Kristina Kivu

After ten years working as an interior designer, I found myself picking up a paintbrush at home in London while figuring out what to do next. I had no idea that those painting sessions would change the direction of my life. Within a year, I had turned my passion into a full-time art business, and I've been working as a professional artist for over nine years.My background in interior design gave me a strong foundation in drawing, composition and colour, but watercolour opened up a whole new world of possibilities. I fell in love with the way water and pigment interact, the unexpected marks they create, and the balance between learning a technique and allowing yourself to experiment.Today, alongside my own artistic practice, I teach watercolour workshops at Farnham Maltings and other venues across the UK, as well as from my home studio in Farnham. I love helping people discover what they can do with paint, whether they're complete beginners or already have some experience.My approach is hands-on, playful and practical. I want you to understand how watercolour works, build skills you can use again and again, and feel confident enough to make the painting your own. You don't need to be born with artistic talent or produce a perfect painting to enjoy the process. Sometimes the most interesting things happen when you stop trying to get everything right!I'm on a mission to help people realise that painting is a skill they can develop, not a talent they're either born with or without. I want people to leave my workshops feeling more confident, curious and excited to pick up their brushes again.Teaching others has taught me that there's no single right way to paint. Everyone brings something different to the table, and I love seeing people discover their own way of working.