When I released my

last year, I wanted it to be available to as many people as possible. So I’ve worked with my publishers to release a Spanish version and it is now available! I was also surprised the other day with the Italian translation at my front door!

I took some time this morning to write a “Note from Nicki” which I used to send out to my email list quite frequently. As of recently, I’ve been enjoying bringing it back here and there and today I wanted to share it with you on the blog! When I started writing, I let the words flow, and it was quite a long email. So, I’ve actually shared the complete note below with you. Consider this a sneak peek of what my subscribers get sent to their inbox!

The Watercolor Art Retreat of a Lifetime: join me in France, nestled in a private, 19th-century French château. I’m so excited to lead the upcoming Creative Watercolor Art Retreat hosted by UpTrek, where we’ll have the entire chateau to ourselves for 8 days with a private chef and staff to help us with whatever we need throughout the week!

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I love Winsor & Newton's professional watercolor paints. They have been a favorite for a long time, and I use them in many of my projects and classes, so I was so excited when they approached me to put together this palette of colors!

Planning your art process is a critical part of growing as an artist. Before using this planner, I would create an initial sketch and just start. Don’t get me wrong, there’s no correct way to plan or create when it comes to your artistic process, but I realized I needed a more organized way to capture all of my ideas. Enter: The Artist Project Planner!

Wanting to start a new skill is daunting. It's overwhelming with all of the free and even costly online tutorials, courses, and blog posts.

If you’ve been around for a while, you know I’ve created my Trace and Paint books to help you practice your watercolor technique without the stress of drawing or sketching before you paint. I get asked how to use these books or why they’re helpful in your art practice.

Hey Watercolors Made Simple students! I’m going LIVE on January 12th in the Student’s Facebook group! Last month, I asked our students a few questions in a survey I sent out, as I wanted to learn more about how I can best support you in your art journey!

There is a difference between hand lettering and calligraphy. Some would argue that there’s a big difference. I personally feel that any form of lettering, is simply letters that are “drawn” vs. “written”. In both cases, we draw strokes that are very purposeful and consistent. The difference between hand lettering and calligraphy is that the elements of those strokes vary. I recorded this video to help with explaining the difference between hand lettering and calligraphy in the hopes of helping to show how the elements of each art form vary.

Click play to watch the video.

Free printable weekly planner template to help keep you organized and inspired.  Use these beautifully designed weekly planning sheets for your business and personal events, goals and to-do lists!  Stay organized in style!