There is a queue in my head. It has been there my whole life. It’s a queue of ideas, projects, things I want to make, learn, try, paint, grow, build — and it moves faster than I can ever actually get through it. The second I finish one thing, three more ideas have already pushed to the front. I have notebooks full of plans I haven’t started. A Pinterest board that is essentially a manifesto. A brain that does not know how to be bored but does know how to be overwhelmed.
The problem with being an adult is that the queue doesn’t pause for the school run, the laundry, the emails, or the fact that it is somehow already 10 pm and you haven’t eaten properly since lunch.
Watercolour painting has been both a solution to this and a direct contributor to it, because every time I sit down to paint, I discover three more things I want to try. I started with flowers — loose, quick, satisfying — and I told myself I’d get good at those before moving on. That lasted about two weeks. Here’s everything I’ve been painting since.
Houses
This one started on a Saturday evening when my husband was working, and I had an unplanned few hours to myself. I decided, on a whim, to paint my house. It was so much fun that I’ve barely stopped since. There’s something about the structure of a building — the symmetry, the windows, the little details — that I find really satisfying to paint. I’ve become particularly fond of Victorian houses with bay windows, which is very convenient given that I live in Yorkshire and they’re everywhere.
It was also the first time I used a blank pen to outline my paintings. The lines make the whole thing feel so much more finished. I’ve since started selling custom house portraits in my shop — something I did not see coming when I picked up a brush in January.
Loose Realism Flowers
I love loose watercolour flowers because they’re quick and forgiving. But I wanted to push myself, so I’ve been experimenting with more detailed, layered paintings — sketching the shape first so the composition is intentional, then building up the colour slowly with lots of layers, waiting for each one to dry, working in shadows and different brushstrokes.
They take so much longer. They are so much more rewarding. I’ve learned more about how watercolour actually works from these than from anything else I’ve painted.
Easter Animals
Lambs, chicks, rabbits. I had so much fun with these. Animals are new territory for me, and I wasn’t sure how they’d go, but it turns out painting a small, fluffy lamb is an excellent use of a Tuesday evening.
Mother’s Day Cards
I hand-painted cards for my mum and my mother-in-law this year, and it felt so much more personal than anything I could have bought.
The cottage I painted for one of the cards was actually what first made me think about painting my own house — so in a roundabout way, Mother’s Day is responsible for my entire house portrait obsession.
A Self-Portrait
This weekend I attempted a self-portrait. I want to be upfront: it is basic, and whether it actually looks like me is genuinely up for debate. But it looks like a person, it has my hair, and I’m calling that a win.
Trying something you’re not sure you can do is kind of the whole point of this, and I’m more pleased with myself for attempting it than I would have been if I’d just painted another flower.
A Beach Landscape
I love painting landscapes, and I don’t do it nearly enough. This beach reminded me of that.
More landscapes are going on the list.
Delftware Vases
I’ve always loved Delftware — that classic blue and white Dutch pottery — so painting these vases felt like a natural fit. I’m really happy with how they came out.
This is the kind of thing I’d never have thought to paint six months ago, and now I can’t believe it took me this long.
More Flowers
Always more flowers. Two recent ones I’m particularly pleased with: a loose arrangement in a large metal planter — I loved getting the shine on the tub — and a wildflower painting where I used masking fluid to do the background before painting the flowers in.
If you’ve never used masking fluid, I recommend trying!
So that’s the queue as it stands right now. Except it isn’t, because since I started writing this post I’ve already added four more things to it. Next up I want to paint more houseplants, try different styles of houses, do more landscapes, and keep building on the portrait work. Oh, and get better at flowers. Obviously.
If you’re at the beginning of your watercolour journey and wondering whether it’s normal to want to paint everything at once rather than mastering one thing — yes. Completely. Come and be chaotic with me.
You can see the cards and prints available in my shop at A Little Painted Hello, and if you want to read more about how I got started, this post covers my first week with a brush. For the kit I use, my palette setup post and Windsor & Newton review are good places to start.