Angela Fehr came to us LIVE from Canada on Friday, October 21st at 10:30am Pacific via Zoom to share her watercolor techniques and favorite color palette.

Here’s a quick Q&A with Angela:

Why do you make art? 

I believe every person has an instinct to create. For me, the outlet has always been to make images through art. It’s a wonderful privilege to be able to make something new that has never existed before.

How long have you been painting? 

I took my first watercolor lesson in 1995 at the age of 18. That was 27 years ago. I’m hoping to still be painting at 90, so I’m only ⅓ of the way through my career right now!

Did you have formal art training? 

No. But I consider myself a lifelong student of watercolor, like most artists, and am always looking for resources to add to my body of knowledge. I like that I have been able to curate my own art education, although it might not be the fastest way to learn.

Are you a working artist or a hobbyist? 

I’ve considered art my career since I first started painting, but it didn’t really start to generate an income until about ten years ago.

What inspires you?

I’m inspired by color, by the landscape of my home in the Peace River region of northern British Columbia, Canada and by artists who choose authenticity over sophistication in their work.

What kind of music do you listen to while painting? 

All kinds! I like music that distracts me slightly, so I don’t get too precious about my painting, so I change up the music in order to surprise my ears. Classic rock, anything from the 90’s (I love the Cranberries), Christian worship, Indie folk or podcasts about art are usually on my playlist.

Have you had a mentor? 

I consider Jean Haines and Linda Kemp my first mentors, although they didn’t know it – I discovered their work online and it guided my own path to freedom of expression early on. I also have a community of artists who would be my mentorship peer group. The support of my small community here has been a gift, even though we are diverse in medium, style and goals, we are family.

Do you paint every day? 

While I am a working artist, when I paint for myself I tend to keep to hobbyist’s hours of evenings and weekends. I probably paint at least 3x a week, but my non-painting hours are productive; I am continually nurturing the inner artist so I’m prepared for my studio sessions.

Do you paint one piece at a time or work on several at the same time? 

Nothing is ever finished! It often feels like I am painting the same painting on many pieces of paper, as each painting informs the next. I work in a series, and will paint up to twenty versions of the same reference before I land upon the one that feels representative of what I want to share. I never know if a painting is finished until weeks after it’s been painted, so I have to keep working on new paintings or I’d never get anywhere!

Do you create a concept piece first? 

Usually my first version of a new subject is the weakest version; it shows me what I don’t know yet about the subject. I try out many different concepts in exploring a subject and try to see it from different viewpoints.

Do you prefer painting in studio or plein air? 

In my climate, plein air season is very short. I have incorporated plein air into my practice, but mostly I paint in studio.

How many core colors do you use?

My studio right now has about 100 different hues scattered around. For an individual painting, I usually choose no more than six, and sometimes as few as two. I choose colors intuitively and I like to use color to create both unity and surprise.

Tubes, pans or sticks? 

I fill my palette with tube paints and allow to firm up before using.

When do you know that your piece is finished? 

I try never to judge a painting while my brush is in my hand. I try to stop painting at “almost” finished and that usually works best! If a painting brings me joy after repeated viewings over time, I know it’s one that I want to frame and share.

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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.