Hi friends,

I always feel that the middle of the month is a good moment to pause for a second.

Not to rush.
Not to push productivity.
Just to look at what we’re creating.

This month has been all about interpretation.

Instead of focusing on perfect sketches or detailed outlines, I’ve been exploring something softer — how to respond to a photo rather than copy it.

That’s exactly what inspired my class:

🎨 Paint One Photo Two Ways: Watercolor & Gouache for Beginners

In this class, we take one reference photo and paint it twice —
once with watercolor and once with gouache.

Same subject.
Different medium.
Completely different feeling.

Because sometimes growth doesn’t come from painting something new —
but from seeing the same thing differently.

✨ What I’ve Been Exploring Lately

In my own sketchbook I’ve been:

– letting go of pencil sketches
– simplifying shapes
– testing how the same palette behaves in different mediums
- play with underpainting layers (especially with gouache)

It’s surprisingly freeing.

Watercolor gives softness and transparency.
Gouache gives confidence and boldness.
And both teach you something different about decision-making.

💛 A Gentle Reminder

If you’re in a creative slump right now — that’s okay.

You don’t have to create a masterpiece.
You don’t need a big project.

Sometimes one small experiment is enough.

One photo.
A few interpretations.

They don’t have to be perfect.
It’s a process — so be gentle with yourself.

🐦 Winter Bullfinch + Giveaway Reminder

And speaking of process…

Our Winter Bullfinch Giveaway is still running 🎉

If you haven’t painted your bullfinch yet, this might be the perfect gentle project to come back to.

Class:
Relaxing Watercolor Class: Painting a Winter Bullfinch Step by Step

It’s calm, beginner-friendly, and focused on layering without pressure.

🎁 Prizes

🥇 $35 Amazon gift card
🥈 $20 Amazon gift card (x2)
✅ Every uploaded class project = 1 entry

🗓 Entries close: March 15
🏆 Winners announced: March 15

Upload your project, leave a review, and if you’d like — share it on Instagram and tag me 💛

✨ A Few Beautiful Projects

I want to celebrate a few of you here:

Bullfinch by Bharti

Bullfinch by Carmen Johnson

What I love most is how different they all feel.
Some are softer.
Some are bolder.
Some added their own twist.

That’s interpretation in action.

🌿 Why I Created a New Community Space

Something else happened this month.

Every month, I host a free live watercolor workshop on Zoom for my newsletter readers. It’s my way of saying thank you.

During our January workshop, a theme came up:

“I wish we had a place to share our paintings.”

Our first instinct was to create a Facebook group.

But two years ago my Facebook accounts were hacked.
I lost access to everything — pages, groups, years of community work.

That experience changed how I think about online spaces.

So instead of building on something I don’t control, I created a small space on Patronite.

Not as a big launch.
Not as a marketing move.

But as a stable, quieter place where you can:
– share your work
– connect with others
– access workshop replays (on the paid tier)
– or simply be part of a creative circle

It’s meant to feel safe.
And steady.

Whether you paint one photo two ways.
Or a winter bullfinch.
Or just open your sketchbook for ten minutes.

You’re building something.

And I’m really glad you’re here.

Anna 🌿💛

Anna Krupa

web developer & graphic designer, mix media artist

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