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Are you in a painting rut? Are you still doing the same things over and over and expecting different results? (We've all been there, haven't we?) How can we revitalize our art?
 
Never Stop Learning.
I've had to stay close to home this past year, so I decided to take a couple Zoom workshops, the latest with Pam Wenger. Pam was one of the first artists that I discovered on Facebook when I caved in and created an account back in 2016. I absolutely love her style!
 
Pam says: "Painting portraits in watercolor can seem like a daunting task, but many of us can't resist the urge to try it. We may have a loved one who we'd like to paint or we may simply be drawn to the challenge of capturing an interesting character on paper. It's so easy to 'tighten up' our portrait paintings because of our focus on 'getting it right'."
 
Practice. Practice. Practice.
Pam specializes in what she calls "quick sketches" - small portrait studies usually painted on student grade paper. (We used Fabriano 1264 watercolor paper, which, when purchased in a pad of 30 sheets comes to less than 40¢ apiece.)
 
Using inexpensive paper and working quickly and more simply can counteract your need for perfection. If at first you don't succeed, try again (and again)!
 
Quick sketches are a great way to practice getting the facial features right before moving on to that expensive paper and creating a more finished piece.

I had the pleasure of meeting and painting with Pam (above) at

a Ted Nuttall Workshop in Aravaipa in 2019.

Rekindle the Joy!

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed Pam's three-day online class and how much I learned from her! She is a wonderful, generous teacher and provides clear instruction on her method of "loosening up the portrait painting process and working to achieve a more relaxed look that highlights the beauty and freshness of the watercolor medium."

I've already begun applying some of Pam's tips to my own painting process. I'm inspired to try some new approaches, and incorporating her ideas into my own style is an exciting prospect! We shall see how that works out for me!

My Quick Sketch Efforts.

Above you can see a couple of quick sketches I did following Pam's workshop. Of course, "quick" to me is a couple hours rather than the weeks, even months, required for a finished piece like the one at the top of the page.

Take a Class.

Be encouraged to try an online class or two by an artist you admire. Learning from someone new can go a long way to revitalizing your art!

Paint. Love. Repeat.