For so many of us, there lies within a strong desire to create, to paint with abandon, but something stops us.
What is that?
I'm not exactly sure. Maybe the timidity comes from fear.
Maybe it is the resistance as writer Steven Pressfield states.
Maybe it is unpleasant negative memories from others. Maybe it is our own bent towards negativity and doubt (that would be me). Maybe it is that painting feels overwhelming. We need more information, more knowledge.
What I think we need is to take some action.
Whatever "it" is that prevents us from painting with boldness, I've discovered timidity melts when I take action.
By doing specific actions, we move past the fear and doubt, the negative voices get silenced, and we can tell the voices from our past to take a back seat because we are working. (Better yet, tell them to go on vacation, a very long vacation!)
Where to begin though?
What Actually Increases Boldness?
Not all activity is equal in its benefits.
There are specific actions that help us grow in painting flowers with a bit of boldness more than others.
Here is a mini-guide for helping you grow bolder in your painting.
What happens when you "go bold?"
So many wonderful things.
I think the best thing is that growing in boldness frees you up to do more, learn more, grow in curiosity, all of those wonderful attributes that make a fantastic floral artist.
Look at the Overall Shape of Flowers
I notice we often get caught up in trying to paint a daisy or a sunflower or a star-gazer lily.
Instead, begin to look at the shapes and parts of the flower.
(Side note: Would you like to paint this gorgeous gladiolus garden? Sign up for the free workshop here!)
Note how they interact with one another, where they actually connect (not where our brain thinks they connect. Our brain has learned things that are not correct. Very important to become aware of what we are seeing).
Growing in boldness is connected to growing in curiosity, at least where painting flowers is concerned.
As I shared above, beginning to paint bigger grew my boldness factor by at least 10!
By default, I started seeing things differently partly because I had to paint differently to note for the size. In a large painting of a rose, I became aware of the way the lower petals shaded over the leaves, the way the leaves grouped together in odd numbers, just like the petals on the flower.
Things popped. In fact, the bigger painting popped in a way that a small painting of the same flower simply would not have.
When we are feeling in a creative rut or timid in our work, doing something dramatically different, like painting a new flower on a big piece of watercolor paper increases my sense of boldness by a factor of at least ten!
Growing Big through Stunning Color Combinations
Each season is filled with perfect partnerships in color.
Whether it's the exuberant, warm colors of a spring meadow or the subdued pastels and cool greens in the summer rose garden, nature shows us what colors "sing."
I love color theory and specifically, the seasonal color archetypes because it uses nature as a foundation for creating beautiful color combinations. At first, I thought that wouldn't give me many palettes. How wrong I was!
There are endless color combinations in nature, especially the autumn color archetype.
Learning what colors naturally go together helps me to identify when a painting is off. Usually, it's one color that is not quite right. I've added a muted, warm green into a cool summer palette or something of that nature.
Sometimes changing just ONE color turns a meh painting into a painting that simply sings!
It's Your Turn to Grow in Boldness!
The goal of this article is to give you ideas on how to grow bold in painting flowers. Creating lovely paintings of flowers is such a joy and there are so many benefits!
Besides the joy of creating in and of itself, increasing our confidence in painting flowers lets us create décor for our own homes and spaces, to give as gifts, to commemorate an event or season, as a way to open up the way we think and solve problems. Many possibilities!
If you would like to grow bolder in your painting, consider taking my course, "From Timid to Bold: 4 Weeks of Fantastic Floral Painting.
It's designed to be completed in one session a week, but if you want to binge through all the lessons in a weekend, go for it!
It was created for those who want to create, but time is limited.
The paint with me sessions are all under an hour so they can be done within a schedule that doesn't have a lot of discretionary time.
You have access to all four sessions immediately:
Developing Your Artist's Eye
We'll create a gorgeous bouquet of tulips, through observation of elegant shapes and connections.
Grow Bold by Going Big!
(This session might be my favorite! I chose a flower I'd not attempted before – the hydrangea – and it was amazing how much easier it was when I created a macro version vs. a tiny watercolor painting!)
The Secret of Gorgeous Color
After a dive into Color Theory 101, we jump into the painting session with happy, exuberant snapdragons.
Bring it All Together
In this session, we bring all the flowers we've painted individually into one big beautiful bouquet. It's a fun way to cement everything we've learned and the result is well worth the effort!
After painting with me through these sessions, my goal is for you to start creating bold, stunning floral portraits with a new sense of confidence, boldness, and creativity!
I've got some fun bonuses throw in as well. To find out about those fun treats, head over
here to find out more.
There are so many benefits to developing a creative habit, not only becoming a better painter.
I can't wait to see you grow in your abilities and your boldness, not only on the art table but in all facets of your life.
