I normally don’t film commissions; as it’s a project for one person, I focus on it and don’t really think about doing more than sharing the finished piece with the world. I did stop to film some leaves, because I thought it would serve as a little reminder for a tutorial – but when I asked the client about a video, she said it would be fine. So you get to see a peek at this one! Tutorial: Floral Bouquet Watercolor – Positive Negative Leaves Watch the video below and scroll to the end to leave comments or questions — or click HERE to watch it on YouTube and leave comments over there. I ..read more

It’s still World Watercolor month….but I won’t be painting today! Instead, I’ll show you a cool technique for coloring water. Get it? Coloring water during World Watercolor month? ? It’ll be on Yupo paper! Tutorial: How to draw reflective water Watch the video below and scroll to the end to leave comments or questions — or click HERE to watch it on YouTube and leave comments over there. I read both dutifully! Process Cover the surface with reinker color (Copic B16), adding a little isopropyl alcohol for texture using a cotton ball while the ink is still wet. (If using direct ma ..read more

I recently had a discussion with a student over on Threads about his trees; he has a very detailed style and creates small pieces, and though his landscapes were mostly working – he wasn’t happy with his trees. I could see the trouble right away, and since my words don’t explain things as well as a bit of paint can do….today’s video is for one student1 By the way, if there’s something you have questions about, feel free to ask. You might inspire a video too1 Tutorial: WATERCOLOR TRICKS for painting realistic trees Watch the video below and scroll to the end to leave comments or questio ..read more

No sketch. No masking fluid. No gouache. My happy place! I know that probably qualifies me as “insane,” right? I think I could count on one hand the artists in my near-sphere who actually enjoy negative painting. Plenty out in the pro world, but…not much in mine. But I’m ok with that. Because this painting brought me inner joy that’s off the charts. With paper at a 30degree angle, pale wash with a Cascade/Transparent Red Oxide mix. Adding more straight Cascade and letting it flow, still with paper at an angle. Video: Watercolor a Crashing Ocean Wave | Seascape Watch the video be ..read more

Last week I hit both a deadline and a wall – on the same day….and ended up creating an intuitive abstract watercolor to get myself out of it. As an independent artist, I set myself project deadlines, it’s all in my Google doc so I know what my tasks are, tracking completions and tasks, and planning for the future. And for World Watercolor Month, I wanted to release a few new classes. In the past I’ve had ONE class featured, but since my student base stretches from beginner to advanced, I wanted to have something for everyone – so they can all participate in the fundraising. That was, of cour ..read more

In a color challenge a while back, I caught some grief for having chosen the colors myself….just using a few wasn’t enough eh? Maybe someone ELSE’s leftover paints is random enough? Haha! let’s see how this goes!   My dear friend Lisa Spangler sent me a huge box of leftover watercolor stuff a few months ago before she sold her house; she was packing everything up, and she and her husband were headed out for full time van life! They’re big hikers, and Lisa loves sketching out in the wild, and it’s a perfect lifestyle for them.  But in a van she had to limit what she took with her ..read more

It’s finally HERE! Let’s paint our way through July!!! Video: World Watercolor Month Shenanigans! Watch the video below and scroll to the end to leave comments or questions — or click HERE to watch it on YouTube and leave comments over there. I read both dutifully! Let the shenanigans begin! My world watercolor month page Spread the word Want to help EVERYONE get excited about the World Watercolor Month stuff? Social media is crushing artists right now, and we could all use your help; here’s a few ways you could help out this weekend, before it all starts: Share! Each ambassador ..read more

Welcome to my stop on the Colorado Craft Company bloghop! So glad you’re here for a sweet kitten project….she’s made you some chocolate chip cookies, but watch out for a few stray cat hairs when you try one ;0) This stamp set is called Bake Me Happy – and you simply need to get it not just because it’s adorable – but so you can come join me for a free Zoom call and we’ll paint it together! Read on for more. Tutorial: Watercoloring a Stamped Kitten (with dot card) Watch the video below and scroll to the end to leave comments or questions — or click HERE to watch it on YouTube and leave ..read more

Every year my neighborhood holds a ginormous garage sale – dozens of shopping opportunities. But last year I got rid of the last of the stuff – and this year, I opted to see how it would go selling my ART instead. Of course, I had to make a sign……to hang on my sawhorses! Tutorial: Best garage sale sign ever? Watch the video below and scroll to the end to leave comments or questions — or click HERE to watch it on YouTube and leave comments over there. I read both dutifully! The sign Surprisingly the sign got far more attention than anything – that and the pastel painting also ou ..read more

So is there ANY art supply in which the super cheap brand seems to perform as well as the pricey one? Maybe, just maybe, I found one. Don’t quote me forever on this; I only just started using one of these brands of masking fluid, and I’ll let you know in time how it does! Tutorial: Masking fluid comparison for watercolor Watch the video below and scroll to the end to leave comments or questions — or click HERE to watch it on YouTube and leave comments over there. I read both dutifully! The contenders For years the fluid I’ve used is the Grumbacher. Something about having orange ..read more