Watercolor and Some Inspiration

Every year, the school I work for closes for half a week for back-to-school cleaning and organizing and we have an in-service which usually consists of some type of team building or class. This year it was an art class with a Child Development teacher at a local community college. One of the assignments was to think back to a time during our childhood and visualize a self portrait. It didn't have to be our face; it could be a location or something physical. Next we were to cut out a piece of black paper. In no type of pattern, just cut. Once we were finished the professor handed us a piece of watercolor paper, a paint pan, and glue stick and asked us to glue the pieces of black paper into the self portrait we saw in our minds and then paint around the black paper with the watercolors. 

Every summer growing up my sister and I would stay with my uncle in Pacific Beach, CA at his condo for one or two weeks. We basically lived at the beach the time we were there and this is what I pictured when the professor asked us to go back to a memory of our childhood. After I cut out my pieces I realized there was this strange llama/dog/horse looking shape I had cut out. I decided I would make that piece my corgi, Clementine, because she ties in to the previous beach scene I had remembered. I love to take her to the beach.

The sun, the ocean, and Clementine.

Clementine at the beach! Derp!

After we watercolored that day, I found some inspiration to watercolor paint myself. It's funny because my entire life my grandmother has always pushed me to paint. Any kind of paint. Watercolor, oil, acrylic. It didn't matter as long as I was painting. She is a painter and I guess wanted to push her love on to me. Because she pushed and pushed, I believe I never really gave it a shot. That and I am not a creative person AT ALL so I figured, why try?

I went to Michael's yesterday and picked up a watercolor pad and some brushes. This morning I looked on Pinterest for some ideas and found a beautiful picture of poppies and decided to give it a go. I'm proud to say I actually really like it and I'm quite proud of myself. 

Watercolor poppies.

The only thing I would change would be the two randomly large ones at the bottom :/

I posted this photo onto my Instagram after and a lot of people have liked and commented about how I should frame it. I'm happy with how my first try has turned out.

Moral of the story?: As Nike says, "Just do it." JUST DO IT. I don't think I would have picked up a brush and painted hadn't I taken that in-service but you can. You can try right now if you'd like. You might be surprised with the outcome :)

Have a wonderful day,

Samantha