Penny Horsley came to us LIVE from Spain on Friday, July 15th to share her watercolor techniques and favorite color palette.

Here’s a quick Q&A with Penny:

Why do you make art?
It’s a sort of meditation for me.

How long have you been painting?
For about 10 years with watercolor – before that when I was younger, I painted in oils.

Did you have formal art training?
Not really, but I did have a watercolour teacher for a couple of years.

Are you a working artist or a hobbyist?
I don’t know really, a bit of both!

What inspires you?
It all happens in a moment of how I feel, and I just look for inspiration in that moment.

What kind of music do you listen to while painting?
I don’t listen to music very often.

Have you had a mentor?
I was fortunate to have a week‘s course with Charles Reed – it was wonderful. He’s a great artist and person.

Do you paint every day?
Yes, I try to paint every day, but of course sometimes things happen and it’s impossible.

Do you paint one piece at a time or work on several at the same time?
Usually I just do one at a time.

Do you create a concept piece first?
Yes, but it depends on my mood.

Do you prefer painting in studio or en plein air?
I love plein air, but it’s not always possible.

How many core colors do you use?
About ten.

Tubes, pans or sticks?
I usually use tubes, but for plein air sometimes I use pans.

When do you know that your piece is finished?
Instinct!

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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.