​I'm sharing with you my personal collection of the Best Watercolor Paints and Pallets that I use day in and day out. Links included on where to buy each pallet, which paint colors are my favorite and why I like each pallet and how they differ too! 

[ shop this palette : HERE ]

Technically called the Sakura Koi Watercolors Pocket Field Sketch Box that I purchased from Hobby Lobby a couple of years back. As you can see, it is well loved and has traveled MANY places with me. I love that this palette came with its own watercolor brush (one with the water in the handle), a sponge for to clean your brush and soak up water and I really love the extra  extension tray for mixing colors. It is a little larger than my other travel size palette (see below) but has more color options. All of the basic colors, plus a few extras, like a nice fleshy peach, and few blue + green options. The colors are very rich and show up vibrant on your paper. 

​[ shop this palette : HERE ]

The Winsor & Newton travel watercolor palette was the first palette I bought to travel with, and even though it is limited in colors, I think it is my favorite to travel with. It's so tiny (and cute) and can fit in basically every bag I own. This palette also comes with its own cute little paint brush, that I am surprised I haven't lost yet. I usually pack more brushes when I take this palette, as that paint brush is good in qauilty, but tiny in size. The colors are rich and really nice in qaulity but the thing that I really love about this palette is that you can change out the colors. You can buy the little squares of color OR you can use an empty square and squirt in your favorite colors from a tube! 
​

[ shop : Royal & Langnickle Watercolor Paints : HERE ]
[ Shop : Mijello Air Tight Watercolor Palette : Here ]

Now, we are moving on to 'squirt' paints (as I like to call them) or better known, tube paints. I usually prefer squirt (watercolor) paints to the premade dry palettes. I feel like I like the colors are better and are eaiser to mix and manipulate. However, they aren't as easy to travel with or whip out quickly.

When I was teaching art in the classroom, Royal & Langnickle was one of  the brands I choose to use with my students. However, they also make a professional grade line of paints + brushes that are good quality and affordable in price. The colors pop on the page and in the palette, and brush smoothly against your paper. My favorite colors in this set are the yellows and the pink.

I purchased this Air Tight Watercolor Palette a while back, and never got around to using it. When I got these paints, I decided to put it to work and it is no joke. If I leave my paints wet and then close this up, they will still be moist when I come back to them the next day. I highly recomend this watercolor palette. 

[ Shop : Mijello Mission Gold Watercolor Palette set : Here ]

Okay, this Mijello Mission Gold Watercolors + Palette is the BEST and my most favorite watercolors I have ever used, ever. However, I will admit that the one below is right on its level- but all other palettes + watercolor paints I've used don't compare. (In my opinion.) When purchasing the set, it comes with paints and a palette. My two favorite colors is the HOT pink and deep dark smoky blue. 

This set is a little more expensive than the ones above, but totally worth the investment. I know the tubes look small, but they will last you. The colors are rich and vibrant and come in a wide variety of shades. I'm not lying when I say this is my go to palette. 

Kuretake Watercolor Palette : Shop​

I bought this Kuretake Watercolor Palette because I kept seeing it pop up in Instagram pictures of some of my favorite artist that I follow online. Finally, I decided I had to check it out for myself. I see why so many great artist have it. It is one of the Best Watercolor Palettes I have ever used, really! You can see that I am nearly out of the Periwinkle Blue (no.61) and Teal (no.50). The colors are rich, vibrant, thick and so fun to paint with. AND this set comes with a copper + gold metallic...that are actually metallic and still vibrant. LOVE this palette! 

[ Shop : Artist Loft 36 + 24 Watercolor Paint Pallet Sets : HERE // 
Crayola Watercolor set : HERE // Prang Watercolor set : HERE // Reeves Tube Watercolor Paints : Here ]

Lastly, here are the palettes to use, that WONT break the bank and are good options to start out with if you are new to the craft, or if you are wanting to paint with your kids. I highly recomend the Artist Loft brand palettes. They have great color options and aren't so bad in quality to only be $5! 

WHEW! That was A LOT! I hope it's helpful in helping you decide which pallet is best for you! 
Also, let me know what I missed and/or what your favorite watercolor paints/pallets are to use- I'd love to hear from you! 

Psst! : If you like this post, do me a favor and pin it! 

Can you even believe that it is the END OF MAY?! Like- how?! This year is flying by! However, I am so ready for summer. I know it can get miserably hot, here in Atlanta- BUT I just love the SUMMA, SUMMA, SUMMA TIME! [although, I do have to admit that I loved it more having my summers off to do nothing! -Back when I was teaching, and before that as a student- I got spoiled!] 

Any-who, I'm here to tell yuh about an upcoming art show I will be featuring a new painting in. My dear friend, Lynne curated this show. So that means there will be some quality stuff there, for sure (she's friend's with all the artsy gals -and guys- in Atlanta, and paints + writes about them, here)! The show is titled 'A Soundtrack to Summer' at Coco+Mischa in Decatur, with opening night on Friday at 5-10pm! 

Over the past few weeks, since returning from the wedding + honeymoon, I have thrown myself back into painting. And it feels soo good! I have been playing around in my sketchbook a lot this year, however, it had been along time since I touched a canvas, so the opportunity to be in this show came at just the right time!

And of course, once you've stopped something for a while- it's always hard to get it going again. So instead of being paralyzed by a blank canvas, I got white paint, and painted into a couple of paintings I was ready to part ways with. I flipped through my sketchbook and found some scribbles I was fond of and replicated them on the canvas, painting new life into these 'old' paintings. I'm so HAPPY with the results!

For this group show, each artist was to choose a song to be inspired by for their piece. When I think of summer, I think of all those fun summer concerts I went to and Animal Collective ALWAYS reminds me of summer and happy times with good people. ​​

This painting is inspired by Animal Collective's FloriDada .

And ever since Instagram stories became a thing, the thing I get DM'd about the most is what I'm wearing. So I thought I would start sharing some style post periodically again.  :D 

Outfit details: [ Pink Jumper : Vintage : similar Pink Jumper // Stripped Neckerchief : Modcloth : Similar Yellow Neckerchief // Yellow Handbag Bag : Coach : similar Yellow Cross Body Bag // Tassel Keychain : StudiOh, Shoppe! // Cheetah Print Ankle Booties : Target : similar Cheetah Print Booties // Sunnies : Zenni optical ]

So who am I gonna see there?! RSVP to opening night, this Friday- May 22, 2017 from 5-10pm. (Facebook event, here) 

Hey Frans! I am back from my wedding in Iceland and my Honeymoon in France, and I am finally (trying) to get back into the swing of things.  I have a bunch of post for you guys in the drafts, and thought it was about time that I finish one to share. Starting with this super easy D.I.Y. Graphic Tee. I was inspired by Shop Ban.do's tees. I put 'Forever a Burden' on mine, which was our wedding hashtag. I thought this could make for a cute + easy shirt for a bride to make as her Honeymoon T-shirt. 

This iron on letter t-shirt design will seriously take about 10 minutes to do. And you really only need a few supplies to make it!

I love how my shirt turned out, and have already worn it a few times! My HUSBAND snaped the pics of me wearing it out on a date, one night. (I slightly feel like that gal in the Bridesmaids movie who says HUSBAND all weird and as much as possible in normal convo. -Haha. This (phase) shall too pass!-  But, Sunday, was one month married AND this month, SEVEN years ago is when Chris and I went on our frist date, AND about this time SEVEN years before that is when we first met and became best buds! Man how time flies!....and now, I'm his wifey and FOREVER A BURDEN! :)

Psst! : if you want a peek at some of the wedding photos, check out our photographer's (Kelley Raye) blog, here.