Creating Drama in Miniature: My Moody Lily of the Valley
Join me as I venture into uncharted territory - painting a moody, dramatic lily of the valley on tiny 4x6 inch hot press paper using advanced lifting techniques. From choosing the right pigments to mastering negative space painting, I'll share every discovery from this atmospheric mini masterpiece.
Painting "Plump": My Monochromatic Baby Portrait Challenge
Sometimes the most unexpected artistic breakthroughs happen when we strip everything back to basics. Today I'm sharing how painting a chubby-cheeked baby with just one color taught me more about values, confidence, and creative freedom than months of detailed studies ever could.
Painting Loose Misty Roses with an Experimental Approach
Sometimes the most beautiful discoveries happen when we abandon our comfort zones completely. Today I'm sharing how I threw out my usual watercolor routine to create these ethereal, misty roses - and why sometimes getting lost in experimentation leads to the most magical results.
Can Cheap PRANG Watercolors Create Professional-Looking Art? My Kingfisher Experiment 🎨
What happens when you take basic children's watercolors and try to paint in your professional style? I grabbed my PRANG paints and set out to create a loose, expressive kingfisher painting - and the results surprised me! Join me as I share the techniques that transformed these simple supplies into something special.
Painting a Loose Watercolor Iris: My Journey from "Trash Bin" to Prismatic Beauty 🌸
What started as a painting I was ready to throw away became one of my favorite iris studies. Join me as I share the techniques, happy accidents, and mindset shifts that transformed this loose watercolor iris from disaster to delight, using just a few key colors and some unconventional measuring tricks.
Painting Fuchsias and a Hummingbird: My First Adventure with Brush Pens and Water Brushes
After letting brush pens sit unused in my cabinet for ages, I finally decided to dust them off for an experimental painting session. Using only the materials from one Chroma set – brush pens and water brushes I'd never tried before – I tackled fuchsia flowers and a hummingbird. What started as a scratchy, messy process turned into a beautiful lesson about embracing unpredictability and creating motion in watercolor-style paintings.
Painting a Coffee Shop Carnation: My Watercolor Journey from Inspiration to Completion
Sometimes inspiration strikes in the most ordinary places. While working at a local coffee shop, I spotted a beautiful carnation bouquet that demanded to be painted. In this tutorial, I'll show you how I captured its ruffly texture using plastic wrap, navigated color mixing challenges, and made artistic choices that transformed a simple reference into something uniquely mine.
Painting a Robin with a Cherry: My Loose Watercolor Approach
When an American robin landed on my deck with a cherry in its beak, I knew I had found my next painting subject. In this tutorial, I'll show you how I captured this charming moment using loose watercolor techniques, building the entire piece from a single eye and creating a dreamy, atmospheric scene that tells a story.
Painting a Barred Owl: A Watercolor Study Inspired by My Daughter's Midnight Visitor
When a barred owl decided to make itself at home outside my daughter's bedroom window, it became the perfect inspiration for exploring watercolor wildlife techniques. Join me as I share the intimate process of capturing this magnificent nocturnal visitor using just three earth tones and a whole lot of patience.
Painting Crocosmia: My Journey Comparing Flat vs Round Brushes
Join me in my studio as I explore the beautiful crocosmia flowers blooming throughout the Pacific Northwest. In this hands-on comparison, I'll show you how flat and round brushes create entirely different painting experiences when capturing these vibrant red-to-yellow blooms, and share the surprising insights I discovered along the way.