Cynthia Oswald

Surface Design, Fine Art + Branding for Creatives

Watercolor

Behind the Scenes of the Vast Views Collection

Grounding myself in motherhood

Behind the Scenes of the Vast Views Collection

It’s 8:30 am on a Friday morning and I’ve already cooked breakfast, sang and danced, played restaurant, painted, and made a huge mess of my living area alongside my two girls (and two large dogs). We are busy over here—and by “we” I mean me—I’m busy wearing many hats. It’s just as I had hoped for, more than I ever could have dreamed, and also can be a real struggle to keep up with. Sometimes I feel like I’m 8 years old treading water and a little too far from the edge of the pool. I was never a strong swimmer. Other times, I’m in complete awe of how I can find rest by looking into their eyes, I can ground myself by caring for them, and I can find presence by being present. 

My girls are 1 and 4. They have reminded me of the little pleasures in life that fill my cup. Finding a grasshopper, discovering a new plant, soaking in a beautiful view, dancing when no one is watching, singing in the shower, goodness, even digging for worms can be exciting. I’m calling these simple pleasures into my life right now and drinking them in like my first cup of morning coffee because they ground me in these early years of motherhood. Motherhood in combination with running a business, nurturing a marriage, and fulfilling my own creative desires feels near impossible some days (notice I said nothing about a social life!). I paint the feelings I want to experience, I ground myself in the practice, and I sincerely want to create that sense of grounding and the ability to mindfully connect with the present moment for those that collect my work. 

This year I’m bringing back the mini watercolor landscapes for the 25 Days of Minis project with presence in mind. When I was a child, I would walk to the highest elevation on my parent’s property and climb a large tree that had a limb hanging over the fence row, overlooking the valley. I would walk out to the edge of the tree limb and sit there absorbing the landscape. It stirred up a well of emotions in my heart—excitement, hope, possibility. I think about how truly present I was in those moments. Free of cell phones, work, expectations, you name it. I was free to daydream and that is exactly what I did there while I looked out over the vast view. It was in those moments that the abundance found in nature seemed completely accessible to me. 

The best compliment is when I witness a child absorb my artwork. I’ve seen my one-year-old giggle when noticing a ladybug in a pattern I designed, my 4-year-old is constantly trying to procure paintings for her bedroom gallery, and when children that aren’t part of my family appreciate my work, my heart literally sings a little tune. It’s a song about daydreaming into the present moment, finding joy in the smallest pleasures, and soaking in the moments that we are in, right now. My hope is that this work can serve as a visual reminder to focus on flourishing, see the beauty and magic in the present moment and that the wild abundance that exists in nature is also accessible to us.

mini watercolor landscapes
Mini Watercolor Landscapes from the 2021 Collection

Transform your space into a sanctuary of peace and natural beauty. Explore my collection of original art, linen wall hangings, and bespoke wallpaper, each piece crafted to inspire tranquility and well-being. Interested in a custom creation that perfectly matches your vision? Let’s collaborate to bring your unique idea to life. Reach out today to discover how we can enhance your environment with art that resonates with the soul. Together, we’ll create a space that reflects the beauty of nature and the essence of your personal style.

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My Top Watercolor Supplies

watercolor supplies

Everything you’ll need
to get started with watercolor paint

The first time I painted with watercolor, I was painting a local landscape in plein air. I loved it and took to it so quickly, as it felt a lot like drawing. And it ignited my life-long passion for watercolor. So much so that when I was getting my Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts, I squeezed in a watercolor class as an elective, and then proceeded to follow my watercolor professor to paint in Italy two summers in a row. 

All that to say, watercolor is by far my favorite medium, and it has been for 20 years now. I love the versatility of the paint, and the friendliness of it. You can cozy up on your couch, allow your kids to dive right in, and meanwhile be working on a masterpiece (think Andrew Wyeth!). I’ve protected this skill set of mine, sort of hid it, nurtured it, and watched it flourish over the years. Now I’m finally ready to start sharing what I’ve learned, so I created this resource to share some of my favorite supplies that I’ve discovered throughout my watercolor journey. 

I’m a firm believer that the quality of the ingredients matters—whether you’re baking a cake or putting pigment to paper. So I’m going to share with you a few of my favorite, quality watercolor supplies … I know you’ll love them as much as I do!

Brushes

1. Beginner Brush Set — Cotman Set

This set is great because it comes with a range of 7 different brushes, making it the perfect, well-rounded set to get started with. You can figure out which brushes you prefer to work with by working with a range. 

2. Standard Must-Have — Mop Brush

Mop brushes are a must-have for painting large washes. The larger the brush the more water and pigment the brush will hold so you want to choose a size based on the size of paper you plan to work with. 

3. My Favorite — Series 7 Round Brushes

I really love these brushes because they give you a range of abilities—from fine detail to creating washes—you can do it all with a quality round brush. They are my favorite from the list. If detail is something you are interested in achieving, grab yourself a mid-sized round brush. It’s well worth the investment. 

Watercolors

Winsor Newton Professional Series

I use Winsor Newton Professional Series Watercolor when I paint. The colors are great and there’s a huge variety of tones. Below are a couple different links to different sets that you can get started with. Keep in mind that you can create a large range of colors using a basic palette. I recommend starting smaller and adding to your collection as you start to get comfortable with the medium.

1. Set of 12

2. Set of 18

3. Set of 24

Paper

1. Hot Press Block Paper

This is the paper I use all the time and I absolutely love it! It’s a block of paper. The purpose of a block is to keep the paper taut. This is 140 lb. hot press paper—which means it’s a smooth sheet and thick enough that it won’t ripple. Hot press is great for scanning your artwork. Arches makes some wonderful cold press sheets if you are looking for some texture to the paper.

2. Amalfi Paper

This is an incredible paper from the Amalfi coast — I actually first discovered it when I was in an art gallery there. It’s an incredible quality paper, fun to use, and gives you a way to explore if you want something a little different! 

Palette

1. Palette with Center Mix and Lots of Color Spaces

I think it’s really important to have spots to mix colors in the center of your palette, and then spots for a lot of different colors on the outer edge. There are a lot of suitable options out there, I chose this one as it is similar to what I use daily.

2. Beautiful Ceramic Palette

If you are looking for something that photographs well this is the palette for you.  It doesn’t have enough color spots for me personally, but it’s another great one to start with! (Perfect if you want to show photos of your supplies or your painting process!)

Extras

Here are a few extra supplies that I recommend having on hand when you are getting started: 

These supplies will set you up to dive into the medium. And if you want tips on painting with watercolor, check out my latest Skillshare class—Watercolor by Design!

NOTE: I am not an affiliate for these brands nor do I get any commission on the purchase of these products. They’re just a few of my favorites that I wanted to share with you.

Branding that comes together with ease


Over the past three weeks I’ve been sharing the journey of how my wedding invitations came to be. Today I’m sharing the finished pieces, as well as the entire wedding suite and photos of the big day! I was so excited when our wedding invitations arrived! I made Steven open them so I could video the reveal. Perhaps it was a little over the top, but these little things really excite me! As the video reveals I’m not sure Steven was as excited.

Once the invitations were designed we had all the necessary elements to begin creating the entire event package. The illustrations were already complete and I had purchased a couple of fonts that I knew would work well with my hand lettering. My intern, Hannah, was able to work through designing the program, table numbers, and place cards. She repurposed everything I created in new ways to bring together the entire package.

When you have the fundamental elements needed to make up your visual branding package it’s rewarding to watch your brand package come together with ease.

Pictured below are a few of the items we created using my original illustrations, hand lettering, and fonts. There’s no question that these all belong together. Likewise, you want your customers to easily recognize your brand—whether digital or in print. Designing our wedding invitations was a fun way to represent our unity and who we are as a couple. Designing your branding package should faithfully represent your business—defining the business personality and emulating your unique mission. Sometimes it’s abstract and subliminal but it’s still there—pictures are worth a thousand words (or more). Let’s make sure your images are sending the right message! Contact me here to get started.

Cynthia Oswald design

Wedding photographs by Becky Albright Photography