Hi, I’m Kathy!
I always said I wanted to paint ‘someday’… and now I’m FINALLY doing it!
Click here to check out my YouTube channel: Yes IAM Painting! Yes, I’m posting and starting a channel as an “emerging”, not expert, painter. Expect to see the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
Please drop by the Facebook page
@Yes I AM painting and say, “Hi!”
Tell us what you think about the work. Let’s hear your stories!
- Maybe you always wanted to paint too, but haven’t gotten around to it… yet? If I can do it, you can do it! I hope my videos inspire YOU to pick up a brush!
- Do you paint now? I know we all share similar challenges and often make the same mistakes. Maybe share your ‘lessons learned’ after seeing mine?
- If you teach art, the videos are free content. Show your students what I did… and point out what could have been done better or differently.
It’s all about the journey, right!?
Blue isn’t just blue. it’s Midnight or Periwinkle or Corn Flower or… 
Started with acrylics but soon switched to oils 
Playing with styles and subjects
Early on
I’ve ALWAYS been attracted to art and the magic of painting, aware of color and composition. My favorite present from Santa was my annual box of Crayola 64 crayons (yes, with the sharpener in the back). Asking my mom what the labels said, I learned those colors by name long before I could read.
Although I haven’t had much formal art training, I’m probably fairly solid with the basics… from Art as a subject in elementary school, an ‘online’ art class via the mail as a teen, a random course in college, and a few local community courses. Throw in a couple of photography and film making courses, and Bob Ross on TV. Over decades. I did perhaps a half dozen paintings through those years—and I’m counting those two ‘Paint & Wine’ sessions!
They say you never really learn anything until you teach it. For me, that came through teaching the Art Start curriculum to elementary kids in the mid-80s. Running this enrichment program with a couple of other volunteer moms—the school’s art and music programs had been axed by district budget cuts—each lesson was centered around a Master’s work. It exposed the kids to famous artists and their masterpieces, and then we had each student create a work in that style. Hands-on learning. I learned as I was teaching them!
So my understanding of many basic art principles and approaches developed and grew. but I never put them into action.
Until now.
Current
I met Lee Pennington, a professional Gold Coast artist, when I first moved from the US to Australia in 2008. We became friends and I’ve been watching her paint for the last decade. And talking about starting to paint myself tje entire time, All talk, no action.
Then Covid-19 hit. By April 2021, to help keep us both sane during the lockdowns (one of Australia’s primary Covid-management responses), Lee and I decided to meet once a week and paint. Creative diversion. Lunch. Gossip. Sometimes wine. Always fun!
It took nothing for Lee to ‘come out of retirement’ and get back into full-on painting mode. For me, it was an opportunity to establish a routine with the huge benefit of having a friend mentor my fledgling efforts. I knew I had so much to learn and realized that the fastest way for me to become a decent painter was to go after it as I would any new project. Think about it. Learn from experts. Plan it. Do something. Analyze the results.
NOTE: Taking that approach to the process was completely opposite to Lee’s advice: “Don’t overthink it — just do it!” “Don’t analyze it.”” Load your brush… and PAINT!”
“Yeah,” I said, “but…”
Then educator/business/tech person inside of me realized I’d learn faster if I kept a journal or visual log beyond the photos we each take during a session.
Although I hate keeping journals, running online businesses is second nature to me. Creating a YouTube channel would give me some structure for the work and process beyond our Facebook posts. My ‘lessons learned’ might be worth sharing, or at least, amusing to those that know me. And, if I created a business around my painting (I am a bit of an expert on start-ups), I’d have some tax deductions!
Who knows! I might even create some work that someone wants to buy!!!