August 2024 to May 2025??? Have I been in a time warp? Possibly. A hurricane, a new grandson, and a cross-country road trip can do that sometimes. I’m sure you’ve all had very busy days, months, years, and we just came through a few ourselves.
We’ve mostly recovered from Hurricane Helene, but the landscape on our property will never be the same. We miss our large, old oak trees. On the bright side, the backyard is getting a lot more sun now, and that’s bringing new grass to areas that have needed it.
Our new grandson joined his parents and three older brothers in January. He’s cute as a button and thriving, despite his “attentive” brothers, and learning to roll around.
May brought the 2025 Plein Air Convention and a very pleasant, albeit long, road trip from South Carolina to California. The convention was held in Reno, NV, and we decided to spend several lovely vacation days in South Lake Tahoe first. Steve was asked to demonstrate at the convention and assist during the various plain air “paint-outs.” If you like to paint with loads of other very nice artists, watch demonstrations from very skilled professionals, sing and dance, then you should really try to attend one of Eric Roads’ Plein Air Conventions. We had a fabulous time and met so many really sweet people. No matter what level of painting skill you’re at, you will have fun.
As always, if you happened to have missed any of our August – May videos that were posted for all viewers on YouTube, here they are with a list of links to them all.
You will also find the additional links to exclusive content on Patreon (only accessible if you’re a Patron). If you’ve not become a Patron yet, please consider supporting this channel and receiving additional, helpful content.
Light Up Your Trees With Dynamic Masking Techniques!
Sometimes you just need to mask to achieve great light effects. Lets look at how I did it in this watercolor landscape.
Did You Know You Can Negative Paint Tree Roots? The Results Surprised Me!
I thought of a fun root painting challenge I wanted to try. The results were both satisfying and a bit… Oh well, better watch the video!
Let’s Flip on The Light Switch! Bright Foliage Over Dark Backgrounds en Plein Air.
Painting brightly lit foliage over a dark background can be a challenge with transparent watercolor. Especially on location where mask is not practical. Join me as I study a process for this lovely effect.
Discovering Great Compositions With Notan & Shape Design. Easy and Quick Process!
Exploring and discovering new and interesting compositions is not as hard as you might think. Here is a fun and easy process for landing on a new idea for your watercolor landscape.
Update on our Week. Hurricane Helene and a Personal Behind the Scene.
Here’s how Helene impacted us. We’re the blessed ones. Many lost everything. Thankfully, aside from some clean up, we’re almost back to normal. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.
Does This Look Like Watercolor? Guess Again!
Wet in wet, washy washes on paper are the exclusive domain of watercolor right? Not so fast. Let’s experiment a little with another medium and see.
Watercolor Beginners! Focus on THIS First. The #1 Problem Bar None.
If you’re just getting started in watercolor you’ll need to master this before just about anything else. In all the classes I’ve taught and instruction I’ve given, this continues to be the issue beginners struggle with the most.
Comparing Inktense Pencils with Standard Watercolor Pencils.
I’ve put off testing Inktense pencils for years because I didn’t exactly have a use for them that made sense for my way of working. Well I have ideas now but are Inktense really that different from standard watercolor pencils? Lets find out.
Christmas Gifts Ideas for Artists 2024
Here they are, Christmas gift shopping ideas for 2024.
Is Line & Wash Possible with Inktense and Watercolor?
Inktense pencils are supposed to be ink right? Well let’s see how well it works as an ink line for line and wash with watercolor.
Why These Colors? My Maimeriblu 6-Color Watercolor Set.
My 6-color Maimeriblu watercolor set is out. So here is a look at why I picked these 6 colors and what they can do.
10 Favorite Art & Watercolor Tips from 2024
2024 is in the books and I had a great time making video content. Here are 10 of the more notable tips I recommend from those videos.
Paint Trees Like Your Light Depends on It! Dramatic Watercolor Trees at Dusk.
Trees are a staple in my subject preferences and I often treat them like portraits with individual character and features. That can include the dramatic effects of light. Let’s explore that special feature in this video.
Being Tutored in Line & Wash by a Legend!
I love studying classic illustrators from the past. I always wonder about the specifics of how they did what they did. This video is yet another foray into the practice of master studies.
Magical Simplicity! Easy Studies You Should Try in Watercolor Landscapes
Good flow, contrast and rhythm are dynamics that will take your watercolor landscapes to another level. I’ll take you through 3 studies that are easy to do in one sitting.
Learning this Color Mixing Skill is an Absolute Must!
Not all color straight out of a tube is appropriate. Much of the beauty of watercolor painting employs neutrals and desaturated color. Mixing these is a skill you simply must acquire to be a color power user.
From Study to Painting. Real Time Commentary and Thought Process.
I do a lot of studies but today I take one to a more detailed and final painting. Plus I’ll take you along with a real-time, thought-process commentary.
Easy Mountain Stream Waterfall in Watercolor.
Let’s look at a simple process for creating an interesting but easy mountain stream waterfall.
How to Expand Your Color Palette Beyond a Limited Selection in Watercolor!
With so many colors available, expanding a starting selection of colors can be a confusing task. In this video I’ll make some choices and give my thoughts as I expand a 6 color palette to 12.
Patreon Exclusive Content
Lets Talk About Sponsorships and Art Reviews – The problem with art reviews and what does it mean to me and more importantly to you that I’m an Arches brand ambassador?https://www.patreon.com/posts/lets-talk-about-1096096
15-Minute Artist – Glazing Tips Part 1. Basics and Practice. – Glazing is a powerful and satisfying technique. Here are some tips and a fun way to practice. https://www.patreon.com/c/mindofwatercolor
15-Minute Artist – Foliage to Background Integration. – Integrating foliage into the background softly is a beautiful effect. Let’s take a look at the method I’ve been working on. https://www.patreon.com/posts/15-minute-artist-111569896
15-MInute Artist – More Notan w/Water Soluble Graphite – Trying a new water soluble graphite that at first I wasn’t sure about but ended up finding the great application for it. https://www.patreon.com/posts/15-minute-artist-115564984
Video Extras – Connections Part 2. Landscape Demo. – I’ll be taking the connection exercise I showed in a previous video and doing a landscape demo with a special focus on using connecting washes and values. https://www.patreon.com/posts/video-extras-2-122364097
Video Extras – PACE 25 Demo & Process – I’m embarking on a painting demo project for PACE 25 in May (Plein Air Convention & Expo). So I decided to take my Patrons along with me for the ride. https://www.patreon.com/posts/video-extras-25-123875585
Video Extras – PACE 25 Prep Part 2 – The prep journey for my PACE 25 demo continues but with some unexpected twists. I’m feeling good about where it’s headed though. Let’s also talk about the psychology of relaxed art making for fun vs performance and trying too hard. Interesting subject. https://www.patreon.com/posts/video-extras-25-125790161
15-Minute Artist – Warmups? Should I, How and Why. – A recent question on a Follow Your Brush Facebook Group Interview with fellow Patron Pam Tuggle triggered this video. Let’s talk about the value, how’s and why’s of doing pre-painting warmups. https://www.patreon.com/posts/15-minute-artist-127823490
Rita, you’re doing a terrific job! Looking forward to lots of new videos whether Steve is doing studio stuff or plein air. I’m considering starting a plein air group in this very rural part of central Florida. Will see if I get any interest. I was active with groups in SWFL, but that’s too far to go for weekly meetups now that I am where I am. I think there’s a lot of ‘Old Florida’ to capture before it’s gone. Please thank Steve for keeping the spirit alive! 😉
Leslie in Astor, FL
The Mind of Watercolor 
Rita, you’re doing a terrific job! Looking forward to lots of new videos whether Steve is doing studio stuff or plein air. I’m considering starting a plein air group in this very rural part of central Florida. Will see if I get any interest. I was active with groups in SWFL, but that’s too far to go for weekly meetups now that I am where I am. I think there’s a lot of ‘Old Florida’ to capture before it’s gone. Please thank Steve for keeping the spirit alive! 😉
Leslie in Astor, FL
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