365 Days of Learning or Trying New Things: #25 - Watercolor Class with Cindy Alvarado-Yeary

Yesterday's learning/trying new things is coming to you a bit late because I was out learning to watercolor last night!! I would like to say thank you to Cindy for teaching us last night. :) I felt like a kid about to burst with excitement all week in anticipation of watercolor night! We didn't even make it inside before I made Becca snap a picture of me and Sara with the painting sign.

Cindy Alvarado-Yeary of PawprintsPortfolio held a watercolor class at the Midway branch of the Woodford County library last night. I've been so excited about it for weeks that I thought the day would never come!! (Sorry to those of you who've had to hear about it for weeks! LOL)

Check out these amazing painting prints by Cindy! These (and more) are available for purchase in Cindy's Etsy shop. Just click the photo to go to the listing.

Promise of Freedom, limited edition giclee print by Cindy Alvarado, $39.95

Snowy Crossing, Samoyed giclee print by Cindy Alvarado, $39.95

Class Time!

Last night Cindy had awesome little painting stations set up for us taught us to paint a couple of snow scenes.

My first scene looks pretty rough. I've never watercolored before and I don't remember ever having a formal art class. So look over the fact that it looks like something a child would paint! I had a great time making it so that's all that matters, right? I haven't dusted the salt off my paintings yet so they will look snowy once I do that (the salt absorbs and lifts some of the color to create white spots like snow flakes).

The next scene went a little better for me. I figured out how to mix my paints a little better and how to add light and darker strokes of the same color. I'm much more pleased with the second painting.

While everyone else was finishing up, I painted the back my scrap paper that Cindy gave us to practice our colors on. My little trees and color mixing were getting better. :)

I took my watercolor paints and my painting tips and instructions home with me so I can keep practicing (Thanks Cindy for giving them to us!). I'm planning to get some watercolor books and paper soon and just keep at it. I had so much fun painting that I'm hoping with time my skills improve. I'd love to be able to decorate my craft room with art I made. :) Sure, it's unlikely to ever the the caliber of paintings that Cindy does (that's mad skills!) but it can be beautiful in it's own simple way (I hope! LOL).