GUEST ARTIST: “Watercolor Painting Is My Ikigai” by Tanasirin Witchayacoop

My name is Tanasirin Witchayacoop and I live in Southern California. I have a bachelor’s degree in Art Education from Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. My first art teachers came from my family. My dad exposed me to art at an early age and my aunt encouraged me to think positively using her art. I always found drawings of women and drawings of flowers in her notebook and on my homework assignment papers. Those drawings calmed me down and relaxed me after a hard day studying.

My love for the arts and wanting to share my passion for creative expression directed my education. I grew to love watercolor painting. Classes in watercolor were fun; the demonstrations from my professors were always amazing. I had many opportunities to spend time in the field at many beautiful places in Thailand for outdoor painting. I always enjoyed the scenery, having fun with friends and would end up taking photographs of my subjects.

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I usually painted at home from the photos after the field trips ended. I didn’t pay attention to the technicalities of watercolor painting as much as I should have during that time, but I built great memories in my watercolor classes that help in my creative process today.

Personally, I felt watercolor was the most difficult technique of painting to learn. One day, long after I graduated from college, I was challenged by a friend to paint watercolor for 15 days. I opened the palette I hadn’t touched for 7 years and my watercolor journey started again. I started by painting dogs and flowers for family and friends.

I liked the feeling that they enjoyed my art and I loved handing my work to the right person. Now I find happiness, peacefulness and a sense of purpose when I paint – Watercolor is my Ikigai, my reason for being.

I just need to be brave when my experiment is in front of me. I don’t have any expectations for the final result, but I accept what it turns out to be. I have a positive mindset during my process. I know each time I work I gain wonderful feelings from watercolor painting. I just forget about any criticisms and self-doubt and gain more confidence.

​My art table is my playground. I enjoy spending more of my time in this part of my process. The atmosphere of a busy table filled with colors in the palette, brushes, mason jar, and watercolor paper calls to me. My artist’s soul strikes up like kids get excited to see candies. I just want to paint and have fun. This is enjoyable and relaxes my mind. Most of the time my subject inspiration comes from flowers and animals.

My main watercolor technique is wet on wet. I like to see pigments and water flow freely. Clear water always first then I add in color and wait to see how it turns out. I like to draw with single light lines for my sketches.

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I believe that quality paper makes a difference. Arches cold press 140lb and 300lb. and Fabrino cold press 140lb. I use Princeton Neptune, Grumbacher, and Raphaël brushes and for paint I use Daniel Smith, Winsor & Newton, and Grumbacher. I slowly buy a little bit each time and I don’t buy as a big set. I pick the supplies that I really use and prefer good quality over quantity. Budget tip, I use small bowls left over from Thai desserts as my special palettes to mix colors. I get them for free from my friends.

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I’m blessed to be surrounded by family and friends who support my artistic endeavors and I am grateful for that. Thank you to Doodlewash for the opportunity to share my work and thank you everyone for taking time to read my story! Please get in touch with me, I’d like to get to know you!

Tanasirin Witchayacoop
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Charlie O'Shields

Creator of Doodlewash®, founder of World Watercolor Month (July), World Watercolor Group™, and host of the Sketching Stuff Podcast. Sharing daily watercolor illustrations and stories while proudly featuring talented artists from all over the world! If you’d like to be a guest artist on Doodlewash.com, contact me!

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