If you paint in watercolors ~ this book is for you. If you’ve never painted in watercolors because you’ve been afraid ~ this book is for you. If you work in other mediums because there are universal truths in art ~ parts of this book are for you. If you are not an artist but appreciate art ~ this book is for you. As a teacher one gift is that I get to say out loud what I am thinking so students can embrace those thoughts. I call them “pearls” so artists can recall and integrate them again when painting on their own. They are not absolutes, however, they are my guides when I’m painting and a big part of how I get the results I do. In a class or workshop you can be inundated with new ideas, concepts, thoughts and then have to find a way to integrate them into your own works, style, approach. The goal isn’t to have your paintings look like mine or anyone else’s. It is to integrate these pearls to explore them in your own painterly world. In the following pages, enjoy just one thought and see how best to integrate it into a painting you are currently working on ~ maybe before you even put brush and paint to paper. Pause and reflect on that thought and see how it can influence you in the moment. Any page may offer you the inspiration you need in that moment so consider arbitrarily opening to any spread. Perhaps that is the thought you need right then. No need to read this book as a page turner ~ or in any particular order ~ because these thoughts are not written to be received in a specific sequence. It won’t take you long to discover that this book is all about my love affair with watercolors. Have I tried other mediums? Yes, though nothing compares to the specialness and uniqueness of watercolors. I know that many of these concepts are universal to art in general and would cross over into other mediums. They also may offer an insight to those who appreciate but don’t create art: an understanding as to what goes into a creation. These thoughts may not be brand-new to you, nor am I claiming to be the originator of all of them. BUT putting them together all in one place to access is what this book is all about. So close your eyes, open to any page - absorb the thought is about to unfold. Relax and enjoy the moment ...