100 Artists, One Iguana, and a Workshop I Almost Walked Out Of

August was a big month for me. I was one of 100 international artists selected to exhibit at the Calgary International Watercolour Festival. Getting into a show like that isn't something you expect, especially with as many talented painters as I know are out there, so I was floored when I received the news that my painting had been accepted.

The painting that got me in was of an iguana. Not exactly what people picture when they think of my work, since I mostly paint Alberta wildlife and mountains, but this one goes back to when my husband Eric and I lived in Mexico. There was an iguana that used to sunbathe on the rocks by our pool, completely unbothered by us. I snapped a photo of Eric standing near it one day, and that photo became the reference for the painting. It's one of those pieces that started as a random moment and turned into something I'm genuinely proud of.

The iguana sunbathing on the rocks.

A photo of me with my piece, The Watcher at the Calgary International Watercolour Festival

While I was at the festival, I also took two workshops from artists I've admired for a while, Eudes Correia and Julia Barminova, and they could not have been more different experiences.

Eudes's workshop was on figure painting, and his approach really stuck with me. He starts with big, bold brushstrokes and strong color, almost abstract at first, and slowly carves the figure out of that chaos by building up layers. Watching him work felt like watching a magician complete a trick, the figure just appearing out of all that color rather than being drawn. His confidence with the brush was incredible and I can’t wait to incorporate some of those techniques in my future paintings.

I also loved how Eudes likes to paint whilst drinking red wine and listening to Brazilian bossa nova. Now, that’s something I can really get behind! 🍷

Working on a portrait of a young girl during our first day of the workshop.

Brazilian artist Eudes Correia and me holding my work-in-progress portrait at the end of the workshop. I still need to complete this piece.

Julia's workshop was harder for me, in a good way. I actually sketched and started painting on the wrong side of my paper, and I didn't realize it until I'd already put paint down. You can technically paint on the back side of watercolour paper, but the texture is smoother than what I'm used to, and I knew it wasn't going to give me the painting I wanted, so I decided to stop the painting.

By then, other people in the workshop were already producing some amazing pieces, and I fell further and further behind. I got so frustrated that I decided to pack up my supplies and left early on the first day, unsure if I would come back for the second day.

On the way home, I explained the paper fiasco to Eric, and the best comparison I could come up with was a hockey player being handed the wrong pair of skates right before a game. They can still get through it, but they're not playing anywhere near their best. (I'm aware that might be the most Canadian way possible to explain a watercolour problem, but it's the one that made sense to me 🇨🇦.)

I’m a bit of a perfectionist so this mistake really through me for a loop but I had waited months to get into a workshop with Julia , so I knew I would regret it if I didn’t show up for the second day and at least try to catch up.

There's a line from author Steven Pressfield I think about a lot: "The most important thing about art is to work. Nothing else matters except sitting down every day and trying." That's basically what day two came down to for me. Not only did I catch up, I finished right along with everyone else, and when I looked at my finished painting I was honestly stunned. It's one of those moments that reminds me why it's worth pushing through the hard parts instead of walking away from them.

My first painting at the end of the first day.

My second painting as I am nearing the end of the second day of the workshop.

Me and artist Julia Barminova with our finished paintings at the end of the workshop.

Between being selected for the exhibition and these two workshops, this festival gave me a lot to sit with. Not just technique, but a reminder that showing up and doing the uncomfortable work is usually what gets you the result you're proud of, whether that's a jury saying yes or a painting you almost didn't finish.