Color is everything for me. It’s not just a tool to make something look pretty—it’s a huge part of what drives my work. The colors I choose are based on how I’m feeling in the moment. Sometimes I lean toward warm tones—reds, oranges, yellows—that feel energizing and bold. Other times, I want to pull in cool blues and greens that feel more relaxing. It all depends on where I’m at, emotionally, mentally, and even physically.
One of the things I love most is experimenting with watercolor. There’s something magical about watching yellow mix with red and turn into this rich, saturated orange. It’s like I get to see the process unfold right before my eyes. Watercolor allows me to get out of my head and let go. I don’t plan it. I just start, and I let it flow.
The Freedom of Letting It Flow
I don’t start with an idea or a sketch. I just pick up the brush and see where it takes me. I lay down large washes of color and let the shapes form. From there, I might grab a colored pencil or a Posca pen and add layers—sometimes hatching, sometimes dotting. There’s no right way, no formula. It’s free, and that’s the best part. It’s a meditative process, like I’m tapping into something deeper without having to force it.
Sometimes my pieces are chaotic, other times they’re minimalist. But it’s always about the release—the feeling that I’m trying to express. Words don’t always capture it, and maybe they don’t need to. I want the viewer to feel the emotion without needing to put it into a neat little box. I’m not after labels. I just want the feeling to come through.
The Unexpected Emergence of Fall
Lately, a lot of my watercolors have ended up with colors that remind me of fall. And honestly, I didn’t even plan it. It just happened—yellow, red, and rust merging into each other. Fall wasn’t on my mind when I started, but there it is. Fall is a season of change. What’s vibrant and full of life gives way to more muted, softer tones. It’s like nature’s way of saying, “It’s okay to rest. It’s okay to let go.”
That shift in color feels like the change we all go through. Sometimes, we shed old layers—things that have hurt us, things that have made us stronger. And then we emerge on the other side, ready for something new. I didn’t set out to paint fall, but maybe that’s what it’s about for me—change. The colors in my work reflect the shifts I’ve gone through, whether I’ve planned them or not.
Colors and Childhood Memories
Some of the colors I’m using now remind me of things I wore as a little girl. I remember a yellow ochre dress with flowers scattered all over it. I would stare at those flowers for what felt like forever, tracing the patterns with my eyes. It was this beautiful, saturated yellow that seemed to soak up the sunlight. There’s a nostalgia there, a connection to simpler times.
Growing up, I spent a lot of time in the open fields, streams, and woods. Nature was everywhere, but I also felt a certain confinement because of my family’s religious beliefs. It was frowned upon to question what we were taught or seek understanding beyond that—it was described as "worldly" to do so. I think my obsession with observing nature was my way of reaching out—wanting to understand the world around me. Nature, with its changing seasons and colors, offered me a kind of freedom that I couldn’t find in other places.
Color as Reflection of Change
Like the seasons, I’ve gone through many changes in my life. And just like the colors I use in my work, those changes have been reflected in the shifts of my art. Sometimes my work is bold and loud, other times it’s quiet and introspective. But whatever phase I’m in, it always seems to show up in the color choices I make. That’s the beauty of it—color is a mirror to the emotions I’m experiencing.
Every season brings its own set of colors, and so do we. Whether intentional or not, we all evolve, and color, for me, is a reflection of that evolution.
Conclusion: Letting Colors Tell Their Story
Color is a language all on its own. It’s not just about making something look pretty; it’s about tapping into something deeper and expressing things we might not always have the words for. When I paint, I don’t just want to create something visually pleasing. I want to express feelings, moods, and moments. I want to show the viewer that there’s more to my work than what meets the eye.
So, the next time you find yourself drawn to a color or a piece of art, take a moment to see how it makes you feel. What story does it tell you without saying a word? That’s the beauty of color—it’s speaking to you, even if you don’t know it yet.
