Trying out painting :)

When Ben is learning a new skill, I do my best to try it out myself.  He has been enjoying painting lately so I decided to take on painting myself.  It was quite a challenge taking time so draw and paint while juggling 3 kids but I am thankful to have made some progress.  I know these pieces are far from perfect but they were made with lots of love :)

Starting with a basic vase

My attempt at a tribute to Van Gogh's Starry Starry Night

trying out sunflowers

When you can't go to Japan, you try to bring Japan to you, haha

Here are some of the things I realized (some of which are obvious :) )

- Drawing is the foundation of everything.  Sketching is not easy but it helps you control your wrist which is important when you paint

- Mixing colors requires lots of practice. Being able to easily identify the mixture of colors of a certain part of a painting is a skill.

- When you encounter a painting boo-boo, do not panic, just relax and try to adjust your work accordingly.  The color white does wonders if you want to correct mistakes

- You can never have too many brushes, hehe (well, at least brushes of various sizes)

- Acrylic painting entails a lot of layering which is lots of work but has more opportunities for practice

- I have a soft spot for flowers

- chalk and wipes can be your best friends as you paint in the canvass
- painting the sides of the canvass may seem like a simple task but it makes a difference

- painting pegs are just inspirations, and you should not be pressured to copy them

I hope to have more opportunities not only to paint but to help kids (mine and others) enjoy painting as well.  It's a fun way to learn how to focus.