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Dear Reader, Tomorrow (Tuesday, May 5 at 12 pm ET), I’ll be teaching live on Art School Live with Eric Rhoads and I wanted to invite you all to join me. This session is a little glimpse into how I actually think through a poured watercolor—something I don’t always get to fully show in real time. I’ll be starting with simple value structures, and then building the painting through layered pours. If you’ve taken classes with me before, you know how much I emphasize this idea: values first, color second. But I’ll also be diving into something that can really shift how you see your paintings: how color temperature affects value. Even when two areas are technically the same value, a warmer color can appear to come forward, while a cooler color can recede—creating the illusion of depth and variation without actually changing the value structure. This is something I rely on heavily in my pours, and I’ll be showing how that plays out in real time. If you’re able to join live, I’d love to have you there. And if you do come, say hi in the chat so I know you’re there—it always makes it feel a little more like our space.
If you can't make it live, you will be able to watch and review later on the Art School Live YouTube channel. Thanks for being here and for being part of this journey with me—it really does mean a lot. —Leslie |
Dear Reader, Summer is one of my favorite times to paint. The light seems to linger a little longer, colors feel richer, and there is something about slowing down and stepping outside that helps us notice the beauty around us. I'm excited to share my upcoming summer watercolor offerings! Whether you're interested in learning to create expressive portraits, glowing landscapes, or strengthening the foundations that make paintings successful, there is something for every stage of your watercolor...
Hello Reader, I’m currently writing this from a coffee shop in Springfield while waiting and hoping to make it home tomorrow after my flight was canceled. At this point, if all goes wrong, you may still find me wandering the streets of Springfield with a paintbrush in hand and searching for inspiration. As I sit here reflecting, I wanted to share a little about my experience at the Plein Air Convention because it truly was four full days of inspiration, connection, laughter, and paint. The...
Dear Reader, A few years ago, I went to the Plein Air Convention for the first time—not as an instructor, but as a student. And truthfully, that experience stayed with me more deeply than I expected. It reminded me how important it is to slow down.To be patient enough to really see what is in front of me. There is something about painting outdoors that asks you to be present in a completely different way. The light shifts, the wind moves through everything, people pass by, and the scene never...