Anastasia Mily | Australian Artist

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Hi! I am Anastasia Mily, a watercolour artist based on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia.

My Landscape Paintings

My YouTube Channel

Media Features

My Bees and Wildlife Giclée Prints

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About Me

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anastasiamilyart

Many years ago I was doing a lot of landscape phot

Many years ago I was doing a lot of landscape photography which often involved getting up two hours before dawn, a one hour drive to the beach, setting up my gear in the dark, and holding my breath for some colour in the clouds above the ocean that would bring more drama to my photos.

Those quiet moments of standing at my tripod and watching the backlit waves roll, break, and crash are some of my most treasured memories 🌊

And now, years later, I live right by the ocean, and I paint in watercolour. I walk on the beach and I study the way the light is hitting the waves early in the morning. I still do photography. But I can’t remember the last time I got my tripod out and headed to the beach well before sunrise. And I am content with that. I have all those photos from years ago that help me study the waves from the comfort of my studio too. And I used one of those photos as an inspiration for this dramatic seascape. And you can watch the demo for it on my YouTube channel ✨

Painting these mini-landscapes is such joy ✨ And

Painting these mini-landscapes is such joy ✨ And I can’t get enough of night scenes lately… Indigo (mine is by Michael Harding) is perfect for nocturnes 💙🌌 I added a touch of French Ultramarine too to create a little bit of tension between the cool Indigo and the warm French Ultra.

I loved watching this painting unfold. It was a ve

I loved watching this painting unfold. It was a very, very slow process, but I never hurried it. I worked on it for a few minutes at a time, and then just stared at it for days before making another brush mark. And the moment it felt complete, I immediately signed it, without overthinking. The creative process is such a delicate yet robust thing, and the biggest thing I’ve learned over the last few years of making art regularly is trusting that process fully and never rushing it ✨

A little watercolour moment ✨ #tinysketchbook #w

A little watercolour moment ✨ #tinysketchbook #watercolourwatercolor #aquarelle #watercolorsketch #watercoloursketch #danielsmithwatercolors #artistsoninstagram #artist #landscapeart #sketchbook #sketchbookart #watercolorvideo #doitfortheprocess

I recently added Quinacridone Red (by Daniel Smith

I recently added Quinacridone Red (by Daniel Smith) to my palette, and I wish I did it sooner - it is such a great colour for mixing various reds, oranges, and purples, and it is also absolutely gorgeous on its own. It is vibrant, non-granulating, very transparent, and lightfast. I used it in this sunset to create the luminous pinks of the sunset sky (you can watch me paint this one on my YouTube channel). Hope your weekend is peaceful and creative ✨

💜 Jacarandas are in full bloom again, inspiring

💜 Jacarandas are in full bloom again, inspiring me to pick up my brushes and capture the purple haze 💜 French Ultramarine (by Winsor&Newton) and Quinacridone Red (by Daniel Smith) mixed together are perfect for that lovely vibrant colour of the flowers 💜 #watercolour #watercolor #aquarelle #bestwatercolor #watercolourvideo #watercolorvideo #watercolors #landscapepainting #treeart #jacaranda #artistsoninstagram #doitfortheprocess #watercolorartist #watercolorsketch #watercoloring #australianartist #austrianart

Today I had my first long studio day in a while, i

Today I had my first long studio day in a while, in almost a month... And it was so good. Felt like finally coming home (and a bit rusty at first too, but it always is like this after a long break). I worked on three larger paintings that I started back in mid-September, created a small grid of abstracts to loosen up, and then managed to paint this scene in one sitting which is rare for me - it normally takes me multiple sessions to finish a painting. And with every brushstroke I felt my shoulders relax and my mind become clearer, and my heart slow down.

I also find that every time I have a long-ish break from my painting practice, it actually brings fresh energy into my work. I have painted similar scenes before, but this one feels different in some way, one I can’t put into words yet ✨

I keep returning to painting this scene, and it is

I keep returning to painting this scene, and it is always such a calming experience ✨ It is inspired by a very peaceful place close to where I live, the place that always makes me feel like I have travelled back in time, when the world was spinning much slower… And you can watch me paint this coastal landscape on my YouTube channel - hope it brings a little bit of magic of this special spot to your day too ✨

This scene is rather different to what I would nor

This scene is rather different to what I would normally paint. But I was stuck and I needed a bit of a change and a challenge so I attempted this scene from a photo I took in Nepal many years ago. It was a slow and gentle process - I worked on it over a course of a couple of weeks, applying a few washes and brushstrokes and then walking away. It was all about the tonal values here, so I needed to assess those lights and darks with fresh eyes, and the long breaks helped me not to rush into things. I am not sure if I will be coming back to painting in a similar way soon, but this one was definitely fun (and I’ve learned things painting it so that challenge was pretty satisfying 🤩).

I just love it when I start a painting with a roug

I just love it when I start a painting with a rough idea of a scene but then watercolours do something fun and take me away from that idea to show me another, better way. I had something rather different in mind when I sat down to paint this scene, but I ended up with this lovely, glowing, full of light landscape, and I feel that I learned something new too while creating it ✨ And you can watch me paint this landscape on my YouTube channel ✨

✨🌲🌲🌲✨ #watercolour #watercolor #aquar

✨🌲🌲🌲✨ #watercolour #watercolor #aquarelle #watercolourvideo #watercolorvideo #watercolordemo #watercolors #landscapepainting #watercolortexture #forest #doitfortheprocess #artists #watercolorartist #watercolorsketch #watercoloring #treemagic #painting🎨 #painting

Following the lead of watercolour is my favourite

Following the lead of watercolour is my favourite way to paint - no need to pre-visualise the scene, just pick a couple of vibrant colours off the palette and start throwing them on paper. The rest will unfold, it always does, and it always surprises me, takes me to places that exist maybe only in my imagination, or maybe somewhere far, somewhere I haven’t been before ✨

🌟Starry night in watercolour (and a little bit

🌟Starry night in watercolour (and a little bit of gouache) #watercolour #watercolor #aquarelle #watercolourvideo #watercolorvideo #watercolordemo #watercolors #landscapepainting #nightscape #watercolortexture #doitfortheprocess #artistsoninstagram #watercolorartist #australianartist #watercolorsketch #watercoloring

Aussie bush is in full bloom right now - it’s ea

Aussie bush is in full bloom right now - it’s early spring. There are vibrant bursts of colour everywhere ✨ Last week I took myself on a quiet walk along some fire trails near where I live, and I kept stopping and listening to the constant hum of bees - such a happy, peaceful sound 💚 I was even lucky enough to meet a gorgeous metallic green carpenter bee foraging on the bush pea flowers… I came back home carrying ideas and inspiration, and I painted this little impression of the kaleidoscope of colour that the bush now is ✨ I can hear the humming of the bees when I am looking at this painting…

I have finally discovered the powers of Lemon Yell

I have finally discovered the powers of Lemon Yellow 🍋 This cool yellow makes the warm yellows glow even warmer, and it brings so much light to a landscape ✨#watercolour # watercolor #aquarelle #bestwatercolor #watercolourvideo #watercolordemo #watercolors #landscapepainting #treeart #watercolortexture #doitfortheprocess #artistsoninstagram #watercolorartist #watercolorsketch #watercoloring #watercolorpainting

Looking for some fresh energy for my creative proc

Looking for some fresh energy for my creative process by switching things up a bit… I painted this one on hot press paper - the surface that I find rather challenging to paint on in watercolour , but I simplified the things by using only one colour and choosing to paint one of my all-time favourite subjects 🏔️ It feels good to venture out juuuust outside of my comfort zone once every while 😁✨

A new video on my YouTube channel - this one was s

A new video on my YouTube channel - this one was such joy to paint, and I love the light effect my transparent yellows created here ✨ You can find the link to my channel in my bio ✨

The pure joy of painting with bright colours - the

The pure joy of painting with bright colours - these blues and greens never fail to lift my mood 💙💚 #watercolour #watercolor #aquarelle #bestwatercolor #watercolourvideo #watercolorvideo #watercolordemo #watercolors #landscapepainting #treeart #watercolortexture #doitfortheprocess #artistsoninstagram #watercolorartist #watercolorsketch #watercoloring

I rarely use reference photos for my paintings, bu

I rarely use reference photos for my paintings, but sometimes when I capture a moment on my “big” camera I immediately know that I have to paint that moment as well.

Back in May, we stayed in the wilderness of the Cradle Valley in Tasmania, and we spent those days bushwalking and listening to the gentle sounds of the Tassie rainforest… And I wanted to capture those precious moments in watercolour too, and not just on my camera.

I’ll be honest - I struggled with it, as painting from photos often feels so restrictive to me, but I persevered, and I am glad I did because I am in love with this painting. It is probably one of the most detailed ones I have ever created (as I normally paint rather loose, and often semi-abstract too), and it took me weeks. But it has taught me so much, and when I look at it, I am back in the Cradle Valley again, on a drizzly and cosy autumn afternoon. I love all those rich greens - I used to shy away from painting with green colour, but now I can’t get enough of those lovely green pigments. I used Perylene Green, Olive Green, and Green Gold here, and I modified those colours with Indigo and also with Burnt Umber to make them either cooler or warmer.

“Cradle Valley, Tasmania” - watercolour on 100% cotton cold press paper, 31x41cm

It always amazes me how much power colours have ✨ Picking up my favourite colours off my watercolour palette with a brush and throwing those colours onto the wet paper and watching them flow and blend and make magic never fails to lift my spirits ✨ And if I have a pretty picture at the end of this paint party, it’s a bonus ✨ You can watch me create this colourful and peaceful scene on my YouTube channel. Happy painting!

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