Watercolor salt painting designs

Two watercolor paintings illustrate trees with a dark sky background in a winter scene. Table salt sprinkled onto damp watercolors creates fractal designs in the paint.

Photo By/Credit

USFWS

Date Shot/Created

12/01/2025

Media Usage Rights/License

Public Domain

Image

Who knew such a common condiment could be fun to paint with? Sprinkling table salt across wet watercolor paint creates fractal designs that look a little like stars or snowflakes. The two pieces of artwork in this photo were inspired by designs made by Amanda The Green Artist and Dionne of the blog, "Passengers on a Little Spaceship." Exploring our natural landscapes through art helps us pay attention to the seasons of change!