I can feel the warmth and wonder of that day. Yes, first it was watercolor in bright and warm yellow ochre, cadmium yellow, and orange red. Or wait, I think I mixed an, let’s call it ochre orange or orange gold. Stamp it and then paint over it with watercolor? Oh my, what a painting session!

Here are my notes from this painting—written a long time ago.

This was my very first texture page. I remember painting it with watercolor—soft variations of yellow and pink drifting into one another. Before that, though, I stamped the textures with a candle lid dipped in Indian Yellow acrylic. When everything dried, I brushed watercolor over the marks, letting the shapes bloom. For the flower centers, I mixed a little brown into the Indian Yellow to get that warm yellow‑ochre glow. One day, I want to paint this on a wall.

On a day when I had used up almost all my blues—and the yellow I’m about to run out of—I’m grateful I found this painting again. Imagine washing dishes and seeing these colors on your kitchen towel. Or this print framed in a deep brown wood. Maybe it’s been a long day. Maybe you tried to paint with the most magical blues, and nothing worked. Hours of effort, and it still felt like trash.

But then you realize: all that mixing taught you something. You know what you want now. You know what works. Let’s go. And just like that, my whole mindset shifted when I saw this piece again.

Thank you for being here. I’m building a brighter, slower, more beautiful website, blog, and life.

Is this your walk in the garden?