A look inside the landscapes, gardens and moments they paint
Watercolour has a way of slowing people down. It asks for patience, close attention and a willingness to let small moments guide the work. This feature brings together five women who each approach the paint medium with a steady focus. Their paths are quite different, yet they share a similar instinct to observe the world around them and let those observations grow into something meaningful.
Some, like Anne Butera, follow the quieter details found in gardens and day-to-day life. Others, such as Teressa L Jackson, carry their sketchbooks through coastlines, deserts and long stretches of road, gathering scenes in compact pieces that invite the viewer to linger. Shaylen Astenback brings a spirit of play from her background in animation, shaping a practice that encourages beginners to explore without pressure. Carol Carter’s career shows what can unfold over many years of committed work, teaching and travel, with large pieces that hold a sense of stillness shaped by her long relationship with water. And Zadorozhnaya Anna brings a disciplined study of mountain landscapes, painting every day and teaching with a clarity that has earned her a wide following.
Together, these five painters show how watercolor can grow from curiosity, routine, travel, nature, study and the small choices made over time. Their work ranges from tiny field studies to large exhibitions, from structured lessons to quiet personal practice. What connects them is not a single style but a shared approach to noticing, learning and returning to the page again and again.
Anne Butera@https://www.mygiantstrawberry.com/
Anne Butera brings a gentle sense of curiosity to watercolor, shaped by memories of a childhood spent exploring a small backyard that felt full of possibility. She began painting later in life, teaching herself with patience and a willingness to start again whenever she needed to. Her work grows from quiet moments in the garden and the little discoveries that many people overlook. Through My Giant Strawberry she shares stories, gardening notes, and her steady approach to creating, encouraging readers to slow down and pay attention to simple joys. Her voice feels warm and reassuring, as though she is inviting people to rediscover the imagination they once had as children.
Teressa L Jackson@teressajacksonart
Teressa Jackson’s path carries the feeling of someone who loves to roam and look closely at the world. After twenty years in the nonprofit sector, she returned to painting with new energy and spent a year traveling through the West and the Caribbean, producing more than one hundred small pieces along the way. She has developed a reputation for miniature watercolor scenes that ask the viewer to come close and linger. These tiny works capture the sense of quiet she finds in nature, especially in wide open places. Now living in Monterey, she continues to show her work across the country, gathering awards and building a steady following. Her practice shows how attention, curiosity, and a willingness to listen to one’s surroundings can shape a long and grounded career.
Shaylen Astenback @watercolorwithshay
Shaylen Astenback approaches watercolor with a sense of play and trial that comes from years of exploring many different mediums. After studying animation in Vancouver, she realized she wanted something more tactile and began searching until watercolor finally felt right. She opened an Etsy shop, experimented with tutorials, and then stepped back for a while when life with a new puppy took center stage. Returning to Alberta helped her find a calmer rhythm, and she now focuses on prints, teaching, and connecting with people at local markets. Shay shares her process openly, making her work feel approachable and welcoming to people who may be just beginning to explore watercolor.
Carol Carter@_carolcarter_
Carol Carter has spent many years building a wide reaching career that spans international exhibitions, university teaching, residencies, and public talks. Her watercolor and acrylic work often carries a certain stillness and tension, shaped by her long connection to water as both subject and setting. Her large scale pieces invite viewers into scenes that ask for time and attention, and her long list of exhibitions shows how steadily she has developed her work. Alongside her studio practice, she has guided countless students through workshops around the world, served as a juror for major shows, and contributed to publications focused on the medium. Carol’s longevity and commitment to teaching show how a career can grow through curiosity, consistency, and a willingness to explore new places.
Zadorozhnaya Anna @draw_better
Zadorozhnaya Anna centers her practice on mountain landscapes, especially snowy peaks that she studies again and again with fresh focus. Living in Hannover, she pours her energy into painting, teaching, and representing well-known watercolor brands, all while building a community of learners across several countries. With hundreds of mountain pieces behind her, she approaches watercolor with a thoughtful structure based on tonal choices, contrast, color relationships, and composition. She paints every day and teaches that progress comes from steady work rather than luck. Her lessons blend clarity with encouragement, helping students understand not only how to paint but how to see. Her steady routine and open teaching style have drawn many people to her, both for guidance and motivation.
Spending time with the work of these five women leaves you with a sense that watercolor isn’t just a medium but a way of paying attention. Each of them approaches the page from a different direction, yet their stories share a certain steadiness. Anne Butera follows the quiet surprises found in gardens, letting small discoveries shape her days. Teressa L Jackson carries her paints across long stretches of land and sea, gathering scenes that ask viewers to lean in a little closer. Shaylen Astenback brings a playful curiosity to her practice, the kind that comes from years of trying different paths until one finally felt right. Carol Carter moves through a long career with a patient rhythm, offering guidance to countless students while continuing to grow her own body of work. And Zadorozhnaya Anna pours her focus into mountain ranges, studying them again and again until she understands not just their shape but their presence.
Taken together, their stories offer a gentle reminder that creating anything worthwhile often comes from paying attention to the quieter parts of life. None of them rush. None of them treat the process as something that has to impress or shout. Instead, they return to the page because something in the world around them catches their eye or slows their thoughts for a moment. That, more than anything, shapes the work they share.
As you move on from this feature, it is tempting to think you need a grand vision before you begin. These five women show something different. They show that steady practice, small curiosities and a willingness to start again can lead to work that feels grounded and lived in. Whether they are painting a garden path, a distant mountain line, a pool of still water or a quick scene captured on the road, each piece grows from simple moments that many people hurry past.
If their work encourages anything, it might be this. Take your time. Look a little longer. Notice the things that usually slip by. You never know what those quiet moments might grow into once they find a place on the page.
