As always, I paint three daily washes. These help me loosen up in my work and relieve any tension I may be carrying from business or daily life. My aim is to use a new color as frequently as possible when doing my warm up exercises.

One of my most favorite and must-have colors is Ultramarine Turquoise. It’s so vibrant and it creates incredible pattern effects – it loves moving freely with the addition of water drops. Do treat yourself to this fabulous shade if you don’t already have it. It’s amazing! A “ feel good” color to work with.

I literally relaxed watching color flow across the paper, with no image in mind at all of what the subject would be. I applied color to the top corner of each sheet and allowed it to flow freely like a waterfall, with the addition of water to the added pigment and more immediately below it. I added salt in sections and tried to make each piece of paper look completely different. If we relax and don’t overwork a simple wash, it can be very effective.

In my book, Paint Yourself Calm, check out page 48 for more details on using the waterfall technique to create incredible washes. Also read the sections of using color to relax. I enjoy the journey of learning continually and growing each time I pick up my brush.