This week in the studio, I’ve been moving between three very different kinds of work: painting on a new piece called Field Notes which I mentioned in my last email, sketching decorative framing ideas in my sketchbook, and starting the very first drawing in my Victorian Greyhounds series, which I also gave you a sneak peek at last week!
And honestly, weeks like this always remind me of something I think is worth saying out loud:
being an artist never really means you are done beginning.
Student work from my Botanical Illustration in Watercolour course
Some parts of the work feel familiar and some feel experimental. Sometimes there is repetition, practice, and paying close attention, but most of all, every single time I start something new there is a little voice inside that asks "are you sure you can still do it?"
That’s part of why beginners are so welcome in my classes. Because it doesn't matter how much experience you have or how many paintings you've pumped out. Beginning has so many similarities despite the stage you're at, and my goal is, and always has been, to help my students manage that experience.
When I say beginner, I don’t mean someone who already knows all the right terms, has natural confidence, or somehow makes beautiful work on the first try.
I mean someone who is ready to start, despite what the voice inside is saying. I mean someone who is curious and desperate to begin and feel the brush touch the page. Someone who is open to learning, trying, making something ugly, and then trying again. Someone who can let practice be part of the process instead of proof that they are failing.
student work from my Botanical Illustration in Watercolour course
To me, beginner doesn’t mean behind, incapable, or somehow less.
It means you’re at the honest beginning of learning something and that is a very good place to be; arguably one of the most exciting stages!
I think a lot of people assume they need to arrive in an art class already a little bit skilled, a little bit polished, a little bit less unsure.
But really, what I want to make room for is the person who is interested, a little nervous, and still willing to try.
That kind of beginner is welcome here.
So if you’ve been wondering whether art classes are “too beginner” for you, I want to gently say: you are exactly the kind of person I hope feels comfortable joining.
If you’ve been thinking about taking a class with me and you’re unsure whether it’s the right fit, you can always reply and ask. I’m happy to help.
Stay tuned in the next couple of weeks for announcements on my next 1-day workshops and 5-session courses! I am securing venue space as we speak!
Say yes to seven days of gentle, creative practice—enroll now! Join my FREE email course 7 Days to Better Faceshere!
