At the beginning of 2023, I posted my 2022 “sketchbook” (i.e. all my paintings of 2022, whether they were actually in a sketchbook or not). For completion’s sake, I decided to go back in time and do 2021. This is the year I started painting, so I can’t go back any further than that!
It’s a trip to look back through these two years later, because I have such specific memories associated with each one!
By the Numbers
I started painting in March 2021. Here’s how many paintings I have from each month. (This may not be complete – these are just the ones I saved.) Fall is when things really started to take off!
March – 5
April – 4
May – 3
June – 1
July. – 1
August – 1
September – 1
October – 9
November – 14
December – 16
TOTAL: 55
March 2021
I started watercolor in this month! My partner gifted me a set of Cotman watercolors for my birthday, in December 2020, after hearing me talk for months about how much I liked watercolor art and wondered if it would be hard to do. It took me three months to get up the courage to actually paint! It helped that I’d signed up for a galaxy night sky class with Shelby Thayne for mid-March, so I had to open my paints before that. Once I got started, I kept going!
It was from Shelby that I learned the trick of working the same painting twice on two different clipboards.
All of my paintings from March through June inclusive were done on a Fluid 100 4″ square block (after the first one which was done on unsuitable paper, iirc).
My first watercolor landscape! From a tutorial by AhmadArt. March 8, 2021.Galaxy Night Sky from a live class by Shelby Thayne. March 14, 2021.Sunset Radio Tower. March 16, 2021.Gradient Night Sky. March 21, 2021.Gradient Night Sky 2. March 22, 2021.
April 2021
Another Shelby Thayne class, and miscellaneous experiments.
From Shelby Thayne’s Night Skies class, April 10, 2021. Colors: Cotman Prussian Blue; Permanent Rose; Lemon Yellow; Purple Lake. Night sky from Shelby Thayne’s Night Sky class, April 10, 2021. Featuring Cotman Prussian Blue, Permanet Rose, Lemon Yellow.Sun Over Sea / Prog Rock Album Cover. April 22, 2021. Dolphins. April 22, 2021.
May 2021
Coral Mountain. May 16, 2021. Coral Mountain 2. May 16, 2021.Northern Lights. May 30, 2021.
June 2021
Ptown. June 6, 2021.
July 2021
I have a distinct memory of getting out my paints for the first time in awhile after moving house to do this delicate arch. This was the first page in my first Etchr Perfect Sketchbook!
Delicate Arch. July 31, 2021.
August 2021
Another month where I haven’t saved many paintings, though I think I was making stuff. Maybe mostly swatches.
Beach After Storm. August 22, 2021 (in Etchr Perfect Sketchbook).
September 2021
I really liked this one.
Heron Sunset (on Arches Cold Press.) September 26, 2021.
October 2021
In October I started painting a lot more! I also started taking on more ambitious projects. Mostly I worked from random inspiration photos from Instagram, Unsplash, etc.
Galaxy Night Sky. October 7, 2021.Forest Clearing. October 9, 2021.Blue Ridge Mountain Sunset. October 10, 2021.Mr. Robin. October 13, 2021.Golden Forest. October 17, 2021.Golden eagle with golden Etchr paints. October 21, 2021.Soft Butterflies on Arches Hot Press. October 24, 2021. Galaxy Night Sky on Arches Cold Press. October 27, 2021.Beach Sunset. October 29, 2021.
November 2021
I started learning from two online teachers that would come to be very important to me: I joined Claire Giordano’s Adventure Art Academy, and I did Kolbie Blume’s 10-Day Painting the Wilderness Challenge!
Evergreen Sunset. November 12, 2021.Misty Mountain Layers. November 13, 2021. My first painting from Claire Giordano’s Adventure Art Academy. November 17, 2021.Rose. November 18, 2021.Kolbie Blume’s 10-Day Challenge, Day 1. November 20, 2021.Kolbie Blume’s 10-Day Challenge, Day 2. November 22, 2021.Kolbie Blume’s 10-Day Challenge, Day 3. November 23, 2021. Kolbie Blume’s 10-Day Challenge, Day 4. November 24, 2021.Kolbie Blume’s 10-Day Challenge, Day 5. November 25, 2021.Kolbie Blume’s 10-Day Challenge, Day 6. November 26, 2021.Kolbie Blume’s 10-Day Challenge, Day 7. November 27, 2021.Kolbie Blume’s 10-Day Challenge, Day 8. November 28, 2021.Kolbie Blume’s 10-Day Challenge, Day 9. November 29, 2021.Kolbie Blume’s 10-Day Challenge, Day 10. November 30, 2021.
December 2021
As soon as I finished the 10-Day Challenge, I picked up Kolbie’s book, Wilderness Watercolor Landscapes; I also joined Kolbie’s Exploring Watercolor 101 class. This is also when I started this blog!
Big Dipper, from Kolbie Blume’s “Wilderness Watercolor Landscapes”. December 3, 2021.Desert Sunset, from Kolbie Blume’s “Wilderness Watercolor Landscapes.” December 4, 2021.Tetradic Sunset from Kolbie Blume’s Exploring Watercolor 101 class. December 6, 2021. Monochrome Mount Rainier, from Claire Giordano’s Adventure Art Academy. December 10, 2021.Purple Mountains. Kolbie-inspired, but not a particular tutorial. December 11, 2021.Wetlands with Cloud. December 12, 2021.Cotton Candy Sky, from Kolbie Blume’s “Wilderness Watercolor Landscapes.” December 14, 2021.Gemstone Northern Lights, with Daniel Smith Primatek colors. December 15, 2021.Beach Grass Sunset. December 16, 2021.Red Rock, from Kolbie Blume’s Exploring Watercolor 101 class. December 18, 2021.Redo of my first watercolor landscape! From a tutorial by AhmadArt. December 20, 2021.Leave-White Snow. For Kolbie Blume’s Exploring Watercolor 101. December 22, 2021.Leave-White Clouds. For Kolbie Blume’s Exploring Watercolor 101. December 22, 2021.Golden Forest, Pileated Woodpecker. December 24, 2021.Cloudy Sky with Birds in DS Payne’s Gray. December 25, 2021.Sunrise from Crystal Mountain, from a tutorial by Claire Giordano. December 25, 2021.
