I am sure that there are many different reasons why we paint and those reasons are unique and personal for each of us. I like to break these reasons for watercolor painting into two major categories. The “Process of Painting” and the “End Product.”

 

Some people enjoy the process of watching the paint flow on the paper. Watching the colors blend. Seeing the images come alive on their paper. Or it may be using a new brush for the first time and learning its traits. Often, I get excited when I use a new set of paints. How do the colors mix? How transparent are they? How will I incorporate into my paintings? Will they be best suited for landscapes, flowers, or portraits? When people that are focused on the process finish a painting, if they ever actually finish it, they put it away. They have gotten the enjoyment out of the process that they were hoping to achieve. Was it a master piece or was it even complete? It doesn’t matter because it was the joy of the process they were seeking.

 

For other people, or simply other times, it is the final product that drives them to paint. It may be painting to capture a moment or image that they see or experience. Some people get satisfaction from painting the house they grew up in. Personally, I have painted scenes with my grandchildren engaged in their favorite activities. Recently I painted the clubhouse where one of our daughters had her wedding reception and gave it to her as an anniversary gift. In December I worked on Christmas cards. Many painters paint to create a painting for a competition or to be sold. No matter how long it takes, and no matter what it takes to complete the painting, when it is completed, the painter enjoys the feeling of having achieved their goal of producing the product they desired.

 

One common reason to paint, regardless of if you are driven by the process or the product, is to escape from the issues going on in the world around us. The time you focus on painting is time that you are not focusing on the news or social media. That brief respite is what you need to relax and recharge your spirit. So wet your paints, pick up your brushes. and enjoy the “Magic of Watercolor,” regardless of what is driving you.