This week would have been my Aunt Kay’s birthday, and it felt heavy because she passed away last year. She lived with us while I was growing up and was like a second mother to me. Aunt Kay had a joyful, colorful spirit and loved to paint and draw — it was even her college minor — so to honor her I spent an afternoon painting watercolors with my daughter, Clara.
Clara is only three, but she already has an eye for color and composition. Watching her paint felt like seeing a tiny artist at work: bold splashes of pigment, surprising color combinations, and an effortless sense of play. I couldn’t help but cheer her on and quietly marvel at how happy and bright her pieces were.
The watercolor set we used came from Target — an impulse buy because the palette of colors was so cheerful. We worked on simple 8 x 10″ sheets of watercolor paper and let the paints do what they wanted. I focused on enjoying the process and capturing a few small paintings of my own while Clara created hers.
My favorite of Clara’s pieces is a wash of gorgeous, saturated colors that blend and layer in the most delightful way. The hues feel joyful and optimistic, and I’m definitely her biggest fan. On another smaller sheet she painted a scene that, when turned on its side, looks like a pink sunset reflected on water — a sweet, accidental landscape born from curiosity.
One tiny painting made me smile because a small red dot looked like a heart. It was likely just a happy accident, but the moment felt meaningful. While we painted I told her stories about Great Aunt Kay, and I liked to imagine that little red dot was a tiny sign of love shared between them.
I also made a few simple, boxy abstract pieces inspired by a shirt I saw on Instagram. I painted loose, messy rectangles in colors that appealed to me and then cropped the images in-camera to focus on their geometric rhythm. I liked the idea of hanging two matching prints together, maybe vertically, maybe side by side — I haven’t decided yet which orientation will work best on our walls.
One of my paintings feels like a playful echo of Clara’s first bold strokes; in the end she outdid me in whimsy and spontaneity — three-year-old trumps mom in the paint-off — and I couldn’t be more delighted. The whole afternoon was a gentle, comforting way to remember Aunt Kay by celebrating the simple joy of making art.
For anyone who wants to enjoy these small watercolors, I made the images available as printable 8 x 10″ downloads. Clicking any of the image links in this post opens a larger version that you can save to your computer by right-clicking or dragging it to your desktop, depending on your system. They’re free to download and print, and I hoped sharing them might brighten someone else’s day as they did mine during a tough week.
In memory of Aunt Kay I also plan to make an annual donation to the MS Society. If you feel moved to join me in honoring her, I’ve included a link to the donation page. These small acts — painting, sharing, remembering, and giving — have helped turn a hard day into something full of color and meaning.