Jan Min from the Netherlands shared his favorite watercolor palette and techniques:

Here’s a Q&A with Jan:

If you could only take three colors with you to paint on vacation, which three would you take?
Alvaro’s Caliente Grey, Aussie Red Gold and King’s Royal Blue – they play a key role often in my art and are very useful to make both warm and cool tones. The warm grey and the brilliant blue mix well for water and skies, and the amazing warmth of reddish gold…i could work for a long time with just these three colors.

Describe a recent art show you attended that was particularly inspiring.
Well-known in the north of Holland is the Jopie Huisman Museum. He was a famous Dutch impressionist who painted things of daily life, often in connection with water. As soon as he stepped into a small wooden rowing boat, he was happy and needed no more (I can relate!). He often painted reflectionsin rivers and lakes, as well as rags and old fishing nets. He showed the beauty of simplicity – I think that simplicity can be a great subject in many paintings.

What were the last few photos you took that might inspire you to paint?
I love traveling and can be overwhelmed by all the beauty in the world – these places are often my subjects. Most recently I was on Vancouver Island in Canada and Svalbard near Norway.

What is the best piece of advice another artist has given you?
Alvaro Castagnet once told me to paint mostly with my heart – this goes beyond any techniques. It completes your work so that people will feel your emotions.

What are you excited about working on next?
Whatever captures my emotion – it might be a short walk in nature or traveling to another country. I always keep my sketchbook close and ready to catch the light.

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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 highlights various features of our products and answers 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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