Tag Archives: watercolor

Mar20

Watercolor Flowers

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Watercolor Flowers

Hello! My mom, sister, and I learned the joys of watercolor painting after taking a class together last July. It was so much fun and it inspired my mom and I to take it up as a hobby. I even treated all of us to an at home class last month as an early birthday gift for my mom! During our at home class, our wonderful teacher conducted a painting session on roses and I am so proud of my mom for her dedication to practicing watercolor in her downtime. This past week, I was finally able to paint with her during a visit and decided to see what I could remember of painting roses. I also tried my hand at pansies! Check it out:

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I like to fancy myself as a creative person in terms of writing, fashion, and figure skating. However, I have never considered myself an artistic person until trying watercolor painting; I can barely draw a stick figure! Quitting my day job for a career in painting is not in my future, but I feel proud of myself whenever I paint anything and it doesn’t turn out awful. At the end of the day, I am trying something new and enjoying myself and that’s the most important thing.

A month had gone by since learning how to paint roses and while I definitely need a refresher, I felt pretty good about the two I made on the first page. The red one is my favorite! In fact, I was having so much fun painting with my mom that I wanted to try something completely new: Pansies. Pansies are one of my favorite flowers and they always remind me of my grandma, who would tend to beautiful window boxes filled with them. The variety of colors and delicate petals speak to me and I know that spring has officially sprung when I start to see them at stores!

To start, I tried to paint a pansy from memory and that didn’t go too hot. A reference picture was a must and I found some great drawings of pansies that were most helpful for my next attempts. Although none of the paintings I tried on the second page look perfectly pansy, I could kind of see it. I also felt like I got a decent grasp on what must be done to improve for next time and that’s good enough for me! I am especially pleased with the one in the top right as well as the flower directly below it. While I love taking watercolor classes, it was an extra feather in my cap to try something brand new all by myself!

I can’t wait to paint again with my mom and am looking forward to giving pansies another go. Practice makes perfect, amiright?!

What is your favorite medium of art to work with? In what ways are you creative or artistic? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

 

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Feb16

At Home Watercolor Painting Class

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At Home Watercolor Painting Class

Hey!! Way back in July of last year, I took a watercolor painting class with my mom and sister and it was so much fun. It was a blast to spend time together learning something new and we had a great teacher – the amazing Ana of Falcon Grove Studio. After a long and highly stressful handful of months, I decided that we could all use a treat. So, I had Ana come to the family home to teach a watercolor masterclass to my mom, Kristen, Val Gal, and me. We passed a wonderful afternoon getting back in touch with our creative sides as Ana guided us through some Valentine’s Day projects. Take a look at mine:

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For our class, we worked on painting roses which used a lot of techniques that were new to us. It has been a long while since I painted watercolor because the shit had hit the fan and I was definitely rusty, as you can see. BUT it was still really fun and it was cool to have the class from the kitchen table! Ana is such a knowledgeable, patient, and kind teacher and it was special to have her do a class just for us. Our roses might not have turned out the best, but everything was coming up roses all afternoon as we painted.

After finally painting watercolor again, my mom and I remembered why we enjoyed it so much in the first place. We are both looking forward to retrying our hand at the roses this week when I bring my supplies over during an afternoon off. I think it’s safe to say that we have a lot of room for improvement and it’s nice to feel motivated to give watercolor another go now that things have settled down a bit. Ana gave us the know how for watercolor roses and my goal is to make a painting of a bouquet after more practice. 😀

I am so happy that all of my best girls were able to participate in the watercolor class and it was the perfect Galentine’s Day/prebirthday celebration for my mom get together. Hopefully I will have a lot more watercolor paintings to share with all of you soon!

Have you ever taken an art class before? What makes a good teacher? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep1

Falcon Grove Studio Art Haul

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Falcon Grove Studio Art Haul

Hello!! I took an awesome watercolor painting class with my mom and sister in July. It was taught by the amazing Ana of Falcon Grove Studio and we still talk about how much fun we had all together. This past week my best friend, LEA, turned twenty-eight and I decided to treat her to some beautiful artwork made by Ana on her Etsy shop. They will be perfect for her office at work and don’t worry, they are already in her possession so this post won’t come as a surprise! Check it out:

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It is so important to support local artists and I try to do so as often as I can. When Lea’s birthday began drawing near, I had Ana’s Etsy shop in mind because her work is just the type that she likes. Ana’s art is so elegant and bold without being “too much” and I am in love with both pieces that I chose. I am especially partial to the framed painting with the 3D butterfly. I wish that I bought one for me too!

Shopping on Ana’s Etsy shop was a great experience. My order arrived quickly, shipping was free, and it was packaged with so much care. I also received a coupon for fifteen percent off of my next purchase, which will definitely come in handy this holiday season. I have a feeling that I will make great use of it. 😀

Lea and I have been best friends for fourteen years and it has been a joy to celebrate almost a decade and a half of birthdays together. It was also a joy to shop for all of them too lol. Do be sure to check out Ana’s Etsy shop for a handcrafted gift that yourself or your giftee will adore!

Who is your favorite local artist? What is the link to any of your online stores? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug4

Fourth Watercolor Project

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Fourth Watercolor Project

Hello! I have a vast repertoire of hobbies and enjoy reading, ice skating, writing, swimming, and, of course, shopping in my free time. Watercolor painting is a recent hobby that I’ve added to this list and I have been loving it and trying my hand at different projects as often as I can. This past weekend, I made this little painting for my nieces while Johnny took a nap lol check it out:

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My sister and brother-in-law have their daughter, Valerie, and will have another little girl very soon. We are SO excited and I wanted to make something adorable for their bed or playroom. They most certainly are cute as a button so inspiration for my most recent project was really easy to come by!

Val’s favorite colors are purple and pink so I obviously had to incorporate that and I think she will be super happy about the palette I chose. She’s also not old enough to know good art, either, so that’s another win lol. Good art or not, it was fun to make and I like how it turned out so that’s all that matters. 😀

Every time I paint something, I come up with ideas for another project that I would like to do. Without the watercolor class that I took, I would have never thought that it would be an activity that I would enjoy. However, here we are now on my fourth project and I am eager to continue creating more and more. I have some sketches ready to paint when I can and I also plan on making a rainbow painting for my nieces. I can’t wait to show all of you!

Have you started a new hobby recently? What do you like to do in your free time? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: Tune in tomorrow for bloopers from my Country Concert OOTD!

Aug1

Namesake Watercolor Project

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Namesake Watercolor Project

Hello! I enjoyed the watercolor painting class that I took so much that I just had to buy some supplies to paint during my free time at home. Although my leisure time is scarce during the week, I have managed to do two projects that I am really proud of. I created a likeness of myself and Johnny and also painted a dedication to my namesake this past week:

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The Lil Red nickname originally stemmed from a coworker when I worked retail thanks to my signature red hair and lipstick. At the cash register, he would ask if Lil Red helped the customer out and they always knew who he was talking about! I have had this project in mind to feature my blog’s tagline and a red lippie tube since the class I took and I love how it turned out. 😀

Because of the constantly changing color of my hair, it has been a while since I was able to wear a pure red lipstick. I miss it terribly but I still think that it is the epitome of chic. A bold red lip screams confidence, even if you aren’t really feeling yourself that day. A quick swipe of red lipstick can completely change a simple jeans and T outfit or enhance a date night look. This never fails to amaze me and is a true testament to the power of makeup.

It sounds silly but I honestly feel like my red lipstick helped shape me into the person that I am today. It gave me a confidence boost when I had none as well as inspiration when I created my blog. During my next tap out tattoo session, I plan on getting a red lipstick tube somewhere on my arm. For now, however, a painting will just have to do. I wonder what I’ll come up with to paint next!

What do you consider a signature part of your style? What is your favorite lipstick shade? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Jul26

Watercolor Painting Project

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Watercolor Painting Project

Hello! I took a really fun watercolor painting class with my mom and sister this past month and it inspired both my mom and I to try our hand at it in our free time. My free time is, unfortunately, hard to come by so my painting supply haul from Michael’s had been sitting unused for the past few weeks. So, I was very happy to have been able to come up with not one but TWO masterpieces last week:

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Other than the introductory course on watercolor painting that I took, I have zero experience with it. I never say no to learning new things, though, and I am really enjoying my efforts. In fact, I am thrilled with how mine and Johnny’s likeness turned out! I had the idea for it in my head and they turned out exactly how I pictured them to be.

Are these paintings great on a technical level? No, lol. BUT, both Johnny and I love them and that makes them great to me. In fact, as soon as I was done my sweet husband told me that we’ll have to find a perfect spot to hang them up. That made me feel so good and even more proud of my creations.

I feel like everyone has this preconceived notion that they have to be amazing or making money off of a craft or skill to do it. I, myself, am guilty of this. However, breaking free from this thought gives you the opportunity to try all kinds of new things whether you’re good or bad at it.

The watercolor class I took not only motivated me to paint more but it also empowered me in little things too. I know I can’t sing worth a damn but the evening after our class, Johnny and our friend were playing music and I sang right along with them. It is never too late to learn anything and I can’t wait to paint even more!

What is your favorite hobby? Are you learning anything new right now? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul14

Michael’s Haul

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Michael’s Haul

Hello! My mom, sister, and I recently took a really fun watercolor painting class taught by the fabulous Ana-Joel of Falcon Grove Studio. We had the best time and our teacher’s kind words, wisdom, and talent inspired both my mom and I to give watercolor painting a try in our free time. I was so proud of my mom when she sent me pictures of what she had painted already!

This past weekend, Johnny and I did some errands and went to Michael’s so I could get some painting supplies. He also picked up a few things to trick out his banjo with and it’s looking really good!

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While I haven’t painted anything yet, I definitely plan on it this week and already have lots of ideas brewing in my head. Of course, it probably won’t look as good as I am picturing it but practice makes perfect and I’m excited! Prior to taking the painting class, I had never done anything like it before and I know that it will feel good to express myself through a different medium because you all know that I am a word girl at heart.

Ana-Joel was an amazing teacher and I think that it speaks volumes that she motivated at least two of her students to continue painting in their own time. She was so encouraging and it was really moving to see how she celebrated our efforts because it should be celebrated! Ana-Joel said that all art is special because it’s our bodies dancing and creating something new. I loved that and it made me feel inspired to try something new rather than stressed out about not being the best at it.

Every day when Johnny gets home from work, he has taken to building small metal models and I plan on joining him and painting. It’s going to be fun to be able to create things together because he is so musically inclined and I… am not lol. I can’t wait to show all of you what I come up with!

What kind of art do you like to make? What is your favorite medium to work with? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Jul7

Watercolor Painting Class

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Watercolor Painting Class

Hello!! This past Saturday I took a really fun watercolor painting class at the Quirk Cultural Center with my mom and sister. The class was led by the wonderful Ana-Joel of Falcon Grove Studio and she taught us how to paint different herbs inspired by an English country garden. To begin, Ana showed us the different techniques to paint rosemary, sage, mint, and basil and then we got to create our own masterpieces:

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My mom, sister, and I would definitely not fall under the category of artistically skilled and have never painted with watercolor before. However, we all jumped at the opportunity to take this class because it was local and seemed like something we could enjoy together. I am so glad that we did and left the class with work that we were proud of and an eagerness to take more classes with Ana again.

Ana is an amazing local artist who founded Falcon Grove Studio during the pandemic to help promote a feeling of safety and wellness at home through art. She is so gifted, kind, and genuine and we all felt lucky to have her as our teacher. Her words inspired each of the students in the class and I loved how she told us that art is special because it’s the way your own body moves to create something. As someone who isn’t good at art, it was so encouraging to hear that you are still making something meaningful.

As I said, I had never painted watercolor before and I had a blast. It was such a unique experience and I was blown away by this whole world that I knew existed but never tried for myself. Ana taught us how to mix colors and use the water to enhance our art and it was so cool to see colors transform from something as simple as adding a touch of yellow or red and a “juicy brush” loaded with water.

For my project, I chose to paint basil and sage and I couldn’t be more pleased with how they turned out. Are they museum level works of art? No way lol. BUT, I thought that it was a pretty damn good first try. Not only did I feel proud of what I painted but I also felt excited to try painting more and I think that definitely qualifies as a GREAT SUCCESS (Borat voice).

Ana offers a variety of different courses in person and online and I simply cannot wait to work with her again. I also have ideas swirling in my head for some commissioned pieces by her! Please check out her social media and Etsy page at the following and support this fabulous local artist:

What is your favorite medium of art? Have you ever taken any art classes before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah