Watercolor artist Ashley Hawkes from the USA shares some of her favorite tips and tricks for painting pet portraits.

Here’s a Q&A with Ashley:

If you could only take three colors with you to paint on a deserted island, which three would you take?

I would take Nickel Azo Yellow, Quinacridone Pink, and Cobalt Teal Blue! Those 3 primary colors make some bright, happy mixes and I would need that in order to paint the island landscape, assuming this proverbial island is in the Caribbean, haha!

Describe a recent art show you attended or participated in that was particularly inspiring.

I had the honor of going to Italy and seeing all of the amazing Fabriano In Acquarello submissions in person. To see each mark, each paint stroke, the texture of the paper…you just don’t get that with a digital image. It was so magical and inspiring!

What were the last few photos you took that might inspire you to paint?

My hollyhock flowers that I planted 2 years ago (from seeds I harvested) finally blossomed yesterday and I took about a thousand pictures from different angles. I cannot wait to paint them.

What is the best piece of advice another artist has given you?

The best advice I have ever received was to always paint FOR ME. Do not ever let the algorithm or the fashion of the day dictate how and what I paint. Gotta keep the HEART in ART!

What are you excited about working on next?

I am so excited for my Pup Portrait workshop series that I’m teaching during July through August. Each week the class will be a different dog. I have collected a whole bunch of reference photos and can’t wait to play – I love dogs!

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Join us online each week via Zoom or Facebook for an Up Close and Personal Conversation with John Cogley (Daniel Smith Owner and CEO) along with guest artists from around the world. On Thursdays (2:00pm Pacific), John and some of our Brand Ambassadors highlight a group of colors and answer your questions. On Fridays (10:30am Pacific), a guest artist shares a demo with their favorite tips and techniques. Click here for the upcoming week’s Zoom links.

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