About me
✨ Hi! It’s me — Issy.
You might know me from Instagram, where I make slightly unhinged (but very relatable) videos about being an artist. I’m the human behind Issy.Watercolors, and I make handmade watercolours for people who love colour, texture, and a little bit of chaos in their creative life.
Creativity has always been part of my life. I studied Graphic Design and Desktop Publishing, and as a kid I was always drawing, painting, and collecting colours. In 2019, I discovered watercolours, and let’s just say… I was instantly obsessed.
When the pandemic hit the Netherlands in March 2020, life slowed down. Working from home gave me the space to paint more, experiment freely, and fully dive back into my creative world. I tested papers, tried countless brands, and fell even deeper in love with the medium.
At some point, my husband gently suggested that I might be buying too many watercolours. (As if that’s a real thing.) So naturally, I decided to make my own.
After a lot of experimenting, failing, tweaking, and learning, I found my perfect recipe for handmade watercolours: highly pigmented, expressive, and full of character. The only problem? I could never make just one pan. There was always leftover paint.
That’s how my Etsy shop started, selling those “leftover” pans. What began as a small experiment quickly grew into a small business, a creative community, and a dream I didn’t even know I had.
At the end of 2021, I took a leap and quit my day job to focus fully on paintmaking, creating, and making the world a little more colourful.
These days, I run my business alongside life as a toddler mom, balancing paintmaking with nap times, studio messes with toy messes, and creative chaos of all kinds. It’s busy, imperfect, and sometimes a little loud… but it’s also incredibly joyful.
And here we are.
Welcome to my little corner of the internet. Whether you’re here for handmade watercolours, sketchbooks, studio tools, or just a bit of creative inspiration. I’m so glad you found your way here.
@issy.watercolors ✨