Impressions of a Beginner Painter

In July, I spent a day at Sketcher Fest in Edmonds, Washington helping run the Sketcher Lounge with ARTspot and showing folks how to use their Pocket Art Toolkits. Watching people observe, sketch, and paint side by side reminded me how much richer this hobby is when it’s shared. No matter where you are in your creative journey, sketching alongside someone else opens up a new way of seeing the world.

That’s what brought me to Seward Park with my friend Tarah for a picnic and paint date.

Tarah picked up her first Art Toolkit this year, and I’ve loved watching her creations take shape—there’s something brave about diving into a brand-new hobby and letting yourself be a beginner.

We painted while I asked her about the experience.

Q&A with Tarah

Sophia: What made you nervous about trying watercolor for the first time?

Everything. I didn’t know anything about technique, mixing colors, or even which brushes to use—especially how much water to use. I still get nervous before I paint, worried I’ll overwork it and not know when to stop.

Sophia: How is this different from what you expected painting to feel like?

I thought I’d need to get it right away, which made it intimidating. Five months in, I’m nowhere near perfect, and I’m okay with that. I didn’t expect it to be this fun to explore—painting felt like this daunting mastery, but now I just appreciate the journey.

Sophia: What do you notice first when you’re looking at the lake?

I notice the shadows first, from the trees, then the blanket, the grass.

Sophia: I see that the water closer to us is a lighter color, with the waves being a bit more wavy.

Sophia: I see browns, light pinks, and purples, as well as variations of browns in the bark of the tree. What do you notice first when looking at it?

Texture—the cracks, the soft moss.

Sophia: What would you tell another beginner painter?

Find your flow. You told me about flow state once, and it’s so real. It’s whatever gets you to a place of peace and focus, where you can create whatever’s in your heart. Just enjoy the exploration and play.

Sophia: What surprised you about the Pocket Palette?

How petite it is, and how easy it made everything. It’s my only palette—it has everything I need, with enough room in the mixing pans to really play with color. The Explore Palette is so compact I can slip it in my pocket on a walk, just in case I feel inspired.

My New Folio Palette Layout

All watercolors are by Daniel Smith unless otherwise marked: Letter Sparrow (LS), Salish Sea Watercolors (SS), and Winsor & Newton (WN).

Row 1: Perylene Red, Alizarin Crimson, Pyrrol Orange, New Gamboge, Sunflower Watercolor (LS), Duochrome Oceanic, Green Gold, Bioluminescence (SS).

Row 2: Duochrome Violet Pearl, Quinacridone Rose, Italian Orange Watercolor (LS), Undersea Green, Serpentine Genuine.

Row 3: Duochrome Hibiscus, Indanthrone Blue.

Row 4: Amethyst Genuine, Duochrome Cactus Flower, Coral Reef, Viridian, Indigo (WN), Payne’s Gray.

Row 5: Neutral Tint, Rose of Ultramarine.

Row 6: Burnt Sienna, Sea Urchin (SS), King’s Royal Blue, Cobalt Teal Blue, Sky Blue Gouache (LS), Phthalo Blue (Green Shade), Orca (SS), Lunar Black.

Closing Thoughts

Watching Tarah dive into watercolor has pushed me to play more myself—to actually take my own advice and paint, a lot. I still catch myself fixating, trying to perfect things, but painting quick sketches alongside someone else makes it easier to loosen up and experiment. I love that although we can have the same reference, our observations can be so different and the outcome beautifully unique. Tarah’s courage to just dive in and play, that rawness, is something I’m learning to come back to.

Sophia Trinh
Website | Social Media | Ambassador Page