Letters from the Forest

Dear friend, I want to tell you something that's been going on for the past few weeks: my back and hip hurt so much I could barely sit at my table to draw. If you know me, you know how strange that felt, not being able to just sit down and work. But I couldn't stay away from creating, so I let myself work small and fast. No precious pieces, just quick studies in wax pastel, the kind where I don't have time to overthink it. Turns out that constraint taught me a few things about how to avoid...

Hello from my studio in the mountains! Painting a white flower on a white background is considered one of the trickiest things in watercolor, but is it really? That's what I'll talk about in my next video, and I'll use this white African iris watercolor painting as an example. Is there anything you'd like to know about it? Reply to this letter, there's still time to include your questions! 🤍 From the heart of my forest studio, Lia 🌿 Letters from the Forest, by Lia CaldasP.O. Box 96871, Nova...

Hello from the forest! Recently we planted two types of mandevillas in our garden and they are both blooming. It's autumn in Brazil and they are expected to bloom until the end of the season. This one bloomed yesterday and I captured all the angles to use it in a botanical study: In my last video, where I talk about losing momentum, I mentioned that I was going to paint something special for my grandma who was going to be 100 years old in March. I did it! Now I'm finishing the video with the...

It’s hot and rainy here in the forest, and I’m having a hard time keeping my hands dry enough not to smudge graphite on the paper while drawing. Still, the work continues. The year started full of surprises At the beginning of January, my grandmother fell and broke three ribs. She’s 99 years old and will turn 100 in March. She lives in a different state, São Paulo, and I’ll be visiting her soon. At the same time, my mom also fell and broke her arm, so I spent some time with her in Saquarema,...

It’s 9 PM where I live, and finally there’s some relief from the heat that has been punishing people in Rio for the last few weeks. It’s the hottest summer in many years! Considering how hot it is here in the mountains, I can only imagine what people are going through in the city. I hear that some are even spending the night at the beach. I'm lucky to live at a higher altitude! 🙏✨ 'Day and Night', pencil drawing, 2023. First Year Anniversary 🎉 January 2025 was when I started taking YouTube...