Sabine Dreher from Switzerland shared her favorite watercolor palette and techniques:

Here’s a quick Q&A with Sabine:

Why do you make art?
It makes my soul light and gives me strength. For me, there is nothing more beautiful than to let a color flow with water on the paper and watch what happens. It is a passion that has not let me go.

How long have you been painting/
I have always painted, but watercolor grabbed me at the age of 26 and since then, I’ve spent all my time with watercolor.

Did you have formal art training?
From 1998-2000, I attended the Art Academy in Saarbrücken. I have attended workshops from renowned artists in the U.S., Austria and Germany to continue my education.

Are you a working artist or a hobbyist ?
This is the most interesting question. My daughter tells everyone that her mother is an artist. I claim that my hobby has become self-employment. Isn’t it the greatest happiness to find something in life that fulfills you completely? I have found it. Since 2001, I have been giving courses in watercolor alongside my nursing job.  From 2016 to 2023 I was very active and on the road for various German art companies.

What inspires you?
My inspiration comes from the beauty of nature, something that is good for the soul, and just seeing. I try to capture moods. Different images also challenge me to paint them – I love flowers and landscapes. But the most beautiful inspiration is when you can let the colors flow and the picture shows you your way.

Do you paint every day ?
Yes – my brush exercise alone takes about 30 minutes, plus I paint 2 -3 hours a day on the average for my courses.

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

Do you create a concept piece first ?
Mostly I do, but often I paint the same objects with different color studies or views to achieve the optimal result or to get to know the image better.

Do you prefer painting in studio or plein air ?
I love both. Nature is the best teacher, that’s the reason i will never stop painting en plein air.

How many core colors do you use ?
I very often have the 3 basic colors – blue, red and yellow – and take at most 2 others in addition, so basically i like to paint by mixing within a few colors.

Tubes, pans or sticks ?
I love them all, but I don’t go anywhere without my tubes.

When do you know that your piece is complete?
I have a checklist that I go through and then I decide, but often my gut feeling makes up 50% of my decision.

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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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