Painting Loose & Luminous: My Nashville Zoo Meerkat Adventure
Sometimes the best paintings come from unexpected moments of inspiration. Join me as I transform a 2022 zoo photograph into a vibrant, atmospheric watercolor that celebrates both patience and spontaneity – and discover why your own photo references might be your secret weapon for competition entries. From wet-into-wet magic to the art of knowing what to leave out, this meerkat adventure is all about embracing the beautiful unpredictability of watercolor.
From Failed to Fabulous: Transforming an Old Barn Owl Painting 🦉
Sometimes the best art comes from the pieces we've forgotten about. Join me as I rescue a dusty 2020 barn owl painting and discover why keeping your "failed" artwork might be the best creative decision you'll ever make. From directional gouache techniques to embracing happy accidents, this transformation tutorial proves that with fresh eyes and improved skills, any piece can become a masterpiece.
Painting Loose Hydrangeas: Capturing Beauty Without the Fuss
Hydrangeas can be intimidating with their clusters of tiny blooms, but who wants to paint hundreds of little dots? Not me! In this tutorial, I'll show you my favorite "lazy" techniques (yes, I proudly embrace artistic shortcuts!) for creating gorgeous, loose hydrangeas that capture the essence of these beautiful flowers without the tedious detail work. From salt textures to cling film magic, these approachable methods will transform how you paint complex florals.
Painting a Thai Angel Statue: Intuitive Watercolor with a Limited Palette
Working with a limited palette doesn't mean limiting your creativity! In this tutorial, I'll walk you through my process of painting a Thai angel statue using just four colors over an intuitive watercolor wash. From embracing the "ugly phase" to strategically lifting pigment for highlights, you'll discover how to let watercolor's natural properties create magic on your paper while maintaining control of your composition.
Creating a Dreamy Mossy Mushroom Forest: Experimental Watercolor Spray Techniques
When experimenting with watercolor techniques, sometimes the most magical results come from pushing your materials in unexpected ways. In this tutorial, I'll show you how I created a dreamy mossy mushroom forest using thick pigment application and spray bottle techniques on inexpensive Fabriano cold press paper. The resulting textures and atmospheric effects might just inspire you to try something new in your own watercolor practice...
Painting a Loose, Vibrant Sun Conure: Letting Watercolor Work Its Magic
When a new email subscriber mentioned having a sun conure as a pet, I realized it had been years since I'd painted one of these beautiful, colorful birds. With no pencil sketching and just my watercolors at hand, I set out to create a loose, vibrant painting that captures the essence of these magnificent creatures. Here's my process for painting these vibrant birds using wet-into-wet techniques that let the watercolor do the work for you...
Quick Brush Miles: 10-Minute Spider Mums with a Dagger Brush
No time to paint? Think again! Discover how I squeezed in some essential "brush miles" by creating expressive spider mums with a Princeton Neptune dagger brush in under 10 minutes. Sometimes the shortest painting sessions yield the most valuable lessons!
Expressive Clown Girl: Adventures with Watercolor Pigment Sticks
After falling in love with Imperial Purple, I couldn't resist trying another Daniel Smith watercolor pigment stick—this time in Lamp Black to create a hauntingly beautiful clown girl with just two colors. Discover how this unconventional technique creates both structure and fluid expression in one magical process!
Discovering the Magic of Watercolor Pigment Sticks: My Iris Painting Journey
After two years of keeping a Daniel Smith Imperial Purple pigment stick in a box by my desk, I finally discovered its expressive potential by creating a loose, vibrant iris painting. Here's how this forgotten birthday gift became my new favorite watercolor tool!
Creating Magic with Water: A Spontaneous Abstract Seascape Tutorial
Discover the joy of letting watercolor do the work for you in this atmospheric seascape tutorial. Using just three granulating pigments, a spray bottle, and the natural movement of water, you'll create a dreamy coastal landscape that celebrates beautiful imperfections and happy accidents.