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Chihiro Pierce came to us LIVE from Alaska on Friday, March 25th via Zoom to talk about her watercolor style and favorite palette.

Here’s a quick Q&A with Chihiro:

Why do you paint? 
I enjoy expressing myself and my emotions through my paintings. I find personal fulfillment and meaning within my art. I hope that my art touches the lives of other people in the same way. I wish for my artwork to be a source of comfort and peace within the lives of those that happen upon it or those that see it daily.

How long have you been painting? 
Since I was a child, but I started painting in earnest in 2000 after I resigned from my full-time job.

Did you have formal art training? 
I went to an art school after regular high school every day to paint still life with oil for the art college exam.

Who do you look to for inspiration? 
Fantin Latour, Edgar Degas, Mary Cassatt, Pierre-Joseph Redouté, François Boucher and Fragonard and more. When I was still living in Japan over 20 years ago, I was touched to see Jane Hagen Freeman’s watercolors on the internet. I sent her a fan letter and she replied to me so kindly and with encouragement. I really wanted to paint beautiful and transparent watercolors like she did. I finally met her at the Transparent Watercolor Society of America’s exhibition at Wisconsin in 2013. It’s a truly moving and unforgettable memory for me.

Are you a working artist or do you have another job? 
Painting is my main job.

Do you paint every day? 
Yes, I prefer to paint in the morning through afternoon.

Do you work in plein air or in studio? 
I paint in a studio.

What music do you listen to while painting? 
I mainly listen to relaxation, spa and classical music. Recently I’ve also been playing nature bird sounds – the chirping calms my mind.

Do you paint from memory or photo references? 
I often paint by referring to photographs, but with flowers and still life, I try to paint live.

Do you create a sketch or concept piece first? 
Yes – first I make a small sketch, think about the composition, and then think about the color tone.

Do you work one piece at a time, or several? 
I do one sheet at a time.

Do you paint vertically or flat? 
Depends on the sizes, usually flat.

How many core colors do you use? 
The colors I often use are from my dot card – Opera Pink, Cadmium Yellow Medium Hue, French Ultramarine, Manganese Blue Hue, Phthalo Blue Turquoise, Cobalt Violet, Sepia and Moonglow.

Tubes, pans or sticks? 
I like the 15ml tubes!

How long does it take you to finish a piece? 
It usually takes 3 days, depending on the size of the paper. It takes 6 to 7 days for a full sheet.

When is your piece complete? 
After painting the final details and look at the painting from a distance. Plus my experience helps me to know whether it’s done or not.