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Konstantin Chinkov, founder of Wondering Watercolor, says the idea for his business emerged three years ago while painting with his nephew. Noticing his struggles with drawing because of his age, Chinkov created a handmade book to help his success with paint by numbers. When his nephews’ peers became curious about wanting a book for themselves, Chinkov’s “lightbulb” moment appeared—pushing him towards entrepreneurship.
While still working a full-time job, Chinkov found time on evenings and weekends to master his concept. After getting laid-off, the mission for Wondering Watercolor fully emerged. Today, his company gets its grounding through the INCubator, where he produces his watercolor coloring books. By using high‑quality paper made by a Wisconsin mill, Chinkov sets himself apart from competitors. He prioritizes using only U.S.-made materials in every product he creates.
Passionate about encouraging creativity, women make up 93% of his sales and kids ready for getting imaginative. Assembling every kit himself, Chinkov often visits libraries himself at no cost to give kids books. As Wondering Watercolor expands, his time spent in the INCubator has helped him scale. The space allowed more room for orders to flow, as well as the community of like-minded entrepreneurs.
Chinkov is focused on steady growth and staying connected to his community. He says Chattanooga’s support for local markets is what makes the work feel sustainable, and the collaborative environment makes it an ideal city for growth.
