We had a GREAT question and I really want to share these answers. “I’m a lefty… am I going to drag my hand through wet paint??” 🎯 Short answer: Nope Painting is NOT like writing though. If you’re resting your hand and dragging across the surface you’re going to make a mess 😆 🫟🫟🫟🫟🫟🫟🫟🫟🫟🫟🫟🫟🫟🫟🫟 🫟 🫟 Here’s how to NOT smear your paint: 🫟 🫟 🫟 Paint upright 🫟 Your painting panel should be vertical, not flat on a table for the best situation. 🫟 If you are painting on the table, lay an old towel down and put a heavyish 🫟 box on the table. Then put the panel against the box. Voila! Instant easel. 🫟 Palette stays on the table…not in your hand like you’ve seen in pictures 🫟 You are not anchoring your hand like you would with a pencil. 🫟 🫟 Use a mahl stick if you need support - a thin padded stick works perfectly - super low tech. 🫟 Hold your brush farther back 🫟 Yes… the END of the brush - you will see me doing this in the demo videos. 🫟 🫟 Turn your painting - sideways or upside down- this really helps you see when you’re painting in 🫟 a space that your hand gets in the way. 🫟 🫟🫟🫟🫟🫟🫟🫟🫟🫟🫟 Here are some IRL student setups and mine. See the stick?

Today, @Thomas Richards and I are in a group exhibition in Fort Worth, Texas. I am going to do my best to take some photos and video today to share. It will be a LONG day for us but FUN. Here is an older pic of Tommy and me. Hopefully I will have some new ones tomorrow. Hey Tommy, I am sending you wishes of a successful showing today my friend. So glad to be here with you and thank you for helping me and introducing me to this beautiful gallery event! I love you man. ❤️

I USE TECHNOLOGY. No shame. No apology tour. No hiding my iPad under the table like it’s contraband. 😆 I do plan my paintings though. I do my own photo shoots (with my iPhone). 📸 I build my compositions in Affinity Photo (free… because this is better than Photoshop I think). I figure out color. Composition. All of it. Before I ever touch a paint brush! Because I like to know where I’m going… I need a road map, instead of just vibing and hoping for the best like it’s a blind date. 🍯🍯🍯🍯🍯🍯🍯🍯🍯🍯 🍯 🍯 And here’s where my BRUTAL HONESTY comes in. 🍯 I’m gonna shake some shit up here. 🍯 Like… if drawing were a sport 🏀, I’d be sitting on the bench. 🪑 🍯 🍯 I don’t even LIKE drawing. 🍯 (Yes, I know. Somewhere my art professor just fainted dramatically.) 🍯 🍯 🍯 I don’t sketch my compositions out with pencil or markers. 🍯 The art world basically considers this a 🚨 felony. 🍯 🍯 But I do work it out… just digitally. 🍯 Because my passion is putting paint down and watching it come to life. 🍯 🍯 THAT’S the part that 🔥 lights a my fire under my ass! 🍯 🍯🍯🍯🍯🍯🍯🍯🍯🍯🍯 To this day, I still finish a painting and think: “Wait… who painted that?? ME????” Like I need to check the security footage. Imposter syndrome is still present a little. Here’s what no one tells you: Drawing and painting are not the same skill. Just yesterday, @Thomas Richards said he was going to wait till he was good at drawing before he started painting. I mean I know this was all a tongue 👅 in cheek statement, but it was really a great point! We just keep shoving them into the same box 📦 and wondering why people quit. I had quit - for 25 years! Then, I built a process around what I’m actually good at… 🌈 and what I actually enjoy. 🦄 I stopped trying to FORCE myself to learn 🙅🏼‍♀️ something that isn’t my passion. My degree is in Graphic Design. I’ve been using Apple computers since the 90’s… back when they were multi-colored bricks. So yeah… layers, references, digital tools? That’s my playground. 🛝

🎟️🎟️🎟️🎟️🎟️🎟️ @Janice Peterson I had a little contest in these posts. The WINNER has earned herself a FREE painting! Janice submitted this image, and it will be our FIRST paint along demo. So not only did she submit and you, the community voted on the image as your favorite, but she earned the most tickets in the comments and will Receive the demo painting. YAYYYYYYY Ok - Now I have to get busy. My goal is to have this online next week.

Psst- the teacher isn’t looking. 🤡 🌅 Get your phone and post your favorite pic. Drop it in the comments below. __________________________________ 👆🏻Cliff Notes Version 👇🏻 A little more detail. The why 👉🏻 In LESSON 1, _________________________ The amount of detail we put into realism paintings simply isn’t stored in your brain. Not yet… and honestly, maybe not ever. That is NORMAL! The first lesson is in classroom HERE After you read the lesson, find 1 or 2 or even 3 images that mean something special to you. They do NOT have to be images you plan to paint. Think of it as building your inspiration library for this entire community. Later, we will VOTE on the one to paint in class. Drop it. What makes that image so special to you?