The first step…
Well, this is a very big step for me.
Like most first blog posts start, I’m a 40-ish mom of one who loves to draw and paint — and now I’m trying to write about my watercolor journey. And… uff, the first step is done. I actually did it. I wrote my first blog post.
Now, a bit of context for anyone kind enough (or bored enough) to read this.
My name is Telma, I’m from Portugal, and I love drawing and painting.
As I mentioned in my “About” section, my story is probably a familiar one: as a child, I drew constantly, but as life went on, that habit slowly faded into the background.
Then came the pandemic.
Like many people, I found myself at home scrolling, and I came across a watercolor tutorial for beginners. Something about it just clicked — it brought back all those quiet, happy feelings I thought I had lost. Watching that video, I felt like I had to try it again.
So, like most beginners do, I did what beginners do best: I went into an endless research spiral looking for the “perfect” materials that would magically turn me into an amazing artist.
I watched videos about the best paper, the best brushes, the best paints — convinced that the right tools would make all the difference.
Eventually (and also because I’m a bit on the practical side… or maybe just cheap), I decided to start small.
I bought my first watercolor supplies:
✦ 1 Kolibri brush nº 8
✦ 1 set of Winsor & Newton Cotman watercolors 12 half pans
✦ 1 Canson XL sketch pad
When they finally arrived, I was so happy. I truly believed I was holding the beginning of something special.
And below are my very first “masterpieces” — which I am sure will be worth a fortune someday…
Of course, they didn’t turn out anything like the tutorials I had watched (I’m still convinced it was the student-grade materials… definitely not beginner error).
But something important did happen: those first attempts woke up something in me that had been asleep for a long time.
That all happened a few years ago. Since then, I’ve been painting, learning, and slowly improving. And now I’m taking on a new challenge — sharing my journey with whoever might want to follow along.
I don’t have a complicated story, and I believe there are many people like me out there. So this is my purpose: to share my learning, my challenges, and my failures — so you know you’re not alone.
Feel free to share your thoughts… and your own story too.
💛 If you’d like to see more of my work:
✨ Explore my watercolor Gallery
✨ Follow my journey on Instagram & Facebook
✨ Shop my prints & gifts on Redbubble
