Tere Lojero came to us LIVE from Mexico on Friday, August 19th to share her watercolor techniques and favorite color palette.

Here’s a quick Q&A with Tere:

Why do you make art?

Art is a way to express myself. Since I was a child, artistic expressions such as dancing, painting and writing, have been part of my identity and  I have remained involved in these kinds of activities. I decided to study architecture, because my “left brain”  has a big influence upon everything I do. I enjoyed my studies because it combined creativity with logic and structure. I became an architect, but continued drawing, dancing and writing. Then when my last child was born, I decided to quit my job. I started to devote myself to watercolor, a medium which I find the most suitable to express what I want to say. I took classes and workshops and suddenly art became my life in every manner possible – as a painter, as an organizer, and as cultural manager. I’ve been painting for 22 years as a working artist.

Who inspires you?

Social media allows me to see how other artists work, which is very inspiring, I like to observe and learn from them. The first landscape artist I really admired (whose techniques drove me crazy) was Edgardo Coghlan from Mexico. His approach helped me understand that watercolor was the way to express my feelings.

What kind of music do you listen to while painting?

All kinds – jazz, rock, classical, cumbia, salsa, new age.

Have you had any mentors?

Yes, I started painting with Master Mauricio Turu, then with Master Roberto Vargas, a great landscaper, and then Master Javier Gomesoto.

Do you paint every day?

Yes, but if I can’t, at least I sketch every day.

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

Several at the same time, because the water needs to do its job, while I am starting another piece.

Do you prefer painting in studio or plein air?

Both!

How many core colors do you use – tubes, pans or sticks?

Around 15 – mainly tubes, but I also use pans and sticks.

How do you know that your piece is finished?

Sometimes I know immediately, but other times the painting needs to wait for a long time until I find that particular thing that makes me feel happy. Occasionally something might have gone wrong at the beginning, but I can’t see it  yet. So I let it rest, where my eyes cannot see the work. Then later when I am refreshed, I can work on it again – and guess what, the result is really good!

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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.