My Journal

Journal of Louise De Masi.

Australian Watercolour Artist.

Welcome to Louise De Masi’s Journal, where you’ll find personal reflections, behind-the-scenes stories, and the inspirations that fuel her creative journey. Discover the life of a professional watercolour artist through candid posts that share the highs and lows of the artistic process.

Louise’s journal offers a glimpse into her daily routines, upcoming projects, and the experiences that shape her art. Perfect for art enthusiasts and fellow artists, these entries provide an intimate look at the passion and dedication behind each piece.

Stay connected and inspired by following Louise’s artistic adventures.

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Blog post Index

Introducing My Custom Schmincke Watercolour Palette

Introducing My Custom Schmincke Watercolour Palette

I chose tube paints over pan paints because I find it easier to mix with freshly squeezed paint, which gives me more control over the consistency and vibrancy of my colours. My 12-colour palette strikes the perfect balance between being compact and versatile. With just these 12 colours, you can tackle a wide variety of subjects and techniques, from detailed botanicals to African wildlife. Each colour has been carefully selected not only for its individual beauty but also for its ability to mix effortlessly with the others, allowing you to create an almost infinite range of hues.

Watercolour PaintingLouise De Masi8 October 2024Art Supplies Comments

Creating Unique Floral Wedding Invitations

Creating Unique Floral Wedding Invitations

In June, our daughter celebrated her wedding, and she had a special request for me: to create a watercolour floral design for her invitations and menus. She envisioned a simple yet elegant bouquet of white roses accented with eucalyptus leaves for her special day. Excited by the challenge, I dove into my collection of reference photos, seeking the perfect white rose to bring her vision to life.

Personal, Watercolour PaintingLouise De Masi26 June 2024Reference material, inspiration, BotanicalComment

An Open Letter to Louise De Masi

An Open Letter to Louise De Masi

"Following Louise’s videos on YouTube made me feel I was painting. After a long time, I wrote Louise on Facebook and unexpectedly got an answer! She invited me to enjoy Discord, where I met beautiful, enthusiastic painters. At some point, it clicked! My heart was full of joy! Now, Susi, paint! So, I followed a tutorial, painting for the first time in my painting life!" - Susi

MotivationalLouise De Masi17 June 2024Artistic growth, Benefits Comments

My Personal Branding Photography Session

My Personal Branding Photography Session

Our session began in the studio, where Julia worked magic with lighting and angles. The atmosphere was relaxed, and Julia’s expertise put me at ease, making the whole process feel natural and enjoyable. A personal branding photographer like Julia excels in creating imagery that captures the essence and experience of an individual's brand, reflecting their personality and story in a personalised and authentic way.

PersonalLouise De Masi22 May 2024inspiration, Photography Comments

Who is Louise De Masi?

Who is Louise De Masi?

This dream led me to university, where I completed a Bachelor of Education with first-class honours and a university medal. Not that my success at uni helped me secure a full-time teaching job, though. It was difficult to get full-time work as a teacher after I had finished. I did a lot of casual teaching work, where you put your name down at schools and wait for them to call you. During that time of waiting for the phone to ring- I taught myself to paint in watercolour. Then I got a few full-time temporary teaching positions, and I no longer had time to paint. Teaching in schools is really hard work, and eventually I had lost my passion for it.

PersonalLouise De Masi15 May 2024inspiration Comments

Avoiding Burnout

Avoiding Burnout

Have you ever woken up with a sense of dread, feeling as though the weight of the world rests on your shoulders, anticipating a mountain of problems awaiting your attention? That was my reality every morning. Opening my email, I was greeted not with the promise of a new day, but with a heavy sense of foreboding.

Personal, WellbeingLouise De Masi25 April 2024inspiration, How To Comments

Artist Progress: Embracing Growth and Perseverance in Watercolour Painting

Artist Progress: Embracing Growth and Perseverance in Watercolour Painting

I'll be honest, those early days were filled with frustration. Watercolour, with its own set of rules and techniques, was a tough teacher and progress was slow. The lessons of light to dark, the permanence of each stroke, and the acceptance of "happy accidents" were hard-learned. I found myself creating pieces that, well, let's just say they wouldn't have made it to the fridge door.

Motivational, Watercolour PaintingLouise De Masi27 February 2024advice, Practice, Benefits Comments

Watercolour Painting Challenge October 2023

Watercolour Painting Challenge October 2023

Creating a successful painting by following a tutorial is one thing, but being able to replicate that success independently, drawing upon the skills and knowledge acquired from those tutorials is another.

I'm happy to share that a significant number of my students are able to achieve precisely that. In fact, I am consistently impressed and extremely proud of the artwork they produce on their own. They, too, take great pride in their achievements, and rightfully so.

Watercolour Painting, Project ChallengesLouise De Masi9 November 2023watercolour painting, watercolour, inspiration Comments

5 Common Mistakes in Watercolour Painting!

5 Common Mistakes in Watercolour Painting!

To save you from these pitfalls and help you achieve better results, I've compiled a guide that focuses on the five most common mistakes that I have come across when painting in watercolour. The guide is completely free when you subscribe to my newsletter.

Watercolour PaintingLouise De Masi16 May 2023TipsComment

I Did a Landscape Painting and I Failed

I Did a Landscape Painting and I Failed

I spent two days painting some cows in a paddock. Now don’t get me wrong, I like the cows but the landscape part of the reference photo……..meh.

As a result, I ended up with 5 overworked, muddy and poorly composed paintings. The only part of each painting that I liked was the area around the cows.

Personal, Watercolour PaintingLouise De Masi6 May 2023Landscape Comments

Sharing My Creative Journey with The Art of Watercolour Magazine

Sharing My Creative Journey with The Art of Watercolour Magazine

I was very happy to receive an email from The Art of Watercolour Magazine’s editorial staff saying they wanted to feature my work in their upcoming issue.

The editor sent me a list of questions to answer, which would be featured in the magazine alongside my artwork. Answering the questions was a great opportunity for me to reflect on my journey as an artist and share my insights with the readers of the magazine.

PersonalLouise De Masi24 April 2023Articles, Publishing, Magazine Comments

Coming Home, Cockatoos and King Parrots.

Coming Home, Cockatoos and King Parrots.

We’ve moved back home! After four years of living in Sydney, Dom and I have come back to our house in the country. I am amazed I lasted that long in the city.

Personal, Watercolour PaintingLouise De Masi20 November 2018Birds, Prints Comments

Painting Large Flowers in Watercolour

Painting Large Flowers in Watercolour

Of all the subjects I love to paint in watercolours, my favourite is flowers. I started painting them in 2015 and one of the reasons I love to paint them is that it's easy for me to gather reference material.

Watercolour PaintingLouise De Masi30 January 2018Botanical, How To Comments

Cairns, Cables Cars and Cute Cockatoos

Cairns, Cables Cars and Cute Cockatoos

As an artist, I'm always on the look out for good reference material. I often visit zoos, wildlife sanctuaries and botanic gardens with my camera in hand hoping to catch as much useable material as I can.

Watercolour Painting, PersonalLouise De Masi14 July 2017Birds, Holliday Comments

To Conquer!

The one thing that keeps me going every day, and it brings tears to my eyes to talk about it, are my watercolours. Being able to paint with watercolour every day is an absolute joy. Whenever my brush is in my hand, my paints are beside me and that velvety textured watercolour paper is in front of me I am in my happy place. When I paint, I forget about my problems and I forget about the way the world is now. I escape into a beautiful world of water, colour and shapes.

Personal, Watercolour PaintingLouise De Masi7 July 2017Tips, Teaching Comments

Online Watercolour Classes

Online Watercolour Classes

Somebody at Skillshare emailed me last year and they asked me if I'd like to consider filming some online classes for their platform. I gave it some thought and decided that I would give it a go.

Watercolour Painting, ClassesLouise De Masi11 April 2017Botanical, Birds, How To Comments

Don't Worry. Be Happy.

Don't Worry. Be Happy.

Artists create for different reasons. Some want to make people aware of an important issue such as animal conservation or a social issue such as body image.

Watercolour Painting, PersonalLouise De Masi27 October 2016Birds, Botanical Comments

Painting ducklings in watercolour.

Painting ducklings in watercolour.

I discovered some little fluff cuteness bundles in the park the other day.

Watercolour Painting, Artistic JourneyLouise De Masi5 October 2016Birds Comments