There is a quiet truth many artists live with but do not always say out loud. The medium we choose is often shaped less by artistic preference and more by the season of life we are in.
My own painting journey is a perfect example of this.
Falling in Love With Oils
I began my true painting journey with oils in standard 6 or Grade 8, through a school collage project. I loved the slowness of them. The way you can blend for hours, step away, come back, and still move the paint. Oils taught me patience and observation. They invited me to sit with a painting and really look. It was also the first painting my mother framed at a professional framer.
There was time then. Time to leave a painting out. Time to get messy. Time to clean brushes properly and let work dry slowly. Oils were adult painting in my mind, and I loved that.
At that stage of life, the smell of oils and mediums did not bother me. Ventilation was easy. My room was my space, and everything could be left exactly where it was.
When Life Changed and Practicality Took the Lead
Then I had children.
Suddenly, painting needed to fit into the cracks of the day. It also needed to be safe.
Traditional oils can be smellier, and many mediums contain solvents. Open jars, wet canvases, lingering fumes and materials left out were no longer practical in a family home. Painting became something that had to be packed away quickly and safely.
Acrylics became the natural choice. They dried fast, cleaned up easily with water, and could be put away in minutes. If a child woke up or needed attention, I could stop immediately without worrying about solvents or strong smells.
Acrylics allowed me to keep painting while babies were napping or during a busy, demanding season of life. They were not a step backwards. They were a way forward.
When Speed, Safety and Simplicity Became Essential
As life became busier and busier, watercolours quietly took over.
Watercolour suited the pace of my days perfectly. They are less toxic and smelly, and require very little setup. A glass of water, a small palette and paper were enough. Cleanup was instant. Nothing unsafe needed to be left out.
Watercolour allowed me to paint in short bursts of time and also allowed me to paint around my children without concern. And something else happened along the way.
When your children see you painting, they want to paint too, which is easy with watercolours.
Suddenly, the choice of medium was not only about convenience, but about the environment I was creating in our home. Watercolours and acrylics made it easy to create together. They were safer, more environmentally friendly and simple to clean up. Painting became something we shared, not something I had to hide away. Traveling with watercolours is also fantastic. Quick sketches, easy clean up was also a big pro for me to learn more about this medium
The Next Evolution Water Mixable Oils
Now, I can feel the next shift coming.
Water mixable oils feel like the bridge between where I have been and where I am going. They offer the depth, blending and working time I love about oils, without the strong solvents or heavy cleanup. Brushes clean with water. Smells are reduced. The process feels calmer and more compatible with a lived in family space.
Water mixable oils feel like the next evolution in my journey. A way to return to oils in a gentler, more flexible way, without waiting for a distant future or a perfect studio setup.
They allow space for slow painting again, but within the reality of everyday life.
The Quiet Knowing That Oils Will Always Be There
I still know that one day I will return fully to traditional oils. I can feel it. That slower season will come. The one where time stretches longer and paintings can stay out undisturbed.
But I have also learned that I do not need to put creativity on hold while waiting for that season.
There are many ways to paint, and many ways to be an artist.
A Cycle Many Female Artists Know Well
This cycle is incredibly common, especially among female artists and mothers.
We adapt. We shift mediums. We make choices based on time, safety, smell, space, energy and responsibility. And sometimes we feel guilty for changing mediums, as if it means we are less serious about our art.
It does not.
It simply means we are responding honestly to the lives we are living.
There Is No Right Medium, Only the Right One for Right Now
Oils reward patience and depth. Acrylics offer flexibility and speed. Watercolours bring simplicity and low impact living. Water mixable oils offer a thoughtful middle ground.
None of these choices are lesser. They are intelligent, responsive decisions.
The most important thing is not what we paint with, but that we keep painting at all.
Because creativity does not disappear when life gets busy. It simply asks us to adapt.
If your medium has changed because your life has changed, you have not failed as an artist.
You are simply evolving.
And the paint will always be waiting.
A Question for You
Has this been your journey too
Did you start with one medium, move to another as life changed, and find yourself adapting your art practice along the way
What medium are you working with right now, and what season of life are you in
We would love to hear how your creative path has evolved, because every artist’s journey is different, and every stage is valid.
Happy creating
Natasha
Giving Artists The Edge