A Paint That Travels With Me
Lately, my life and work have involved more travel. From hosting art retreats in Europe, to book projects, and personal travel, this all means time spent painting away from my main studio. Because of that, I’ve learned how to effectively pack an art kit for travel allowing me to take my supplies with me in my hand luggage or in my checked bags. I’ve been slowly moving away from watercolor tubes and moving back to watercolor pans. I want watercolor paints that are easy to pack, reliable on the go, and a joy to open wherever I find myself painting.
Here’s where the fun really begins for me as I transition my watercolor supply kit over these next few weeks, I am once again reaching for Deep Deep Lights Watercolor as my choice of dry pans to use. I used their beautiful watercolor pans years ago and then moved over to tube watercolor paints. I had the pleasure of connecting again with Agnese over at Deep Deep Lights and found we had so much in common when we chatted about all things creativity, watercolor, community and the desire to work with pigments from the earth made by hands of the creatives who love to use them themselves. This perfectly fits into this season of my life that I currently find myself in, and the energy I am bringing to 2026.
Intention, community, creativity and collaboration.
If you are unfamiliar with their handmade watercolor pans, I’ll share that they are compact, beautifully crafted, and deeply pigmented with a range of colors that remind me of nature, the earth, the sky and my travels. Paints that are ideal for artists who paint both at home and while traveling. I can tuck them into my kit and know I have everything I need, wherever I land and I can carry them safely in my hand luggage too!
Earthy, Soulful Color That Inspires
One of the first things that drew me in was the color selection - how can you choose?!
The tones are earthy, grounded, and nuanced. The kind of colors that invite slower, more intentional painting - again more of what I am craving for 2026. The colors consist of soft neutrals, rich botanicals, moody blues, and granulating pigments that feel timeless rather than trendy.
And they’ve been incredibly inspiring to paint with especially for landscapes, botanicals, and expressive, mood-driven work.
Made by Artists, For Artists
What I truly love about Deep Deep Lights is their story.
They are female owned and operated, run by artists Agnese and Daina who deeply understand the creative process. Community, collaboration, and creativity are at the heart of everything they do and that matters to me.
Their paints are handmade in small batches with an incredible amount of care and integrity:
Extremely high pigment load
They mull as much pigment as physically possible into each pan. This means the paints last longer and you only need a tiny amount on the tip of your brush.
No fillers or chemical additives
Just essential oils, gum arabic, honey, water, and pigment. That’s it!
Non-toxic pigments
Created with safety in mind (for themselves, their families, their land, and for all of us). As they say, when your paint water is often sitting beside your coffee or tea, it’s nice to know there’s nothing extra to worry about. If you know, you know 😁
This thoughtful, honest approach to materials is something I deeply respect and why I feel good about using and sharing their paints with you!
Why I’m Choosing Pans Over Tubes Right Now
Portugal Art retreat with Nicki Traikos
If you’re someone who paints in different spaces ie. at home, in workshops, while traveling, pans make so much sense.
They’re:
Easier to pack
Less messy
Ready to use anywhere
Perfect for smaller, intentional palettes
Paired with Deep Deep Lights’ rich pigmentation, these pans activate beautifully with water and give you incredible control and depth, whether you’re sketching quickly or settling into a longer painting session.
A Little Thank You (And Full Transparency 💛)
I’m so happy to share that you can now shop Deep Deep Lights using my affiliate link and receive 10% off your order, with worldwide shipping available.
👉 Shop here:
💸 Use code: lifeidesign at check-out to receive 10% off your entire order
If you choose to make a purchase, I’ll earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Supporting brands I genuinely love (and use daily) allows me to continue creating, teaching, and sharing resources with this community, so thank you for being here.
What’s Coming Next ✨
I’m also thrilled to share that Deep Deep Lights is supporting my upcoming book, Watercolor Made Simple Workbook, and we have some very fun giveaways planned to celebrate.
More details will be announced soon so stay close.
I also have a new art retreat Fall 2026 that we are launching soon, make sure to get on the list to be the first to know all the details before it sells out!
If you’ve been craving paints that feel intentional, beautifully made, and deeply inspiring, I can’t recommend Deep Deep Lights enough. They’ve brought a fresh sense of curiosity and calm back into my painting practice and I think they might do the same for you.
Happy painting,
Nicki 💛
