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Cynthia Oswald

Surface Design, Fine Art + Branding for Creatives

watercolor

Charting Your Creative Path: Exploring Long-Term Career Goals with Bonnie Christine

Charting Your Creative Path:

Exploring Long-Term Career Goals with Bonnie Christine

Last week I had such a full schedule and then an opportunity popped into my inbox to chat with a long-time business mentor, Bonnie Christine. I had lots of reasons as to why it might not work this week. And then I also had the years of Bonnie’s wisdom in my brain—encouraging me to be bold, take “10 seconds of courage”, get comfortable being uncomfortable—and I knew it needed to be a “heck yes”. So I thought about some things I’d love to chat with Bonnie about and we jumped on a 20+ minute Zoom to share thoughts about creating a long vision for your career, getting really clear on your goals, how to consistently chip away at them overtime, and celebrating the small wins throughout the process. I hope you enjoy listening in on the conversation!

Below are a few things Bonnie shared during the call that really stood out to me:

“What if you try as hard as you can and you succeed? Are you even willing to wrap your mind around the possibility that you will succeed?”

“It’s in the consistency that things progress and goals are met.”

“Create a habit of approaching the progress.”

“Successful people only get there through consistent action.”

Secrets to Success in Surface Pattern Design

Join Bonnie’s Free Workshop now through February 28, 2023

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

Where art meets design

How to create cohesion in your art and your brand

I throw around the word “cohesive” quite a lot—whether I’m working on a client’s brand or website, composing a pattern, or painting a composition. But what does it really mean to be cohesive?

Cohesion is “the action or fact of forming a unified whole.” I’m interested in creating a feeling that something is complete, not lacking anything. And while being cohesive is so important for creating consistency with a client’s brand, I find that it is equally as important when composing a pattern, creating artwork, or designing an illustration. In my latest Skillshare class, Watercolor by Design, I review how seven basic design principles influence my painting practice. In the last few years, I’ve worked hard to understand my preferences, both style wise and what I’m passionate about. By doing so, I’ve been able to understand where art meets design and why the two can live harmoniously together in my work. It comes down to cohesion. 

By making intentional choices using design principles, you can create cohesion within your brand or your artistic style. Let’s review the seven basic design principles I share during my class and how they influence my design and artist practices.

Seven Basic Design Principles

1. Hierarchy

Knowing what is most important allows you to create a visual hierarchy to communicate a particular message, emotion, feeling, or mood. Creating a visual hierarchy guides the viewer’s eyes and allows them to land on a particular location within your composition. Scale, density, detail, and overall prominence play a role in determining where the focal point will be. 

2. Contrast

Contrast is an excellent compositional tool. Adding a spectrum of color values allows you to emphasize (or de-emphasize) specific areas. It can be used in combination with other techniques to create a pathway for the viewer to move through the piece. It can apply to how we use color, fonts, imagery as well as our painterly techniques. 

3. Repetition

Repeating elements, style preferences, colors, etc. can provide uniformity—or in this, case reveal your style. Recognizing and repeating patterns in your work is a great way to enhance your signature style, as well as lean into what is working for you. Repetition is also a great way to create cohesion. 

4. Proximity

In design, proximity is used to create organization and cohesion within a space. When it comes to fine art, proximity can be used to create friction, breathing room, consistency, or a combination of the three. 

5. Balance

Balance is also a tool that can be used to create a sense of friction or ease. Balance can be achieved by creating or placing objects, colors, or images at an equal distance from the center on opposing locations within the piece. I prefer compositions to feel balanced because it creates a feeling of wholeness to me.

6. Color

Color can evoke certain emotions and express values. Warm colors create a different feeling from cool colors. Complimentary colors can create balance or contrast when placed next to one another or cancel each other out when combined. Color can add depth, or lack of color can make it feel flat—both can be intentional choices. 

7. Space

Space, like balance and proximity, is important to keep in mind for compositional purposes. Negative space, in particular, can be an excellent tool to keep in mind while you are completing a composition. Space creates a pathway or a natural shape that works as a tool alongside contrast, balance, and proximity.

When a brand is well designed and adheres to a style guide, it allows us to quickly recognize that brand at a glance (almost subconsciously) and forms a sense of reliability. When an artist intentionally moves in the direction of their style preferences, we can also recognize their work. It allows an audience to engage with that artist, builds trust, and creates a connection to the work. 

If you’re interested in finding ways to use the principles listed above in your brand or your artwork, here are a couple of suggestions:

For your brand

Try listing out the above design principles on a piece of paper. Then under each item, brainstorm ways that you are currently creating cohesion in your brand using these principles. Or, if you feel there are areas for improvement, think of new ways you could begin implementing these techniques. 

For your artwork

Start by creating a lot of work (or look back on a large batch of your recent creations). Then reflect on what works well and what doesn’t—what feels cohesive to you? Write down the design principles you’re using that are giving you that cohesion. Then, create a new piece of work using the style preferences and principles that you enjoy in your previous works. If you like the outcome, consider continuing to move in that direction going forward. 

Just like the seasons, your preferences will change over time—whether you’re reviewing your brand or your artwork. Just recognizing those changes over time allows you to continue making intentional choices and creating cohesion within your artistic style or your brand.

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.

“You Belong Among The Wildflowers” Wall Art

You Belong Among The Wildflowers


With the birth of my daughter last July I thought a lot about ways I could encourage her to be herself. Inspiring quotes of positivity filled my mind and some lettering projects were born out of it. This piece in particular was inspired by her, and of course, Tom Petty’s song, “You Belong Among The Wildflowers.” To share the love I’m giving this print away free as a digital download. You can use it as nursery decor, wall art, or for any space in your home. I suggest printing at 8″ x 8″—or on a letter-sized paper, trimming the long end. Sign up to receive this print and other freebies below. I plan to share digital downloads on a monthly basis so if you’re interested in receiving blank recipe cards, calendars, watercolor artwork and lettering sign up below.