Artistic Ideals Studio

Handmade Watercolors with a Little Personality

rtistic Ideals Studio came into my life through Dianne Zimmerman of Watercolors Beginners & Beyond, who introduced me to Christy and her handmade watercolor paints.

That introduction quickly became a friendship.

Over the last three years, I have had the pleasure of watching Christy grow both as an artist and as a paint maker, experimenting with pigments, refining her formulas, developing new colors, and building Artistic Ideals into a creative business all her own. I also happen to own quite a lot of her paint. And her paints are delicious. Not literally, obviously.

Please do not eat the watercolor.

What You’ll Find in Christy’s Treasure Box

Handmade watercolor paints
Student and professional collections
Natural mineral pigments
Unusual and specialty colors
Shimmering and expressive paints
Small-batch creative experiments
Paints with wonderfully individual personalities

Artistic Ideals is where I reach when I want watercolor to become part of the adventure itself. Christy’s handmade paints invite experimentation, play, and a little patience while you discover what each pigment wants to do.

Explore Artistic Ideals

Not Every Paint Needs to Behave the Same Way

When I am studying from a book, following a class, or working on something where I need very predictable results, I usually reach for my everyday watercolor palette. Christy’s paints serve a different purpose in my studio. Many of her colors are created with natural minerals and unusual pigments, which means some of them can be thirsty, textured, granulating, stubborn, surprising, or simply different from the mass-produced paints most artists learn with. They sometimes take a little getting acquainted with. That is part of why I enjoy them. I think of them as my gourmet watercolors. They’re the paints I reach for when I want to play, experiment, follow the pigment somewhere unexpected, and let the materials have a little more say in what the finished painting becomes.

Watching a Paint Maker Grow

One of my favorite parts of knowing Christy has been watching her craft develop. Handmade watercolor is its own art. It requires learning how different pigments behave, how much binder they need, how they cure, how they rewet, how they interact with paper, and how to create a paint that an artist can actually enjoy using. Over the years, I’ve watched Christy continue experimenting, learning, refining, and growing. Some colors are smooth and immediately familiar. Others are beautifully strange. And some have the kind of personality that makes you stop what you’re doing just to see what they’ll do next. That is exactly what I want from handmade paint.

For Artists Who Like to Play

Artistic Ideals paints are especially fun for projects where the journey matters as much as the finished painting.

They’re wonderful for:

experimental watercolor
loose painting
fantasy and illustrative work
granulating effects
mineral textures
shimmer and specialty colors
creative sketchbooks
projects where happy accidents are welcome

If you want every pigment to behave exactly like a standardized commercial palette, handmade paints may require a little adjustment.

But if you enjoy discovering what a pigment can do, they can be tremendous fun.

A Small Business I Want to See Become a Big One

Artistic Ideals is also especially meaningful to me because Christy isn’t simply a company whose paint I buy.

She is my friend and my client. I am helping her build and develop the Artistic Ideals website and online business, and I would genuinely love to see her grow into a widely recognized handmade watercolor brand. That doesn’t mean I recommend the paints because she’s a client. I recommend them because I use them. The friendship simply means I’ve had the unusual privilege of watching the person behind the paints grow right alongside the business.

Where to Find Artistic Ideals

You can explore Christy’s handmade watercolors through Artistic Ideals Studio and follow her creative work around the web.

Website ~ Artistic Ideals Studio

Etsy Shop ~ Shop Artistic Ideals on Etsy

Facebook ~ Artistic Ideals Studio

Facebook Community ~ Join the Artistic Ideals Studio Group

Instagram ~ Follow Artistic Ideals

Why I Recommend Her Paints

I recommend Artistic Ideals because Christy’s paints offer something different from the standardized watercolor lines I use for everyday work. They’re handmade. They’re expressive. Some are wonderfully well behaved, while others require you to learn their quirks. And that’s part of their charm. They encourage me to stop controlling every part of the painting and simply see what happens. Sometimes the best art supplies aren’t the ones that disappear quietly into the process. Sometimes they’re the ones that join the conversation.

About This Relationship

Artistic Ideals Studio is a web-development client of mine, and Christy is also a personal friend.

I do not currently receive affiliate compensation when you purchase her paints or visit the links on this page.

This recommendation is based on my own experience using her handmade watercolors and watching her develop her craft over the last several years.

Find Me Around the Grotto

Follow along for art, sewing, reading, and quiet adventures.