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October 2 is World Smile Day, so this week we’re celebrating with smiles of every kind. Paint portraits of people smiling, big joyful grins or soft gentle smiles — or keep it simple and paint smile emojis. Smiles are wonderful to paint because they help us practice expression, warmth, and the tiny curves that make…

Jake Parker created Inktober in 2009 as a challenge to improve his inking skills and develop positive drawing habits. It has since grown into a worldwide endeavor with thousands of artists taking on the challenge every year. Yes, we will still do weekly challenges.  This is an extra month-long challenge.  🙂 Participate in Inktober.   …

This week, we’re focusing on glass jars — canning jars, jelly jars, spice jars, old pickle jars, any glass jar. Painting glass jars is a wonderful exercise because it teaches you how to see light, reflections, and transparency.  Even the simplest jar becomes a study in shape, shine, and subtle color shifts. Watercolor challenge:  Glass…

This week, we’re turning our attention to something we walk past a hundred times a day without even noticing — the kitchen sink. (well unless we avoid it since it is full of dirty dishes!) Painting a kitchen sink is surprisingly interesting because it asks us to slow down and appreciate an everyday object we…

This week, we’re celebrating the simple, cheerful daisy — a flower recognized all over the world and loved for its simple beauty.  Daisies can be white, pink. red, coral, or purple, they thrive on every continent except Antarctica, the yellow center is actually many small flowers, and their petals often close at night and reopen…

This week we’re stretching our brushes way up high — it’s time to paint giraffes!  Whether you paint a single giraffe gazing over the savanna, a pair leaning together in that iconic heart‑shaped pose, or a whole tower (yes — a group of giraffes is called a tower), this challenge will be fun. Loose, detailed,…