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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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.
Read MoreOur 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.
Read MoreThis 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.
Read MoreHave 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.
Read MoreI 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.
Read MoreI 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.
Read MoreWe’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.
Read MoreAs 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.
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreArtists 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.
Read MoreLast weekend Dom and I headed out of the city and made our way to Bowral in the beautiful Southern Highlands of NSW.
Read MoreIt's raining today in Sydney and I can't hear it on the roof. That's one of the things I don't like about living in Sydney. I can't hear the rain when I'm inside. Another is the traffic. The relentless bumper to bumper battle whenever you want to go anywhere in your car.
Read MoreI have been up and down this year. I went through a period of sadness where I doubted myself and my ability. I questioned what I was doing. I was fearful of the future.
Read MoreBack pain and I have been old friends for about a decade or so. Most people suffer from back pain throughout their lives so there are no surprises there. However, surprises have a way of sneaking up on you and in June this year I was given the biggest surprise of my life.
Read MoreI'm supposed to be painting but I thought I'd tell you how watercolour has captivated me. My life long love affair with drawing and painting has had so many twists and turns.
Read MoreI’ve been living in Sydney temporarily for the past 18 months or so and one of the perks of living in the city is having access to art supply shops. Where my home is on the Mid North Coast of NSW, art supply shops are pretty scarce.
Read MoreMy day begins around 6.45am. Dom sets his ipad to wake him at 7.00 and I usually wake just before it goes off. He puts his ipad on snooze and spends the next hour turning it off every 9 minutes.
Read MoreWe all feel up and down at times. It’s part of life. As I am slightly melancholic I can be up and down several times a day. I can begin the morning close to tears and end the day feeling like a kid in a toy shop. I have mellowed with time and I have discovered ways I can manage my down times.
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