I’ve been enjoying my new watercolor hobby, since posting to that time-lapse video I found so inspiring. It’s only been about a month since I started, during which I’ve probably painted four times, but I’m proud of how I’m progressing. I’ve missed making art, even if I’m just painting what amount to cute spot illustrations.
I’ve been experimenting with different paints (tubes vs. pans, student grade versus professional quality), and I’m still finding what I like. You know what turned out to be great though? The inexpensive 36-color watercolor palette I had initially picked up on a whim at Michael’s. I’ve heard from more seasoned watercolor artists that they love it too!
Want to give it a go for yourself? I went back and bought five more palettes, along with some better quality paintbrushes (don’t bother with the one it comes with) to give away to five readers. I also bought five Moleskine Watercolor Notebooks
(I painted this illustration of the prize using only watercolors from that 36-color palette.)
This giveaway is open to everyone, worldwide. Just leave a comment below by midnight CST, Monday, January 27 to enter. After the giveaway ends, I’ll randomly draw five winners and ship off a palette, brush, and sketchbook to each. It’s a small way to share a little bit of what’s making me happy these days!
Allison Klein
January 21, 2014 at 12:00 pmOne of my New Year’s resolutions is to make some art for my apartment. This would be a good inspiration!
Kate
January 21, 2014 at 12:03 pmWhat a wonderful thought. Your watercolor sketches are so fun and inspiring!
Mikey
January 21, 2014 at 12:03 pmWater colour is one of my favourite painting mediums!
ErinY
January 21, 2014 at 12:03 pmI would love to get into watercolor painting. You’ve done such a wonderful job with yours!
Jessica W.S.
January 21, 2014 at 12:03 pmWhat a great giveaway. I’ve been wanting to get into painting lately, and this would be a great addition. I LOVE your paintings!
Eppu
January 21, 2014 at 12:04 pmI did like watercolors more than other media I tried at school (apart from drawing). It would be nice to try them again after all these years.
Sarah
January 21, 2014 at 12:05 pmAlways wanted to try watercolors! Hope I win!
Ana Pradas
January 21, 2014 at 12:06 pmI love watercolors! It would be incredible to win that set! :)
Lak
January 21, 2014 at 12:06 pmWhat a great giveaway!
Annelise in Edmonds
January 21, 2014 at 12:07 pmSweet! I love what you have painted so far! :) Great inspiration!
Mandy
January 21, 2014 at 12:07 pmSo much fun – I love the way you painted the flowers (and the palette)!
Sommer
January 21, 2014 at 12:09 pmThis is a nice giveaway. I love watercolors and carry a moleskin around from time to time. The little travel pallets are the best to have on hand, but the tubes are also nice when you have some time to sit and play with mixing.
Kristi Lucero
January 21, 2014 at 12:09 pmYou are so talented! I would love to paint with this set. Hope I win!
Kristi Lucero
January 21, 2014 at 12:10 pmYou are so talented. I would love to paint with this set. Hope I win!
Emily
January 21, 2014 at 12:12 pmwatercolor is so beautiful! This is an amazing beginner gift!
Jessica J
January 21, 2014 at 12:13 pmI love watercolors! You do well with them. Thanks for the chance to win!
Amanda
January 21, 2014 at 12:13 pmI’ve been wanting to get back into watercoloring! Yours have been so inspirational :)
Amber
January 21, 2014 at 12:13 pmWhat a great gift! I would love to try my hand at watercolor painting
Lilly
January 21, 2014 at 12:14 pmI would love to win this and learn =)
Domi
January 21, 2014 at 12:16 pmWhat a great giveaway!
Lesley Pullium
January 21, 2014 at 12:16 pmI have trying to get myself to start daily art journaling… this would definitely help!
Jamie
January 21, 2014 at 12:17 pmI loved watercolors in school and haven’t picked them up in ages!
Sarah @ 702 Park Project
January 21, 2014 at 12:17 pmOh this would be so fun! I’ve been wanting to try new creative outlets lately.
Allison
January 21, 2014 at 12:18 pmOh fun! I’d love some inspiration to arrive in the mail.
Casey
January 21, 2014 at 12:18 pmI love watercolor and have been meaning to try it out again!
Kayla aka Kilo Bravo
January 21, 2014 at 12:18 pmWatching you experiment over the past month has intrigued me as well! Would love an excuse to pick up a new hobby…
Trisha Hiers
January 21, 2014 at 12:18 pmI’ve only worked with acrylic or oil paints and I’ve always wanted to try watercolors. I have some beautiful watercolors that my grandmother did and I cherish them.
Rachel
January 21, 2014 at 12:19 pmI took a watercolor painting lesson a few years ago and quite enjoyed it (though the methodology is SO different than the acrylics and oils that I’m used to), but I always seem to feel like when I sit down to paint I need to do a full on painting. I admire that you take what time you have and create little projects for practice and enjoyment – I definitely need to take a page from your book! The giveaway idea is lovely!
Lucy
January 21, 2014 at 12:20 pmThat would be something new to learn this year!
Ashleigh R
January 21, 2014 at 12:20 pmYour paintings are lovely and inspiring! I would love to win so I could try as well.
Kacy Gilpin
January 21, 2014 at 12:21 pmI’ve always wanted to try using watercolors. Awesome giveaway!
Victoria
January 21, 2014 at 12:22 pmSuch a fun giveaway! Your paintings are great!
Jenny
January 21, 2014 at 12:22 pmNicole, your paintings are gorgeous! I was an oil and acrylic painter moons ago and would love to give watercolor a try. Your posts have been completely inspiring! Thanks for thinking of your readers.
Karlie
January 21, 2014 at 12:23 pmYou artwork is lovely. I would love to give watercolors a whirl!
Pasci
January 21, 2014 at 12:23 pmI would give this to my husband. He’s so talented, but rarely takes the time to create nowadays. And since you’re shipping worldwide, I’m giving it a go! Thanks!
Valerie
January 21, 2014 at 12:23 pmI went to art school and would love to get back into painting!
Claudia Hill
January 21, 2014 at 12:23 pmI’ve been feeling the urge to take a stab at painting. I’d love to be entered.
Marisa E
January 21, 2014 at 12:26 pmYour flowers are so lovely! I’ve never quite gotten the hang of watercolours, but maybe this style of watercolour will be kinder to me than the tubes of paint I’ve tried in the past.
Jacie
January 21, 2014 at 12:26 pmYour paintings are so inspiring! Such a fun giveaway :)
Kristin
January 21, 2014 at 12:28 pmLove your little illustrations! Love your site too. :)
Lily
January 21, 2014 at 12:29 pmI was inspired by you to pick up a travel-sized watercolor palette just the other day. It is teeny tiny though and the brush so small it’s hard to handle. Would love this larger set!
Laura W.
January 21, 2014 at 12:30 pmWhat a great idea for a giveaway! Even if I don’t win I think I’ll have to go pick up a set of paints. Looks so fun, it’s been way too long since I’ve used watercolors!
Lita
January 21, 2014 at 12:31 pmI have a 4 year-old daughter who loves to paint with water color! She colors everyday, I am not kidding you!
Your paintings are beautiful :)
Brenda
January 21, 2014 at 12:34 pmWater colors were my favorite medium in school, would love to pick it up again!
Sarah
January 21, 2014 at 12:35 pmAwesome! I’d love to win!
Kim Bernhardt
January 21, 2014 at 12:35 pmYour painting has inspired me to paint again! I can not tell you how great it feels to create again, it has inspired me creatively in everything I am doing! Thank you!
Dana R.
January 21, 2014 at 12:35 pmI love painting but haven’t had much time with a newborn and a two year old. Would love to win and have a reason to get creative again!
Chelsea T
January 21, 2014 at 12:35 pmThis is awesome! I’d love to win. I just have to find some free time to myself to paint, but I’ll work that out ;-)
Leticia Dominguez
January 21, 2014 at 12:36 pmMy passion??? WAATERCOLORSSSS!!! I simply looove the way colors mix, invent, create an athmosphere that wasn’t there!!! I looove creating, and feeling the colors!! I’d looove to have this set!!!!
brigid
January 21, 2014 at 12:37 pmOh how gorgeous! There’s something about watercolours over other mediums that make me feel very calm when painting. I wonder why that is?
Lovely work! x
Wioleta
January 21, 2014 at 12:37 pmIt would be lovely, even more since I started painting again this year :)
I love your paintings!
Christina
January 21, 2014 at 12:42 pmlovely paintings!
Brittany P.
January 21, 2014 at 12:43 pmI’d love to win since I’ve been inspired to paint lately since you posted that video as well.
Misso M.
January 21, 2014 at 12:45 pmLove this giveaway! I have an Amazon cart full of watercolor stuff since you shared the time lapse video. :)
Vanessa
January 21, 2014 at 12:46 pmYes please! So much fun. Thank you.
Andrea R.
January 21, 2014 at 12:46 pmI love the watercolors you have done!!! I can only wish to have an 1/8th of the talent you have!!!!
Anne
January 21, 2014 at 12:49 pmSo pretty. Love painting!
Anna H
January 21, 2014 at 12:50 pmI would love to win one of these sets! My resolution for 2014 is to start drawing and painting again after a nearly 20 year drought… I have good reasons for the drought but even better reasons to start again now that I am at home with my little baby daughter :) Please pick me!
Teresa
January 21, 2014 at 12:51 pmI would love to win those watercolors! Count me in! :)
LC
January 21, 2014 at 12:52 pmOne of my resolutions this year was to get back into my paiting hobby. This is great inspiration to just start doing it.
Kay
January 21, 2014 at 12:53 pmCool. I should get back into painting, too.
Missy
January 21, 2014 at 12:53 pmI would love to get back into watercolors! Great work.
Haley
January 21, 2014 at 12:54 pmI love to paint abstracts with acrylics. Water colors would be a tun change :)
Suzanne
January 21, 2014 at 12:54 pmWould love to give this as a gift
Lesley Ann Sturge
January 21, 2014 at 12:57 pmI would love to try watercolours. I think your house is crazy awesome. I love reading about what you are doing with it. Cheers
Heidi S.
January 21, 2014 at 12:58 pmI would love to try some watercolors, I haven’t done any since college!
Karalee
January 21, 2014 at 12:58 pmI just started painting with watercolours last year and find it very rewarding. My kids would love this set, too!
Anabela
January 21, 2014 at 12:58 pmWow! what lovely paintings. Love watercolours!
Sarah
January 21, 2014 at 12:59 pmI’ve been wanting to experiment with watercolors. This would be great motivation!
carly
January 21, 2014 at 1:01 pmI took a watercolor class over the summer and would love to try it again!
natasha
January 21, 2014 at 1:02 pmI’ve always wanted to try my hand at watercolor. Yours are so lovely!
Kathy
January 21, 2014 at 1:03 pmI would love to give this to my daughter as she is the artistic one in the family. Thank-you so much for your generosity.
Jo
January 21, 2014 at 1:04 pmMy daughter would love this
Penny
January 21, 2014 at 1:05 pmBeautiful–would love to try!
Paula Jean
January 21, 2014 at 1:06 pmI’ve been dying to get into watercolor painting lately. This is just the kickstart I need!
Maya
January 21, 2014 at 1:06 pmThis is such a thoughtful giveaway, such a great idea !!
Jennifer Duval-Smith
January 21, 2014 at 1:08 pmHow inspiring!!!
Taunya
January 21, 2014 at 1:08 pmThanks so much for the giveaway!
Hilty
January 21, 2014 at 1:08 pmI’m not an artist naturally but I love graphic design so much that I went back to school for it several years ago. Recently, a lot of my family has been telling me I need to go back to doing something that I’m good at naturally instead of trying a career in design and it’s making me really want to prove them wrong. Your deer watercolor video from awhile back made me realize I needed to push past the naysayers, get off my computer crutch and try to paint and draw. I would love this set and will get one no matter what!
jody
January 21, 2014 at 1:09 pmIsn’t it amazing what a little time spent being creative can do for every part of your life?
Love this giveaway! xo
Angela
January 21, 2014 at 1:09 pmI have been dying to use watercolors for a nursery project for my youngest daughter’s room!
Kirsten
January 21, 2014 at 1:10 pmI’d like to win one of your beautiful paintings as well!
Nicole
January 21, 2014 at 1:10 pmThanks for hosting… What a fun giveaway!
Caitlin
January 21, 2014 at 1:11 pmAw, this is nice! That would be a lovely present to receive.
Stacey
January 21, 2014 at 1:14 pmI would love to give watercolors a try!
Katie P.
January 21, 2014 at 1:14 pmI’ve always wanted to be better at watercolors. I’ve always worked with oils! Your art is lovely!
Kate
January 21, 2014 at 1:14 pmI love this giveaway! Looking at your paintings has inspired me to do some drawing right now! :)
Emily
January 21, 2014 at 1:16 pmI’d love to win! I’ve been thinking about trying watercolors out, this might give me the push I need to do it!
Ashley
January 21, 2014 at 1:17 pmYour watercolors are so adorable! So far I’ve only done one watercolor with the cheapy palette from IKEA! Would love to win this! :)
Jessie C.
January 21, 2014 at 1:18 pmWhat a lovely project, I wold love to try it!
Rebecca
January 21, 2014 at 1:19 pmWhat a great give-away! Fingers crossed!
Krista
January 21, 2014 at 1:19 pmEnjoying your paintings… keep at it!
Miranda
January 21, 2014 at 1:20 pmWhat a lovely gift! Thank you for hosting this giveaway, Nicole! I enjoy your paintings, they’re beautiful!
Jennifer
January 21, 2014 at 1:25 pmyou’ve made me want to try watercolours again! what a lovely giveaway :-)
Jenni
January 21, 2014 at 1:26 pmOoh fantastic giveaway and great inspiration to get painting again. Your painting of the stripey chair is awesome, I’m not sure I’ll ever be quite that good! I would love to win though :)
Jody
January 21, 2014 at 1:27 pmSo creative painting the giveaway items, love it!
Kate
January 21, 2014 at 1:27 pmYou’re illustrations are awesome! I don’t think I have that kind of talent, but I think it would be a lot of fun to play around with the watercolors.
Shannon
January 21, 2014 at 1:28 pmI’ve admired watercolor painting for a long time now, and always wanted to give it a try. I love your little illustrations. :)
Sophie Brown
January 21, 2014 at 1:29 pmMy New years resolution was to start painting again! What a lovely give away :) got my fingers and toes crossed! :p
Allie
January 21, 2014 at 1:31 pmThis would be a great motivator for some if the projects I have in mind!