Live Cheap and Make Art Studios

I had seen Rosemary Connelly’s watercolors on display at the Mispillion and Dover Art Leagues, and loved them. When I found out that she offers classes on watercolor journaling, it was only a matter of time before I found time to fit one in my schedule. The one I ended up taking was three hours on a Sunday morning for $ 30 — I signed my husband and I both up for the same session.
I was a little worried about my inexperience and the fact that I really have a difficult time with perfectionism — it’s hard for me to start completely new things without getting really frustrated if it doesn’t come out exactly how I want it to. I’m a former art major with a sculpture focus, but I’ve always simultaneously dreaded painting and envied painters. I was really pleasantly surprised at the structured class with laid back expectations. Socializing was «forbidden» during the class, which meant we really were able to focus on the painting without distractions by friends or strangers. We started out indoors, did a few exercises to loosen up and familiarize ourselves with the paints, then went outdoors and did about 45 minutes worth of painting there. OK, so there were some distractions — I thought that infernal chime from the church across the river would never stop ringing.
Throughout the class, after each mini assignment, we stopped to show what we’d done to the other class members, which was not nearly as intimidating as it sounds — the atmosphere was very supportive and friendly. While we were actually painting, Rosemary wandered around observing and offering helpful tips and instruction on an individual basis.
My next stop was AC Moore to look for a new watercolor journal. I think I might be hooked, and I’m already planning to attend another workshop. Cannot recommend highly enough, if you’re a complete beginner wanting to try your hand at watercolor journaling, or if you’ve already got watercolor experience and are looking to refine your technique and get some constructive feedback and structured practice.