I didn't start with magnolias. I started with little street scenes.

I'd watched a video of a woman who painted for just ten minutes every day — small, simple streetscapes. I live in Elkins, West Virginia, a historic town full of beautiful old buildings. I could relate to a small street scene. So I picked up a brush and started there.

What I didn't expect was how hard it would be to let go. I am a perfectionist — I have been my entire life. I've owned my businesses for 27 years — but I've been designing flowers since I was 13. I walked into a flower shop after middle school every day because I loved it. 44 years later, I still do. I am used to controlling outcomes. In watercolor, you cannot control everything. The way the water and the paint mix is somewhat unpredictable, and that uncontrollable quality is something I still wrestle with every single time I sit down to paint.

The lack of realism in my paintings is hard for me to overcome. I look at what I've made and I see all the ways it doesn't match what I imagined. That gap between vision and reality — between the painting in my head and the painting on the paper — is still very much something I'm learning to make peace with.

Would I say it has "clicked" yet? Honestly, not completely. I have a different level of comfort than I did a year ago. But I still don't feel completely confident. It is still very much a journey.

And yet — I think about going home and up into my little painting room for most of the day. It is my peace. I love it as much as I have loved any expressive creative thing I have ever done. That magnolia painting at the top of this page? I painted that in my first year. I started with street scenes and somehow ended up there.

What I Actually Started With

People ask me what supplies I recommend for beginners and my honest answer is: start simple, start inexpensive, and let yourself be bad at it for a while. Here's exactly what I used in my first year:

If you're thinking about starting watercolor — especially if you're a perfectionist like me — my best advice is this: give yourself permission to not know where you're going. The destination will reveal itself. Pick up a brush, mix some color, and let the water do what it wants to do.

I'll be painting in my little room tonight. Maybe I'll finally make peace with the imperfection. Maybe not. Either way, it's my peace. And that's enough. 🌸

One of my favorite watercolor finds lately has been the Jucoan Ceramic Stackable Porcelain Palette. As someone still very much learning watercolor, I've realized pretty quickly that having supplies that are easy to use actually makes me want to paint more often — and this palette has become something I reach for every single day.

What I love most is the ceramic surface. Colors mix true and clean in a way that plastic trays just can't match. The stackable design keeps everything compact and organized, and the wells are the perfect size for mixing without wasting paint.

I use it almost every single day — for color mixing, quick painting sessions, and even bringing supplies to paint somewhere other than my little painting room at home. It's simple, functional, and honestly just makes painting feel more enjoyable.

If you're a beginner like me — or even someone more experienced looking for a reliable everyday palette — this one has earned a permanent spot in my supplies.

Want to see all my watercolor supplies in one place? Head over to the Watercolor Studio on the main shop page — everything I personally use and recommend is there. 🌸