06/01/2026
One of my favorite paintings almost never happened.
A few years ago, my family went on a ski trip. Because of a knee injury, I wasn't able to ski, so I spent my days tucked away in the ski lodge with my watercolor paints, a cup of hot chocolate, and a front-row seat to all the ski stories being shared around me.
I hadn't packed my usual watercolor paper and ended up painting on whatever paper I could find.
I wasn't trying to create anything special. I was simply enjoying a quiet afternoon of painting while listening to the conversations and adventures of skiers passing through the lodge.
Somewhere between the hot chocolate and the stories, an unexpected bouquet began to appear on the page.
When I finished, the paper was wrinkled and buckled from all the water. By most standards, it wasn't perfect.
But I loved it.
I called it Accidental Bouquet.
Over the years, it has become one of my most popular paintings, and I've sold many prints of it. Tucked among the roses and forget-me-nots are a few bright poppies - one of my favorite flowers to paint.
Sometimes the paintings we plan the least become the ones we treasure most.
If you'd like to learn how I paint poppies, I've created a free step-by-step watercolor poppy class for you.
Grab the free class here: https://melissastudio.wixforms.com/f/7466310989969884320
