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千寻·皮尔斯 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:

你为什么画画？ 
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.

你画画多久了？ 
Since I was a child, but I started painting in earnest in 2000 after I resigned from my full-time job.

你接受过正规的艺术训练吗？ 
I went to an art school after regular high school every day to paint still life with oil for the art college exam.

你从谁身上汲取灵感？ 
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.

您是职业艺术家还是有其他工作？ 
Painting is my main job.

你每天都画画吗？ 
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.

你是竖着画还是平着画？ 
Depends on the sizes, usually flat.

你们使用了多少种核心颜色？ 
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.

管状、盘状还是棒状？ 
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.