Wonderful Winter Watercolor Work
19So I follow a watercolor artist, Andrea Nelson. She is doing a “30 day”, every other day so it isn’t stressful, “challenge. It’s super approachable and fun. It’s really been helpful for me to just exercise the creative brain and I think it will be good practice for me to make sure I’m painting more frequently once the shop is finished. If you’re at all interested, please join with me. If not please don’t throw avocados at me for posting the photos. 
Link to Andrea’s page and “challenge”
And if you don’t have supplies, you can usually find watercolor palettes even at the dollar tree or Crayola works perfectly fine too. I would definitely recommend using paper that’s at least 100-140lb weight though. I found a pad at Hobby Lobby for $7.
Anyway. I hope some of you try it out. Even if you don’t want to post the photos. You may not think you’re an artist but everyone is. Just remember that nothing is perfect and you don’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. It’s hard. I even struggle but it helps when we keep telling one another that.
So come paint with me!!! 
Day 1
Day 2
- 16 comments, 54 replies
- Comment
Seems like a neat way to start a new year!
Finished Day 3
Made a friend a card for her birthday tomorrow
Started day 4 but no photo
@sillyheathen Is that a rainbow volcano?
@sillyheathen @yakkoTDI Northern lights, is my guess.
@Kyeh @sillyheathen @yakkoTDI
Is it Xenu’s volcano where he killed humanity with hydrogen bombs?
@Kyeh @sillyheathen Go away with your sensible answer.
@Kyeh @yakkoTDI ha ha! It’s supposed to be a mountain landscape with the aurora. It was more an exercise for the technique of water flow for the northern lights. I may make another tomorrow. I want to try some different options for the borealis. I decided to try and make a lake at the base. I don’t love it but I think it is okay.
@sillyheathen @yakkoTDI
Rainbow volcano sounds cool too. Or fireworks …
Oh, I love her! Never tried any of her projects, though. Maybe it’s time. Maybe.
@mossygreen I can highly recommend it. These projects are quick studies just meant to be fun and allow your creative brain to exercise. I’ve really been enjoying it and I think it really helps me sleep as I’m doing them in the evening.
Very cool, well done
You’re inspiring @sillyheathen.
@therealjrn that makes me happy. I love making art. I think most people do when they let go of what other people might think. It shouldn’t be about good or bad. It should be about how it makes you feel. I just want to leave the world a little better than I found it in any way I possibly can.
@sillyheathen
Mission accomplished…
Brava! I’m not sure if I’ll pick up an actual watercolor brush this month, but I may doodle a bit in Procreate on my iPad
@UncleVinny do it! I need to get back into using procreate. It’s much easier for digital work. But please feel feee to share any and all.
It’s been a whirlwind start to the new year. I’m heading to my mom’s for gumbo and painting. Will post some when I’m done. I have day 5? I think.
Day 6 is sketched but not painted.
@sillyheathen your skies are super cool!
@sillyheathen Do you do the snow with salt?
@Kyeh not on the polar bear. I did use salt on another project page which I’ll post in a bit. I just used white watercolor paint and tapped the brush over my fingers to create the drops/snow.
@UncleVinny thanks. I’ve been trying to play with the northern lights more. I’m really loving painting with the watercolors. It’s so different to the techniques for acrylics and oils.
@sillyheathen
My MIL was a fairly accomplished watercolor artist. The things she could do with lights and shadows were truly amazing.
I’m loving following your journey this month. Keep up the good work.
@chienfou @sillyheathen
Speaking of Nothern Lights, chienfou, our weather guy just said that they’re visible in northern Alabama through a cellphone! The times I’ve seen them here they were definitely most visible from a cellphone.
@Kyeh @sillyheathen
Very cool! Thanks. I’ll have to step outside and take a look. It is cold and clear tonight, but we are pretty far south so… who knows. Won’t hurt to go look though.
@chienfou @sillyheathen
@Kyeh @sillyheathen
First step will be dislodging Bandit from my lap…
@Kyeh @sillyheathen
Nope
@chienfou @sillyheathen None visible at my house either, although some people out in the country saw them & sent photos to the news station.
Here’s lookin at you, kid!
You are a really good artist!
Do you sell your work anywhere?
@Kidsandliz Thank you. I have yet to try to sell my paintings. At least not at this point. I suffer from serious imposter syndrome and I suck at marketing myself as a result. I never know what to charge. I typically only gift them.
@sillyheathen What you might want to do is find a local gallery that sells original art work from a number of artists, has an online presence and let them help you price them, sell them, etc. That way it’s not your problem to market, handle sales, etc. Likely you’d have to frame them for them to sell. I know someone who has their work (typically no more than 7-10 paintings each) in 5 different tourist trap art galleries in high visibility locations that people visit on vacation. She does fairly well. Certainly not enough to support herself but the extra money pays for all her art supplies, expenses involved in this, and some extra.
Or if you have a local art or other museum see if they’d let you place a few there and let them sell them for you. If you have a zoo nearby that giraffe painting would do well there in their gift shop.
Of course doing it this way they’d take a percent - typically 30-40% but it would help you get started.
This was day 3 or 4 I think. It was just a simple fun study for color and handwriting. @kyeh this was the salt page.
@sillyheathen Oh, okay! So vibrant!
Today’s project brief was random squiggly lines. I’ve been feeling a little nostalgic for home as the Mardi Gras season is starting to kick off and this was the first thing that popped into my head.
@sillyheathen
~applause~ See? That’s something people would pay for, alot of crossover appeal, music, Nawlins fans, colorful pictures…hell I’d buy one!
Not bad for just a throwaway idea
@sillyheathen This would also work as a tshirt or even a celebratory card, just change the words as needed!
@therealjrn I was kind of taken aback. I posted it in the beginners watercolor group I’m in and it has almost 2k likes. Was not expecting that even a little.
@sillyheathen @therealjrn
Not every artistic endeavor has to be monetized. (You might want to register it with the copyright office though, if people are loving it that much!)
@sillyheathen @therealjrn Beginners? I think it is my favorite so far and I am in love with the nature scene above
@sillyheathen @speediedelivery @therealjrn
That’s amazeballs (as someone I know would say!)
/giphy I concur
@chienfou @speediedelivery @therealjrn I am actually a beginner.
I’ve only really been painting with watercolors for a few weeks. I did a painting last year but it was my first and then I just got discouraged. I’ve been drawing my entire life and painting faith acrylics and oils for quite some time now. But watercolors are a new medium and they are very different to other paints. One reason I’ve been doing this 30 day project is to really work on basic skills and learn subtlety in the usage. It’s really fun, even though I’m behind. 
![enter image description here][1]
It’s been a weird day. Was able to get some plant therapy with my mom. Then I decided to put away all the screens and make a painting for our friends’ daughter who is turning 11 tomorrow. She loves stitch and Tigger so I combined them. I think she’ll like it. I still have details to add but the paper was too wet so I’m off for sushi and I’ll finish it when I get home.
[1]:
This was the finished stitch. I didn’t take one of him in the frame sadly.
Come on… It’s been days now… Let’s see your next one!
@chienfou HA! I’ve been in the yard! But it’s funny you say that. I’m working on two that are side by side right now. I have to make dinner but will post after.
I also just received some gesso boards which will allow me to repaint the New Orleans themed piece so I can photograph it to make prints. I’ve been kind of overwhelmed at the response tbh. It’s at over 3k likes and I have over 30 requests for either originals or prints. It’s madness.
@chienfou @sillyheathen Fantastic!
@chienfou @Kyeh I heart your face to bits lady!
@Kyeh @sillyheathen
Let me know when it comes available. I really like that piece.
@chienfou @Kyeh
Dinner is done. Now I have to run tallest to get new shoes and then I will reveal the newest installation. It’s not as exciting as some of the others as and FYI.
@sillyheathen
31 now…or maybe 32 because @chienfou I think wants one
@chienfou @sillyheathen Yummm! That’s a nice work of art too!
@chienfou @sillyheathen BTW, I bet that design would be very popular on a teeshirt!
@chienfou @Kyeh I was thinking throw pillow as well.
@chienfou @Kyeh it was a delicious work of art.
I’m wanted to crust it in pistachios and make an herbed oil and a whipped lemon feta, but I got vetoed. Also I am le tired.
@chienfou @sillyheathen
I bet you are!
Sorry for the delay. Had to take 1 & 3 to get new trainers for basketball. Then came home to finish and had to intervene with tallest and his girlfriend. I am not a fan of drama. Anyway. This is technically 2 days that I kind of combined into one. It’s supposed to be more whimsical and doodley. It’s really difficult to photograph but I used some metallic pigments in some spots and it’s really fun in the light.
@sillyheathen
I have a thing for little houses* so I really love that a lot!!!
(*I have a collection of maybe a couple hundred.)
@Kyeh @sillyheathen
If you ever decide on a career shift you’d make an excellent children’s book illustrator!
@chienfou @Kyeh My mom has been trying to get me to illustrate three that she wrote ages ago. I also write, not nearly as much as I did pre kids. I have notes and ideas for a series involving my Bassett hound Juniper.
It’s fitting I suppose. I actually ran the children’s section at Barnes and Noble when I went to LSU and also at Waterstones in Leeds. Also I’m a giant child on many levels so it fits.
@Kyeh @sillyheathen
Plus your artwork would be perfect…
Project brief was winter wear collage. I also had to laugh because a woman from the watercolor group messaged me today to tell me I needed to stop posting AI images and claiming them as my own. That or I wasn’t really a beginner and was trying to make everyone else look bad? I just don’t get some people. Did make me laugh. I showed her my sketches before the painting and during but she would t have any of it. I guess you just can’t please some people.
@sillyheathen Sounds very JEALOUS to me!
Did you see the discussion the other day about the “shadow” novelist writeup for those lights? Someone was asked dseanadams how he was so sure it wasn’t written by AI.
Sean said “I wrote it.”
@sillyheathen https://meh.com/forum/topics/4-pack-enbrighten-vibe-24-smart-under-cabinet-tunable-led-lights#6978ed1943b4485688cd3f49
@Kyeh And @sillyheathen drew it! Lol
![enter image description here][1]
Quick simple 10 minute landscape. Trying to work on speed and less fuss so I don’t overwork things.
[1]:
@sillyheathen
@sillyheathen Bob would be proud.
@sillyheathen
Def 10 minutes well spent!
@sillyheathen That one is lovely even without your usual detail.