This is the blog of Susan Avis Murphy, Maryland watercolorist, at the ARThouse studio in Sandy Spring.

John Singer Sargent, Simplon. Lesson, 1911 John Singer Sargent rose to fame for his finely rendered oil portraits. At his peak, he was one of the most sought-after artists for portrait commissions. But, he was also a remarkable watercolorist. I cover the following in the post: Watercolors brought out a different side to Sargent's work.

Painting loose can appear effortless, but it requires a shift in process and thinking. Here are seven watercolor tips for a more painterly style.

Want to paint an elegant iris flower in watercolour? This step by step tutorial shows you exactly how to create a loose style iris flower.

Anna of Annika Likes shows us how to create stunning watercolor flowers in this detailed, delightfully visual tutorial.

Judith Hummer takes the mystery out of working with this unique synthetic surface.

Explore Sidsel Sorensen's 234 photos on Flickr!

A passion for life,nature and watercolour shared in harmony throughout the seasons.

The Transparent Watercolor Society of America is dedicated to advancing the stature of transparent watercolor. See which paintings took home top prizes in their latest exhibition.