a story of intuition, heritage, and return
For a long time, I couldn’t answer this question clearly – why watercolour? It wasn’t a strategic choice. It wasn’t part of a grand plan. And yet, it became the most natural, intuitive return to myself. In this article, I want to share not only why I chose watercolour as my main medium, but how this choice helped me reconnect with my creative nature after years in a different profession – and how it continues to shape my artistic voice today.
My first memories of art weren’t about painting myself – they were about my grandfather. He was an oil painter and an amateur photographer who also loved filming home videos. Whether his studio was set up in the living room or, more unusually, in the bathroom, that creative space always drew me in. As a child, I was endlessly curious. I loved to draw, doodle, scribble. My school notebooks were filled with tiny sketches and flourishes. But as often happens, life and logic took over. My parents gently steered me toward a more “reliable” future. The strongest argument was this: “Artists don’t make a living. Your grandfather can afford painting because he’s already an established engineer. You, on the other hand, are just starting out.”
And so I listened.
I didn’t stop being creative – I just channelled it into something else: marketing. The brushes became digital: Photoshop tools, brand palettes, storyboards. I built a successful career in the business world. But something essential remained dormant.
When watercolour found me
After my grandparents passed away, something shifted. One day, without any particular reason or plan, my hands simply reached for watercolour. I don’t remember making a conscious decision – it just happened.
At first, I found an online course with a Belarusian teacher who worked in mixed media – combining watercolour with ink liner. That opened a small door. Then I joined a few casual online watercolour workshops. I was exploring. Testing. Fumbling. But everything changed when I discovered my watercolour school – OneHobby – a Ukrainian online platform that gave me not only technique but structure, theory, and community. Slowly, cautiously, I began to paint my own stories. No longer just exercises. They were full of emotion, place, memory.
Why watercolour?
Watercolour is often described as a difficult medium – and yes, I’ve heard many stories from students who came to my workshops after trying elsewhere. Some told me how they left lessons in tears because nothing seemed to work, no matter how hard they tried. But here’s what I always tell them:
Watercolour isn’t meant to be controlled. It’s meant to be understood.
Like a real woman, watercolour can be elusive, strong-willed, and tender. One day she’s defiant and wild, refusing to do what you planned. The next, she’s soft, fluid, and utterly cooperative – if you just let go. This is not a medium for perfectionists. It’s a medium for those willing to listen, to surrender, and to trust. That is why watercolour suits me – because it constantly invites presence and humility.
What watercolour gave me
🖌️ Therapy and healing – When I started painting again during wartime blackouts in Ukraine, it was watercolour that brought me peace. Under the soft battery-powered lamp my husband wired from the car, I painted while the world outside stood still.
🖌️ Discipline and direction – Through weekly assignments, video lectures, and online exhibitions, I built consistency and vision. It became not just therapy, but profession.
🖌️ Recognition – My watercolours have been exhibited across the UK and Europe, giving me the confidence to continue sharing my voice through art and connecting with others through beauty and emotion.
Advantages of watercolour
Let’s be practical for a moment – why choose watercolour as your main medium?
✅ Portability – I can paint in a park, by the river, or in a tiny bedroom studio.
✅ Speed and spontaneity – It allows for quick expression of fleeting light and mood.
✅ Transparency and depth – No other medium captures light quite the same way.
✅ Emotional honesty – Watercolour reveals your mood. You can’t fake it.
✅ Minimal setup – Especially helpful for artists with limited space or those who travel.
The challenges (and the beauty within)
Watercolour isn’t forgiving. You can’t layer endlessly like with oils or acrylics. You don’t get infinite second chances. It requires clarity of thought, or at least the ability to embrace what unfolds. It reflects the mood of the artist and often carries the spirit of the place you’re painting. But that’s why I love it.
In watercolour, I don’t chase perfection. I chase truth.
Final thoughts: a medium that chose me back
I didn’t choose watercolour to impress anyone. I didn’t choose it because it’s trendy or marketable. I chose it because it felt like coming home. Like finding a forgotten language I had always spoken.
It’s not easy. But it is honest. And every time I paint, I feel that quiet connection to my grandfather – to his brushes, to my childhood curiosity, and to the freedom I finally reclaimed after years in a world that asked me to be someone else.
So if you’re afraid of watercolour – I understand. But maybe it’s not meant to be tamed. Maybe, like me, you just need to meet it where you are – and trust it to meet you back.