A Glimpse Into My Creative Process
How an Owl Sparked My Creative Journey + The School Of Happy Painting
Hello Friends!
When I first started painting again in 2009, I’d no clue what to paint. But then I stood back to look at my first layers, and I distinctly saw the outline of an owl.
Recently, I’ve been painting abstracts, which makes me feel like a beginner all over again. I’ve been experimenting with new color palettes, techniques, and supplies, constantly reminding myself to follow whatever feels right in the moment.
Even after I had been painting owls for a while, feeling like I’d finally found my style, being loose was still a challenge, and staying motivated and inspired was even more so.
It wasn’t until I began snapping in-progress photos of my paintings that I realized every painting has an ugly stage. This negative self-talk and lack of confidence took the fun out of painting. But once I realized it happened to me every time, I learned to turn off my inner critic and let go.
As you may have noticed, I focus a lot on style and being loose in my online classes, which are designed to seamlessly build upon one another, with the foundational Serendipity 1 – Develop Your Style paving the way. From there, you have the option to explore Serendipity 2 – Loosen Up & Let Go, perfect for adding more creative freedom and flow to your style, or delve into painting eyes and faces.
In case you haven’t seen it yet, I’ve put together a monthly subscription to my online classes called The School Of Happy Painting Membership.
It’s actually something that many of you requested from me as a way to learn more, build confidence, and develop style all in one beautiful space.
It’s perfect if you’ve been wanting to paint more, but feel like you don’t have a lot of inspiration. It’s a natural progression for anyone who has taken my Watercolor Joy or Happy Painting Mini Courses, offering you even more flexibility and experimentation with various techniques.
Each class in the monthly membership is crafted to be a stepping stone in your creative journey:
Serendipity 1 – Develop Your Style
Serendipity 2 – Loosen Up & Let Go
Whimsical Animals
Faces – Mixed Media Portraits
Bliss Painting
Joy of Painting
Enchanted Soulful Eyes and Faces
Here’s what Lara had to say about classes in The School Of Happy Painting Membership:
“I always have trouble starting something because I’m never really sure what I want and I’m super intimidated to paint anything specific. It’s almost paralyzing, really. The background techniques really let me loosen up from expectation and just start, then take the next step, then the next and things start to appear rather organically. I LOVED that! I also enjoyed the feeling that nothing is sacred and you can just paint over it and keep pushing through until it really comes alive, and that it’s totally OK that it might not end up at all where you thought it would.” Lara C.
If you’ve been curious about the membership, I’ve opened registration, so you can start painting before the holidays.
For those of you who share a passion for creative freedom, whimsy, color, and inspiration, I invite you to explore The School of Happy Painting Membership by clicking here.
I can’t wait to see you in the membership and community! Sending lots of love and wishing you a beautiful holiday season!
xo Juliette
It's always disconcerting through that ugly phase. It's hard but worth it to push through.