Thought I’d share a look at these paintings that I’ve been going back to for inspiration. They’re two from last year that I created for my Portrait Painting Masterclass, which is all about layering color, painting faces, and staying loose.

While I paint loose, whimsical portraits, this is not a class about how to paint just like me. This is a course about developing your own style with daily watercolor paintings and layered portraits that you can create with just a few simple supplies and use as a springboard for your own creative practice.

I go back and forth from face to background to add layers. I love to get the eyes perfect and then smudge the lines with ink to get softness.

Every small step builds upon the previous layer to create a tapestry of color and pattern. It’s amazing to me how it all adds up and becomes a finished painting. I never know just how a piece will turn out. But staying true to my favorite colors and allowing a painting to unfold, guides me on the unknown journey.

For years I stopped painting. All of my artwork ended up in the basement or trash, so I thought, “What’s the point of making all this art?” I never thought anyone would want to see my work.

I went to college to study biology, but I couldn’t stay away from the art room. When I graduated, I went to work as an arts journalist, writing about the arts for newspapers and magazines. It took many different jobs as a journalist, photographer, graphic designer, floral designer, website developer and more before I finally realized the only thing I could put my heart into was being a full-time artist.

Then in the summer of 2009 I lost my job. It was the first job I ever really loved (as a landscaper). To heal my spirit, I went back to what I adored most as a child – cutting out outfits for characters and making up their stories. My sister-in-law gifted me with a few fabulous vintage wallpaper books, and I fell in love with the colors and patterns. I knew I had to do something with that gorgeous paper. And that’ s what started all of my whimsical paintings.

Painting has always been a healing process for me. Yet I struggled whenever I came to covering up the white space and knowing what to paint.

My hope is that in sharing the fundamentals, you feel the joy of creating work you love too!

Happy painting!

xo Juliette