Celebrating 50 Years of Color

I am truly grateful and proud to be associated with the greatest watercolour brand, Daniel Smith.

Thank you, John and Katherine, for giving me this wonderful opportunity to express my special bond with Daniel Smith.

I clearly remember our family visit to Thailand in 2014. While visiting an art shop in Bangkok, I noticed a Daniel Smith watercolour set. I purchased it, and that very night I opened the pack and began exploring the colours in my sketchbook. I was amazed by the effects and vibrancy of the pigments—something I had never experienced with any other brand.

During that journey, I created many colourful sketches, and from that moment onward, I fell in love with the Daniel Smith brand. Later, I began using only Daniel Smith watercolours in all my paintings.

In April 2022, I was appointed as a Brand Ambassador, which gave great inspiration and a strong boost to my artistic journey. I felt deeply honoured and overjoyed that Daniel Smith recognized my talent.

In 2015, my work was selected by NWS to participate in the Shenzhen Biennial. They organised a trip there for the inauguration, so I decided to attend. Best decision ever.

There I met John and Katherine for the first time, the beginning of our wonderful journey together. I clearly remember congratulating them for their respectful intelligent marketing and their support to artists, it stood out so much of the other companies. I guess it was love at first sight! Our bonding is stronger every day.

Half a century creating magic — congratulations!

I started using Daniel Smith colors around 2018/2019, first buying the small dot samples just to try them. It was love at the first swatch!

I had a few bumpy years behind me, but one thing that never faded — and always kept my curiosity alive — were the beautiful watercolor collections you continued to release.

It still amazes me how intense and vibrant the colors are, and how much passion your company brings to every new creation.
Thank you!

Years ago, I began joining Daniel Smith’s Zoom meetings and discovered not only a place to learn, but a welcoming community of artists. At first I was shy and mostly shared my thoughts in the chat, but John Cogley, Katherine Taylor and the DS Brand Ambassadors kindly encouraged me to participate more actively. Discovering Daniel Smith watercolors also opened a new world of color and granulation in my paintings. Congratulations on your 50th anniversary.

DANIEL SMITH Watercolors serendipitously fell into my lap during a challenging season of my life and forever changed the course of not only my art, but my life as well. I inherited my first 50 tubes of DANIEL SMITH from another artist who had passed away. From the very first moment I tried the paint, I was completely blown away by the consistency, vibrancy, lightfastness, and quality.

Over the years I experimented with other brands, but nothing has ever come close to my DANIEL SMITH watercolors.

This journey eventually led me to watching John’s LIVE sessions in 2021, which became a sacred community for me; an online gathering I looked forward to each week, especially as I navigated tremendous health challenges and an eventual kidney transplant. I was always quietly watching those sessions, even from my hospital bed. In 2023, I finally got brave enough to turn my camera on and even speak up occasionally to comment or offer insights.

Fast forward to today, I am now a Brand Ambassador who has begun traveling the world and spending time with the community I have grown to know and love.

DANIEL SMITH is not just an incredible brand with exceptional-quality paints—it is a community of artists led by people who deeply care about providing the best art materials in the world.

The incredible connections to the watercolour artists of the world has been created by John Cogley & Katherine Taylor with their passion for community and for every watercolour enthusiast to be welcomed as a part of ‘our world wide watercolour family’. It is my honor being a part of the Official Daniel Smith Family and has been the most rewarding experience… a team who together share incredible insights, skills and generosity, I know I’ve found my tribe!

Thank you John & Katherine.

I first met Katherine and John at Fabriano in Acquarello 2019. Their friendliness immediately made me feel comfortable with them. After many years without meeting, we saw each other again in 2025 when they visited Warsaw. Together with my friend, the painter Minh Đàm, I had the chance to show them around the city. After six years, it was wonderful to see that they were still as warm and friendly as I remembered.

I was seduced by the Lapis Lazuli genuine. I continue to love the high-quality of each new color that I try. I enjoy exploring the dramatic granulation and blossoms.

Six years ago this month I started participating in the live online events. I am so happy to have found my art community. I appreciate how it is online- giving me the freedom to stay in contact with each new move.

Congratulations for 50 years! I look forward to growing another 50 years with Daniel Smith.

I discovered Daniel Smith watercolors in 2015 and instantly fell in love. Their rich pigments, luminous granulation, and subtle shimmer bring depth and character to my work. In 2018 at Creativeworld in Frankfurt, I met John Cogley and Katherine Taylor and was struck by how genuinely they connected with artists. Today, being part of the Daniel Smith community during its 50th anniversary feels both meaningful and inspiring.

My first time was during an event in Italy in 2016, with my husband, we met John and Katherine; I discovered Duochrome Blue Pearl and Duochrome Emerald along with Lunar Black and admired all the Primatek stones on the table. From then to nowadays I fell in love with all the products, being "brave" to explore them in different ways and creating something unique and meaningful. I deeply loved to have been lucky to visit the Seattle factory, witnessing the passion on making artists' materials.

I still remember when Katherine gave me the Ultimate Mixing Set (15 half pans) back in 2019. It was my first experience with Daniel Smith watercolors, and from the very first brushstroke I could see the difference. The richness of the pigments and the way the colors mixed opened up a whole new range of possibilities in my work. Since then, they’ve become an essential part of my painting process.

I’ve known John and Katherine since 2016, but welcoming them to Hanoi in 2024 was especially meaningful. Walking together through the Old Quarter, the streets where I was born, and sharing the rhythm, colors, and atmosphere of the city felt deeply personal. It reminded me how inseparable my artistic path is from my roots, culture, and history. I look forward to welcoming more friends to Hanoi.

Its such a great pleasure to be a part of the best arts Family In the world Daniel Smith! First days when I got in contact with DS, I always remember how warmly Katherine accepted to support one of my events I organised in my country! From then I always had amazing memories with many People involved! Second warm amazing memories is DS lives with John and especially those days of Pandemic 2019-2020, those live events really gave me such an inspiration and a very friendly memories!