Trying my hand at acrylic painting

If my first watercolor painting class last week was intimidating in terms of size and skill level of the participants, my first acrylics class was the opposite. There were only three other students, all beginners. We met in a cozy studio, not a cavernous gym, and when I showed up without a canvas, the instructor smiled and with a twinkle in her eye called me "A bad, bad girl! A very bad girl!" And then she gave me one she'd stretched for herself.

I knew right then this was the class for me, because beginning as a Bad Grrrl means there's only one direction for me to head--and that's UP.  (And here's a secret: I often call myself a Bad Grrrl and it's a relief to have someone else say it in the exact same forgiving spirit that I use when I reprimand myself for small lapses.)

The instructor was lively, full of energy, humor, and encouragement--eager for us to jump in, get paint on our hands, and MAKE ART. This is exactly the approach I needed. I'm definitely a member of the Just Do It School.

In 90 minutes, I did three paintings using black and white paint, a paper towel, and a sponge brush. So here, dear readers, are samples of my first acrylic paintings EVER, first paintings of any kind actually:

Black and white acrylic on canavas.

black and white acrylic on paper

June 4, 2008