ALL THINGS WATERCOLORS — A BRUSH WITH DESTINY

By William Harwood

The morning sun streams through Mia Garcia’s bedroom window, bathing the surface of her desk with light. Not long ago, Garcia sat at her desk to complete her homework. Now she sits at her desk to create her art, each stroke of her brush bringing a bit more beauty into the world. Only twenty years old, Garcia has already found her calling. For that, she has not just her talent and imagination to thank, but also the encouragement of her friends and family and the guidance of her prayers. "I've always loved doing artsy crafty things," Garcia admits. "But starting art as a business was terrifying to me." Still, she faced her fears, took the leap, and nailed the landing. "It's just been one door opened after another," Garcia says, "I'm now selling in shops around Franklin and Nashville. I've been praying really hard, and maybe this is what I'm supposed to be doing."

A big reason for Garcia’s growing success is focusing on the medium she most loves: watercolor. "The look and feel of watercolor are what attract me to it!" she enthuses. "There can be so many layers to a painting, and you can just keep adding to create depth and new meaning." It is an expertise that continues to develop. "That’s the beauty of it," Garcia confides. "I feel like with each project I’ve done [I’ve used] at least one new technique." Still, there are hurdles to overcome. The medium itself, while often literally child's play, is notorious for being far more difficult than it looks, certainly at a professional level. "The most challenging aspect of working with watercolor is trying to get the colors right when I am trying to paint a reference photo," Garcia states. "When everything is wet, it looks one way, but then can dry very differently. So making sure I get the right colors that will dry the way I need them to is the most challenging."

But it's a challenge Garcia very much enjoys taking on, focusing on her paintings while playing some music or a podcast in the background. "I focus better when I’m listening to something," she says. "It keeps my mind occupied on the task at hand." Still, there's always time for an inspirational glance at the large tree outside the window. "I love to watch the animals that live in it!" she shares. Perhaps that is why animals are one of her most common subjects along with fruits and flowers. "I love florals," Garcia gushes, "anything floral!"

As for the products which bear her art, Garcia keeps it diversified. "I make digital print watercolor cards, stickers, prints, tea towels, notepads, apparel, and notecards," she says. "All of which are handpainted or hand-drawn designs." She also has expanded her number of potential patrons by participating in markets including The Factory at Columbia's recent Christmas in July. "It was good, and I would say I met a lot of fun people, for sure," Garcia says. "I got to meet and interact with people which makes markets, in general, a 100 times better for me than selling online.”

As for what comes next, the sky's the limit. "I want to work on partnerships,” Garcia says, “and branch out working with more local shops to get more of my watercolor cards in stores. I would love to figure out how to start licensing my art to other companies and become a household brand!”

To check out Garcia’s art for yourself follow her on Instagram at @designsbymialauren or visit her at the 7th Annual Handmade Nashville Holiday Market at the Red Caboose Park in Nashville on November 26. Also, starting the 29th of November, she will be at the Five Points Franklin Holiday Market every Tuesday in downtown Franklin until Christmas. For those near Thompson’s Station, Garcia will be at the Holiday Market at Homestead Manor in Thompson’s Station on December 3. Stop by and say hi and browse through her colorful watercolors!