Santa brought us a chalkboard for Christmas, the kind that covered the entire wall of the playroom. Dad hung it up, so securely, I’m pretty sure it still hangs on that wall to this day. With dusty fingers I became an expert at drawing medieval princesses, crooked apple trees, erupting volcanoes and all sorts of flowers. I learned to draw and label the entire human skeletal system on that board as well as the map of Canada, naming all its provinces, capital cities, lakes and rivers.

I have always been a person who draws.On Facebook I stumbled upon some urban sketches of a local Thai artist, and my soul was stirred by the beauty of practiced imperfection. How can someone get away with art that looks so sloppy but so beautiful at the same time? I called him, we met up. Since that day I have been determined to become a watercolour artist.

Seth Godin said it takes 10,000 hours of doing something until you become an expert. I couldn’t imagine anything more fun than 10,000 hours of practicing with watercolours.

So since June in 2012 I have been studying and practicing. I painted through our move from Bangkok to Paris, France, where we now live. Has it been 10,000 hours yet? I don’t know. Among the practices have been a few good flukes. But more importantly, the images I paint have been something intentional and something I can do again and again.

I am excited to share this with you, and once I click ‘publish’ there is no turning back. I am an artist!