The World of Watercolor Painting with Birgit O’Connor

In this members discussion, we chat about the growing excitement around Bohan watercolor paper, how it compares to other surfaces, and what students are experiencing while painting on it.

We also dive into the creative journey behind my newest books and workbooks, including the thoughtful feedback students have shared along the way.

As I move into Season Four of the podcast, this conversation reflects the next step in my own creative journey—expanding beyond painting alone into creativity, observation, confidence, and the deeper artistic process. From watercolor techniques to creative flow, this is an honest behind-the-scenes look at where the work is evolving and what’s coming next.

Find Your Creative Flow: A Guided Creative Journal to Overcome Overwhelm and Find Your Flow Paperback on Amazon

 

BAOHONG Artists' Watercolor Paper Block (20 Sheets, glued on Four Edges), 100% Cotton, Acid-Free, 140LB/300GSM, Watercolor Art Supplies for Wet, Dry, and Mixed Media Painting (Cold Press 8.3"X5.9") Other sizes available. Link to Amazon

Season of an Artist – Part 4: Moving Forward

In this episode of the World of Watercolor podcast, Birgit O’Connor shares an honest conversation about moving forward creatively, reconnecting with your artistic voice, and learning how to see beyond detail.

We explore:
• Why artists lose momentum—and how to begin again
• How watercolor teaches us to simplify and let go
• Building confidence without overworking your paintings
• Understanding artistic flow and visual movement in a composition
• Letting go of perfection and trusting the creative process
• Finding inspiration after creative burnout or self-doubt

Birgit also shares insights from her new book and guided journal, Find Your Creative Flow: A Guided Creative Journal to Overcome Overwhelm and Find Your Flow — created to help artists slow down, reflect, and reconnect with creativity through simple prompts, exercises, and artistic reflection.

Whether you’re a beginner watercolor painter, a creative returning after time away, or an experienced artist searching for renewed inspiration, this episode offers encouragement, practical insight, and a reminder that growth happens one painting at a time.

Topics include:
watercolor painting, artistic confidence, creative flow, watercolor techniques, learning to see values, composition and design, overcoming creative overwhelm, watercolor mindset, simplifying shapes, painting light, watercolor podcast, creativity for artists, watercolor instruction, Birgit O’Connor, artist motivation, painting with confidence, watercolor inspiration, creative journaling, and artistic growth.

🎨 Learn more about workshops, books, and courses by Birgit O’Connor.

How do you create flow in your painting—and why does it sometimes feel stuck or overworked?

In this episode, we explore how to create flow in watercolor by simplifying shapes, grouping values, and learning to see your subject differently. Instead of trying to paint every detail, you’ll discover how connecting shapes and recognizing patterns can bring more movement, clarity, and ease into your work.

We talk about:
• How to create flow in your painting
• Why paintings become overworked
• Seeing shapes instead of details
• Connecting the dots within your composition
• Letting go of control and trusting the process

We also touch on the Women in Watercolor community and their current competition, along with how to approach a prospectus in a simple, manageable way—so it feels less overwhelming and more like an opportunity to grow.

I also share my guided journal, Find Your Creative Flow—a quiet, supportive space designed to help you slow down, reflect, and reconnect with your creativity without pressure or perfection.

Whether you’re feeling stuck, overworking your paintings, or looking for a more natural way to paint, this episode is an invitation to step back, simplify, and let your painting breathe.

Today, I’m joined by performance artist Sha Sha Higby—a truly unique creative whose work blends watercolor, sculpture, costume design, and shadow performance into immersive, emotional storytelling.

We talk about her upcoming shadow puppet performance Shadow of the Fox, premiering at the San Francisco International Arts Festival, and dive into her fascinating creative process—one that values intuition, spontaneity, and transformation over rigid technique.

What makes this conversation especially powerful is how our approaches overlap. Whether through watercolor or performance, we both explore how to create depth, atmosphere, and a sense of journey—rather than simply rendering what we see.

Upcoming Performances

Shadow of the Fox
• May 3 & 10 at 2 PM
• San Francisco International Arts Festival (Monkey Brains, Mission District)
• 🎟 Discount Code: 20DISCSHADOW

https://sfarts.org/event/sha-sha-higby-presents-shadow-of-the-fox-world-premiere-3c5jWov5Vwxw4vZwrhYJwm

July 26– Throckmorton Theater, Mill Valley

In This Episode

We explore:

How Sha Sha blends watercolor, ink, costume, and movement into one expressive language
• Creating from intuitive flow instead of structured planning
• Why rawness and imperfection often hold more power than technical precision
• The role of transformation in both painting and performance

Her Creative Process

Sha Sha’s work moves fluidly across mediums:

Painting & Textile Techniques
• Airbrush layering using screens for soft gradations
• Traditional sumi ink influences
• Eco-dyeing silk with eucalyptus leaves and natural materials

Animation & Digital Work
• Layered drawing for organic animation
• Digital design combined with physical cutting (Cricut)

Shadow Puppetry
• Working with negative space as its own subject
• Hand-built puppets with wire armatures and light projection
• Reimagining traditional shadow theater with contemporary materials

Influences & Background

Performed internationally, including multiple shows in Japan
• Work featured in museums in Vietnam, Oakland, and Bolinas
• Studied Japanese Noh theater and Indonesian shadow puppetry
• Early training in sewing, handcraft, and detailed handmade work

Her performance style is slow, meditative, and deeply transformative—drawing inspiration from Noh and Butoh theater to create emotional, dreamlike experiences.

What We Talk About (Deeper Themes)

This conversation goes beyond technique and into the heart of creativity:

Creating depth instead of surface
• Letting go of realism to allow transformation
• The power of negative space—both in art and in life
• Bringing the unseen, intuitive, and emotional into form

Sha Sha beautifully describes her work as a way of making the invisible visible—something I think many artists can deeply relate to.

A Note on Process

One of my favorite takeaways:

Creativity doesn’t have to be controlled or perfectly planned.
Sometimes the most meaningful work comes from allowing things to unfold—layer by layer, moment by moment.

 

Sha Sha’s Website

http://www.shashahigby.com/New_Site_SourceFiles/index.html

 

Sha Sha on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/shashahigby/

 

If You Enjoyed This Episode

Subscribe for more conversations on creativity, watercolor, and the artistic process.

 

To view the visual, go to https://www.youtube.com/live/7C8o0pbjTuo?si=kP03_rOrkwEBJxZC

In Part 3 of The Creative Seasons of an Artist, we explore the season many artists quietly fear — the plateau.

This is the stage where growth slows.
Ideas feel distant.
Momentum fades.
You sit down to paint and nothing feels new.

The plateau can feel discouraging. You may wonder if you’ve lost inspiration, reached your limit, or stalled in your progress.

But what if the plateau isn’t stagnation?

What if it’s consolidation?

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why growth often becomes invisible before it becomes permanent
• The frustrating gap between seeing better and painting better
• Why many artists quit during this season
• How repetition and refinement quietly build mastery
• What to do when you feel creatively stuck

The plateau is not a failure.

It’s a quiet strengthening.

It’s where endurance forms, where perception sharpens, and where artistry deepens beyond excitement.

If you’re feeling stuck, uncertain, or uninspired — this episode is for you.

Stay.

The season will shift.