Jacqueline’s Blog

A Well Rounded Watercolor Palette

A Well Rounded Watercolor Palette

THE COLORS ON MY PALETTE
Here is a list of the watercolors that always seem to be on my palette.  I often have other colors that I call my “guest colors” that come and go but the ones listed below are my favorite. 
COLOR
BRAND
NOTES
SUBSTITUTE COLOR
Lemon Yellow
D.S.
Good cool yellow
Hansa Yellow Med. 
Phthalo Yellow Green
D.S.
Bright spring green
Cadmium Green Pale
Rich Green Gold
D.S.
Mix with blues and yellows for greenery
Phthalo Green YS
D.S.
Phthalo Turquoise
D.S.
Great for making darks
Cobalt Blue Teal
D.S.
Good “Pop” color
Cerulean
D.S. or W.N.
Manganese Blue/ good for skies & foliage
Cobalt Blue
W.N. or D.S.
Good for skies
Phthalo Blue RS
D.S.
Great for making darks and adding to foliage
French Ultramarine
D.S. or W.N.
The warmest blue
Carbazole Violet
D.S.
Good for adding to shadows
Cobalt Violet Deep
Quinacridone Violet
D.S. or W.N.
Good shadow color
Permanent Magenta
Permanent Rose
W.N.
Quinacridone Rose/ good for flowers
Permanent Red
D.S. or W.N.
True red
Winsor Red
Permanent Orange
D.S.
Good for flowers
Quinacridone Burnt Orange
D.S.
Good earth tone
Quinacridone Gold
D.S.
Stone wall, mixes well to make greens
New Gamboge
D.S.
Indian Yellow
D.S. = Daniel Smith; W.N. = Winsor Newton

Artist Stocking Stuffer Ideas

Artist Stocking Stuffer Ideas

Since the holiday season is upon us, I thought it would be fun to share a few of my watercolor paints that I have recently added to my palette.  Any one of these colors would make a great stocking stuffer for the watercolor artist.  You can drop a hint to Santa by sharing this post!
Today’s color idea is:  FRENCH VERMILION by Sennelier. 

French Vermilion, 21 ml

“The word vermilion came from the Old French word vermeillon, which was derived from vermeil, from the Latin vermiculus, the diminutive of the Latin word vermis, or worm.  The name originated because it had a similar color to the natural red dye made from an insect, the Kermes vermilio, which was widely used in Europe. The term cinnabar was used interchangeably with vermilion until the 17th century, when vermilion became the more common name. By the late 18th century ‘cinnabar’ applied to the unground natural mineral only.”  


Gift Ideas

Gift Ideas

Did you know that my art work is featured on lots of fun, cool gift ideas with FineArtAmerica? Not only can you buy prints and canvas paintings but they also offer my art on pillows, notebooks, iPhone cases, towels, totes, coffee mugs and much more!  Even shower curtains!  If there is a painting that you would like to see added please contact me.  Check it out!

Watercolor Journeys

Watercolor Journeys

My updated, self-published book, Watercolor Journeys, has just been reprinted.  It is now 70 pages of watercolor, painting and art journaling information.  This conveniently sized, spiral-bound gem is full of color photos, information on color theory and how to use color in your paintings, fun exercises, examples of my travel art journals, tips, inspiring art quotes, and much more.

Here are a few pages from my book:
Watercolor Journeys is $22 plus shipping. 
Here are just a few emails that I have received about my book:

“Wow! What a treasure! I love it! You need to expand on it and publish it big time! What a gorgeous book and filled with great information and beautiful artwork!” ….. Lynn

“I just wanted to follow up with you…I LOVEthe book, I have been pouring over it and working on the lessons – I feel like they should be called “workshops”, they have proven to be so productive and interesting for me. Your careful, organized, right-to-the-point explanations and ideas to try out the concepts (especially color mixing, love the chickens:-) has been very helpful, fillling in the holes in my watercolor education. I am having so much fun with it, and not feeling any of the tentativeness or anxiety around the outcome as I have in the past.” …..Jeanne

 “Got the book today and I do indeed love it!  I’ve already taken a couple of ideas from it for my travel journal [my palette and colour wheel] and will take your book to Italy with me.”    …..Lori 

“I received your book today, and absolutely LOVE it!!!  So much so, that I just ordered 2 more, to go along with the additional copies of the DVDs that I purchased.”   …..Cori

To order your copy, please click on the BUY  NOW button to the right.

Painting in Italy, 2018!

Painting in Italy, 2018!

Join me on this fun adventure to Orvieto, Italy! 

I am very excited to present my watercolor workshop with Adventures in Italy Painting the Italian light and color!  One of my favorite things to do is to teach how I create visual journals of my travels using watercolors.  Orvieto, the charming Italian village perched on a rock, is the perfect place to spend our week together.  We will enjoy colorful painting time, tasty food delights, wine tasting, exploring the rich culture and history of the area, shopping, and relaxing in the quiet gardens of our Italian home.  Umbria is rich with sights, sounds, and colors – all wonderful inspiration for developing your artistic eye.  

“There are things you can’t reach” by Mary Oliver

“There are things you can’t reach” by Mary Oliver

“There are things you can’t reach. But
You can reach out to them, and all day long.

The wind, the bird flying away. The idea of god.

And it can keep you busy as anything else, and happier.


I look; morning to night I am never done with looking.

Looking I mean not just standing around, but standing around
As though with your arms open.”

by Mary Oliver

New Watercolor Palette Loaded and Ready to Paint!

New Watercolor Palette Loaded and Ready to Paint!

I finally made the choices for 40 colors on my new watercolor palette!
I made a color chart for each color.  I always recommend making a color chart of the colors on your palette because sometimes you can’t really tell what the color looks like sitting there in the well.

On my chart I list the manufacturer as well.  Then I get the chart laminated a Staples so that it will hold up and not fall apart if it gets wet.  I abbreviate the manufacturer names as follows:
Daniel Smith = DS
Winsor Newton = WN
Sennelier = Senn.
Holbein = HB
Schmincke = Schmin.
I hope you can read the chart that I made shown in these photos.