Reconnect to yourself with colour

I first picked up a paintbrush as a form of self-care, and it’s something I return to again and again in my practice. When I’m feeling low on energy and need to reconnect with my body, I love to play with colour. So this weekend I painted six colour wheels using different combinations of pink, yellow and blue watercolours. 

I wasn't trying to create a finished sketch or improve my technique, although that might be an incidental benefit. My goal was to be in the moment and indulge in the sensory pleasure of painting. I painted colour wheels because:

• looking at bright colours brings me joy, 
• mixing oranges, greens and purples requires repetitive movements, which I find grounding, and 
• the colour mixes are familiar, so I can pay more attention to the sensations in my body.

Sometimes this kind of sensory play also results in happy accidents, which can add to the joy. Before I painted each segment of the colour wheel, I swatched the colour on draft paper (below) to check the mix. I can't wait to use the soft blue-grey in the top left in a sketch soon!

How can you apply this to your own practice?

What kinds of sensory experiences can you savour when you need to slow down? If you’re not sure, next time you sketch, pay attention to each of your senses and see what sensations spark your curiosity. Then sketch in a way that plays with those sensations. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• if you enjoy the sound of your fineliner on the page, practise cross-hatching,
• if you love watching colours granulate, mix greys using different earth tones and blues, 
• if you enjoy gliding your paintbrush over the paper, paint long lines with a rigger or script brush. Inhale as you paint the first line and exhale as you switch directions.

You can also pair this activity with other sensations that you enjoy. I like to paint in my garden where I can feel the sun warming my back, smell the roses and listen to the birds sing. 

It’s also important to consider whether there are any sensory inputs that you want to minimise. I usually choose watercolour for sensory play because it's:

• odourless, 
• quick to set up,
• easy to clean up, and
• hypoallergenic. 

How can you make sensory play the focus of a sketching session?

If you don’t sketch, how could you incorporate sensory play into your self-care practices?

Sketches from Granada celebrates every-day moments of connection with strangers, friends and ourselves. I know how easy it is not to be present in your life, and I hope these sketches inspire you to seek out the moments worth savouring in your own life. 

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