Happy June 1 Today and tomorrow, we VOTE 🥳 Which of your submitted images do you want to learn to paint? You guys submitted 33 images this round. THIRTY-THREE!! I am blown away. Honestly, I can tell you’re starting to SEE differently. We’ve talked about composition. We’ve talked about storytelling. We’ve talked about mood. And your submissions reflected it. They were SO much stronger this time around. ❤️ Very well done.❤️ Below are the Top 4 images based on community input. 2️⃣2️⃣ PLEASE VOTE FOR TWO IMAGES.2️⃣2️⃣ The images are in the comments along with notes about any adjustments I made to prepare them for painting. This is FYI for more learning if you want it. 💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎 💎 💎 The images that rose to the top needed very little editing. 💎 That tells me you’re doing it right!!! 💎 💎 My plan is to teach two paintings at a time: 💎 💎 One weekday painting 💎 One weekend painting 💎 💎 LIVE sessions are free for Level 3 members. 💎 Replays are available in Premium. 💎 💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎 If your image doesn’t make the final cut but you REALLY want to learn how to paint it… VIP membership is all about the personal 1:1 lessons. That means YOUR image. YOUR story. YOUR painting. With much closer 1:1 guidance from me. Now let’s vote 😏

I haven't finished it yet. It takes a few days, but it's a pyrography piece (wood burning), and it involves rice, imagination, and random abstract kinds of vibes. Come join the fun. The first image is one I finished earlier this year so you get an idea of what I am working towards. So the second image shows the wood before I drop the rice. It is a piece of basswood, I think. When I drop the rice, sometimes it feels uniform, like this time. Yet once the pencil goes down and starts following the rice, it somehow finds land masses that don't seem to exist at first blush. This one looks completely different than the first one, which is pretty cool, actually. I add in a few lines to simulate depth in the coastal regions of the map and then waves to embellish the oceans. I also added some mountains. Also note that I had to put the map compass in a new place. Pencil is hard to see in the photos, but once they are burned in, they will pop. Also, the sepia look comes from when I stain the wood. Feel free to ask any questions if you have any. I may still add to the map. I'm not sure. Some of it is random, but some of it is still artistic expression.

This is going to be a pinned post for introductions. Please let us know 🌎 Where in the world are you? I find it so cool that we are so international. 🌱 What kind of art experience do you have? Elementary school all the way to I paint almost daily is all cool. 🖌️ Have you ever tried Oil Paints before? Are you afraid or do you love them? 🖼️ Share a bit of your work here if you feel comfortable.