Hello dear watercolor friend,

When I was young, I bought a camera – an expensive SLR, an Olympus OM-2. I thought I would have it for the rest of my life, because it had everything I needed. A bit like Karl-Oskar’s expensive leather boots in The Emigrants. I remember Kristina giving him a sour look when he bought them – the whole family had to give up a lot so that Karl-Oskar could have nice boots for the rest of his life.

But a camera for life it was not. The OM-2 ended up on a shelf when digital cameras arrived. I bought a small digital Canon. Then a newer model, and another one after that. More pixels, bigger memory, faster autofocus. I upgraded cameras more and more often – just as the manufacturers wanted. And when mobile cameras took over, the idea of “a camera for life” seemed almost ridiculous.

We see the same thing now with electric cars. Back then, you might buy a new SAAB 9000 and think you’d keep it for a long time – it felt like your whole life during the first week. But then the electric cars arrived, with longer range, faster charging, and new features every year. The result is the same as with cameras: you always feel like you have an old model – exactly what the market wants.

I’ve seen the same pattern when I worked with computer graphics and video games – in the 1990s I made, among other things, the game BackPacker. There, everything was about new computers, new features, and constant upgrades. New programs with new functions were always coming, and you never really caught up – development was always one step ahead.

And this is where watercolor becomes a relief. Suddenly, it’s not about keeping up with new technology, more pixels, or faster processors. There are no upgrades you “have to” get. The paints and paper are the same as yesterday. It’s me who develops, not the technology trying to tempt me with more features. I can paint at my own pace, explore, make mistakes, and start over without stress.

It’s this freedom that makes watercolor so special: everything depends on me, the colors, the brush, and the water. In watercolor, it’s not the tools that improve – it’s me who grows.

You are warmly welcome to my vernissage!

Five Frozen Pekingese

I’m excited to finally share something I’ve been working on for a long time: my book Five Frozen Pekingese is now available in a new, illustrated edition – in Swedish.

Five Frozen Pekingese is a humorous and thought-provoking story about humanity’s role as self-proclaimed rulers of the planet. This edition is richly illustrated with my own watercolors, which enhance the atmosphere of the story and make the reading experience even more vivid.

Working on the book has been both a joy and a challenge. I’ve painted subjects I rarely tackle – nature, animals, and images that come entirely from my imagination. It has opened new doors in my watercolor work and given the story exactly the color and feeling I had hoped for.

The book is now available for purchase, and it’s such a pleasure to be able to share it with you!

Next Watercolor Letter will arrive sometime this winter, and I look forward to sharing more thoughts, tips, and watercolor explorations with you.

When you paint, there are no upgrades you have to keep up with. You set the pace, explore the colors, and let the brush and water do their work. Your inner self develops – and your skill becomes like Karl-Oskar’s leather boots: faithful companions that only get better with time.

Keep painting!

Stefan Gadnell