Alex Hillkurtz came to us LIVE from France on Friday, July 1st to share his watercolor techniques and favorite color palette.

Here’s a quick Q&A with Alex:

Why do you paint?
Painting is how I communicate with the world.

How long have you been painting? 
I first started painting with watercolor at university. I painted for a few years, but got to a point where I wasn’t progressing so I stopped and put it away for many years. It wasn’t until my wife and I moved to Paris a few years ago that I picked it up again.

Do you paint every day?  Do you have a favorite time of day to work?
Not every day, but if too many days go by without painting, I get antsy. I find I’m most productive in the afternoons and evening.

Have you had formal art training? 
No, I had a couple art classes in high school but nothing very formal. I studied film production in college, and have worked in the film industry for many years as a storyboard artist. My “informal” art training has been working with directors and cinematographers to create the visual language of a film.

Do you consider yourself to be a working artist or do you have another job?
Painting is my main job. I still occasionally take storyboard jobs for film production, which can be a nice change of pace. But I’ve been a full time painter for quite a few years now.

Who inspires you?
Rembrandt for his line work, Turner for his travel watercolors, Sargent for his colors.

Do you work en plein air or in the studio?
I enjoy both. Now that the weather is getting better, I’m looking forward to painting outside more.

How long does it take you to finish a piece? 
Depending on the piece, it can take from 45 minutes to a few hours. Sometimes it takes multiple days for larger, more involved pieces.

Do you work on one piece at a time, or several at once? 
I will occasionally work on more than one piece at a time, depending on the process. But I prefer to concentrate on one thing.

What kinds of music do you listen to while painting?
I have a very carefully curated playlist! It’s made up of favorites from rock, folk, jazz and pop. Certain stages of a painting call for different types of music, and I definitely have some go-to albums that set just the right mood.

How do you know when your artwork is complete?
A painting is done when it can sing on its own. This moment can be elusive and is only recognizable after painting many pieces, and learning through trial and error.

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Join us online each week for an Up Close and Personal Conversation with Daniel Smith CEO and Owner, John Cogley and guest artists from around the world. On Thursdays (2:00pm Pacific), John highlights various features of our products and answers your questions. On Fridays (10:30am Pacific), a guest artist follows up to share how they incorporate those features into their art. Click here for the upcoming week’s Zoom links.

Check our Facebook page for news about upcoming guest artists or to watch past replays. Each Zoom meeting is also recorded and shared on our YouTube channel. La traducción al español está disponible – selecciona el canal en español en Zoom.