Prince Charles admits his favorite 'relaxing and therapeutic exercise' can be 'incredibly difficult'

Prince Charles has opened up about one of his favorite ways to unwind—and no, it's not afternoon tea with the Queen. 

• Prince Charles has opened up about one of his favorite ways to relax at a recent public engagement. 
• The Prince of Wales spoke passionately about watercolor painting during a display panel for his art exhibition in London, calling the medium "one of the most relaxing and therapeutic exercises I know." 
• In other royal news, Prince William and Kate's sneaky trick to keep the prying eyes of the public away from them at home.
  

The Prince of Wales has gushed about his love of painting in his most recent public engagement, calling the pastime "one of the most relaxing and therapeutic exercises I know." 

The 73-year-old, who took up watercolor painting in the 1970s, spoke candidly on the subject on Thursday as the largest ever exhibition of his artwork is displayed at The Garrison Chapel in Chelsea, London. 

79 of the Prince's pieces, many of which depict scenic imagery of Scottish landscapes near Balmoral Castle, will be available for the public to view from 10 January until 14 February. 

For Charles, painting "refreshes parts of the soul which other activities can’t reach," and allows him to appreciate aspects of his environment he may otherwise have missed.

"You become increasingly aware of things that may have escaped your attention previously—the quality of light and shade, of tone and texture, and of the shape of buildings," he explained. 

"It all requires the most intense concentration and consequently is one of the most relaxing and therapeutic exercises I know." 

Like his late father, Prince Philip, Charles has used painting as a tool to switch off from his busy life as a senior royal. With his reputation as a workaholic, the future King reportedly prefers watercolors over other formulas because they dry more quickly and therefore require less time. 

He also finds the runny paint more challenging to control, and therefore more demanding of his focus. 

"I very quickly discovered how incredibly difficult it is to paint well in such a spontaneous medium," he admitted. 

Despite achieving great success in the field—Prince Charles has had multiple paintings displayed in exhibitions over the last few decades—the royal heir has no plans to become a full-time artist. He modestly describes himself as an "enthusiastic amateur" and openly criticizes his own work. 

"Looking back now at those first sketches I did, I am appalled by how bad they are," he admitted. "I am under no illusion that my sketches represent great art or a burgeoning talent."