meet the artist
Southern California-based artist Lindsey Wells draws inspiration from the duality of nature, and her experiences of living with mental illness. She is known for her use of warm earth toned watercolor, intricate patterned borders, and her affinity for botanical subjects. Her work seeks to create tangible opportunities to revel in small moments of peace and pursue healing.
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My grandma taught me the basics of painting when I was little. I only painted sporadically throughout my life until 2019, when I experienced the worst depressive episode of my life, had a mental breakdown, and ended up losing my stable full-time job. I developed really debilitating brain fog, where I struggled to speak in coherent sentences, and so painting became my lifeline. Through painting, therapy, and medication, I found myself again. In 2020, I started posting on Instagram and began selling my work.
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When I first started painting seriously, I was really depressed, and I found bright colors to be too oppressively, forcefully optimistic. I resonated more with earth tones because they brought me peace and felt more subtle in their optimism. I simply found them easier to stomach and more calming and pleasant in my space. As I’ve progressed in my healing journey, I am more intrigued by the occasional burst of bright color, but earth tones still have my heart.
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Paint what you love. Invest in yourself even when it feels scary and intimidating. Be selective about who you take art and business advice from, and about what commissions you agree to. Also take care of your body — it turns out you can give yourself tennis elbow from any repetitive movement, including painting a lot
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My favorite paintbrushes are Isabey Isaqua synthetic round brushes in sizes 0 and 2.
I recommend pigments from Natural Earth Paint, Arches Cold Pressed paper, and getting a ceramic watercolor palette you love from a ceramic artist.
My paintings are made with natural watercolor paint, which I make myself in-studio using sustainably sourced earth pigments, gum arabic, essential oils, and other natural ingredients. I also source all of my paper and packaging materials from eco-friendly small businesses. I take pride in ensuring that my paintings support the health and longevity of the earth from which it derives so much of its inspiration.
The magic of watercolor as an art medium is in its liberating, free-flowing nature, and my work explores that through natural bleeds of color and an intuitive painting style where I paint without sketching first, and allow the color and shape of the blooms of watercolor to guide me through the composition.