30 Lessons Learned, #17: There are Still New Favorite Colors to be Found

Finding new favorite colors is one of life's greatest joys--especially when you've been painting for a while and think there are no new colors left to meet. I am always intrigued by watercolors and how each paint reacts uniquely to other pigments, to water, to drying, etc.

There are all kinds of philosophies about using watercolor paint. The one book that I go back to again and again is Transparent Watercolor Wheel. And may I just say, holy moly, I must not be the only person who feels that way. I just realized that the book is out of print and getting pretty darn expensive. (Not only did it teach me how to paint, it might pay for my retirement as well.)

For the watercolor buffs out there, I want to share a couple of my new favorite colors:
Manganese blue, Holbein
Mineral violet, Holbein
Raw umber, Winsor Newton


Speaking of favorites, I wanted to share a couple of fun tidbits:
1. I am the recipient of two beautiful hand made cards from my blogging friend Jane. She held a contest and I was a lucky winner. I can't wait to see them in person. Jane also makes stunning jewelry.
2. My friend Cindy Ann Ganaden featured yours truly on her blog this past week. Cindy is an amazing illustrator. Her sketchbook stories focus on artists' inspiration -- they are definitely worth a look.