, I saw the children’s art supplies. Before I knew it, I had a Crayola watercolor palate and a small package of paintbrushes in my basket. I went home and started painting. The next day, I went to the art supply store and purchased paper, tubes of watercolor paint, and more brushes. Now, I paint as much and as often as I can.

My favorite part of watercolor is how unpredictable it can be. Sometimes, I get wrapped up in trying to control it. It’s a beautiful reminder that control is not all it’s cracked up to be. I also appreciate it because there is virtually no waste. The paints do not get old and crusty like acrylics or oils; if they get crunchy, you just add water.