Art & Life Blog

Watercolour tutorials, art therapy insights, ADHD creative journey, and stories from my studio in South London

All Posts Art & Process (5) Art & Wellbeing (1) Art Stories & Inspiration (6) Art Therapy (10) Art Tutorials (1) Artist Insights (1) Behind the Scenes (15) Botanical Art (1) Collections & Inspiration (1) Collectors (2) Color & Psychology (1) Commissions (3) Events (1) Landscapes (6) Local Heritage (1) Mindfulness (1) Nature & Wellbeing (1) News & Milestones (1) Seasonal Offers & Collections (1) Techniques (1) Urban Landscapes (1) Urban Nature (1) Workshops (1)

Commissions

How to Commission a Watercolour Portrait (And What to Expect)

Thinking about commissioning a watercolour portrait? Here is exactly what the process looks like — from brief to finished painting — so you know what to expect.

17 March 2026

2 min read

Behind the Scenes

The Best Art Galleries in South London — A Watercolour Artist's Guide

South London is quietly becoming one of the best places in the UK to see art. From the Tate Modern's neighbourhood to Carshalton's thriving open studio scene, here is my personal guide to the galleries and spaces worth visiting.

17 March 2026

3 min read

Behind the Scenes

Watercolour Supplies for Beginners — What You Actually Need (and What to Skip)

Starting out with watercolour? It's tempting to buy everything. Here's what's genuinely worth it, and what you can leave on the shelf for now.

17 March 2026

3 min read

Behind the Scenes

How to Frame Watercolour Art — A Painter's Practical Guide

Framing a watercolour painting is one of the most consequential decisions you will make about the work. Done well, framing elevates a painting. Done poorly, it diminishes it — sometimes irreversibly. Here is what I have learned from years of framing my own work.

17 March 2026

7 min read

Techniques

What Is Wet-on-Wet Watercolour? — The Technique, the Risk, and the Reward

Wet-on-wet is one of the defining techniques of watercolour painting — and one of the most misunderstood. When it works, it produces the kind of blooms, soft gradients, and luminous washes that are impossible to achieve any other way. When it goes wrong, it produces mud. Here is how to use it well.

17 March 2026

7 min read

Landscapes

Why I Paint Near Water — Landscape, Memory, and the River Wandle

Every painter has places they return to. Mine are almost always near water — rivers, ponds, the wet edges of meadows where the ground becomes uncertain. The River Wandle runs through Carshalton where I live and paint. It has been one of the most constant presences in my practice.

17 March 2026

8 min read

Behind the Scenes

The Art of Colour Mixing in Watercolour

Most beginners buy too many colours and still can't mix what they want. Here's how watercolour colour mixing actually works — and the limited palette I've used for years.

17 March 2026

4 min read

Behind the Scenes

Selling Art Online in the UK — What Actually Works

I've sold watercolour paintings through Instagram, Etsy, open studios, and my own website. Here's what I've learned — including what doesn't work and what quietly does.

17 March 2026

5 min read

Art Therapy

Mindful Painting — How to Slow Down and Actually Enjoy Making Art

Most people rush their paintings and wonder why they feel dissatisfied. Mindful painting isn't a technique — it's a way of paying attention. Here's what it means in practice.

17 March 2026

5 min read

Behind the Scenes

My Daffodil Painting on 600,000 Salvation Army Easter Cards

Finding out that my watercolour daffodil was chosen for 600,000 Salvation Army Easter cards across the UK was one of those moments that stops you in your tracks. Here is the full story.

16 March 2026

4 min read

Landscapes

Carshalton Ponds: The Wildest Place in South London (And Why I Keep Painting It)

Five minutes from my studio, there are two chalk-fed ponds older than London itself. Here's why Carshalton Ponds have become the most important place in my painting practice — and what the water teaches me every time.

16 March 2026

6 min read

Workshops

What to Look For in a Watercolour Workshop (And What to Run From)

Not all art classes are created equal. Here's how to spot a watercolour workshop that will genuinely help you grow — and the red flags that signal a waste of your time and money.

16 March 2026

7 min read

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