Inga Buividavice - Painting Calm: Connect to nature through the art of watercolour

CONNECT TO NATURE THROUGH
THE ART OF WATERCOLOUR

Inga Buividavice

I have been interested in art since childhood, but I could never call myself an artistic person. In fact, I had to work hard to be creative. And work hard I did. I graduated art academy as a graphic designer, but I never drew or painted for pleasure. It is almost weird to be a designer who cannot draw... but whenever I gave it a try, the gap between my taste and my skill was too big, I felt disappointed with my work. For years I searched for proof that creativity is a learnable skill, I read books and articles that claimed that anyone can learn to draw but approaching 30, I hadnt picked up a brush because of my fear. Now I cannot believe how much time I wasted when I could have started painting much sooner.

Then I had a baby, and I was on maternity leave and all the circumstances fell into the right place. I needed to do something for myself! I chose watercolour for its beautiful effects, but also because its easy to clean up, takes up little space and dries quickly it is very easy to incorporate into a busy schedule. I resolved to approach painting from a place of excitement, not fear. I took class after class, looking at different artists and their approaches, and I experimented every day even if it was only for 10 minutes. I stopped being so precious about each painting and I didnt focus on the finished result as much, only in the process.

The natural world is an attractive one and something I often turn to for inspiration however, when I first started focusing on nature, I was just looking for a subject to paint. I gradually began to spend more time outdoors, learning about plants and eventually planting them in my garden and in my home. I learned to look more closely at the individual characteristics of different species and started noticing their colours and compositions. This focus brought feelings of calm and peace and I began trying to express and recreate these feelings through my botanical art.

Since Ive started to share my work on social media, it has brought commercial opportunities, but I still feel most in my element when Im doing personal projects. Watercolour has become my sanctuary where I can get into the flow and calm down. It is such a precious feeling that improves my life a lot. And with this book, I want to inspire you to pick up a brush and get into a calm, meditative place with no fear of failure, only mindfulness and connection. I will share my knowledge gained from years of studying art, working in design and painting, so that you feel that Ive got your back when things might seem challenging. Most importantly, I want you to enjoy all the amazing benefits painting can bring to your wellbeing, particularly when focusing on the natural world around you.

With urbanization and technology dominating our lives, we are in danger of losing our emotional connection with the natural world we take it for granted, and fail to appreciate it or take care of it sufficiently.

Yet not only do we need the natural world to survive, but there is a lot of evidence to suggest that spending time outside can have a positive effect on our mood and wellbeing. Gardening has a particularly beneficial effect, as does creating art and whilst it is not always possible to have a garden if you live in the city, you can always find a box of paints and a paintbrush!

To create an intimate portrait of a person, its not enough for an artist to just copy their features perfectly. They have to be familiar with their subject in order to really capture the deep nature of that person. Its the same with painting nature: you need to look at it, touch it and smell it to be able to transfer its best features to paper.

When I started painting with watercolours I chose nature as my subject and was constantly looking for inspiration. While trying to find new aspects of my subject, I started going outside more often, learning about the plants in the garden, and studying my houseplants. It is not enough to view nature as a backdrop learn to really look at it and find aspects you havent noticed before.

At the beginning of a creative journey, most people have an inner critic that is always ready to point out the things that go wrong. The best way of silencing this voice is to trust the process. However, the very fact that you have chosen to create art means that you are probably sensitive to aesthetics, and it is important to you to make something beautiful.

The skill gap is the difference between your skill and your ability to make something you like. It takes time and practice to close this gap and your first works will not be masterpieces. Many people quit during this stage because they doubt their ability to create something they like, and this is a big mistake. What you really need to do is trust the process and keep practising.

I dont want you to be miserable whilst trying to master watercolour painting and awaiting the magical moment when the gap is closed. So here is a trick that keeps me inspired when nothing seems to go right: create something very simple that cant go wrong. You could just paint circles or very basic shapes, simply allowing the watercolours to mingle on the paper and enjoying the results. You not only create something good to look at, but these simple exercises will also bring you closer to the execution of more complex shapes and ideas.