Bartlett - Painting party: acrylic painting for beginners

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To my five favorite works of art and to Mrs. Wheatley, who taught me how to use apostrophes.

Budgie

Acrylic on canvas 16" 20" (40cm 50cm)

Hello and welcome! Are you ready to get some paint on your handsand maybe a little bit in your hair?

Quite simply, I love paintingthe colors, the freedom, the joy of all the feelings I welcome as I create shiny happy art. And every time I see a beginner painter realize that they can do this too, its a very happy day.

Ive been drawing and painting for as long as I can remember. My mother is an artist, so I grew up watching her master various mediums. When I was a little girl, she would give me a bucket of water and a paintbrush, and Id paint my way down the cement driveway, painting over it again as it dried and disappeared.

Over the years, Ive done many paintings experimenting with different materials and styles. Ive participated in group shows and sold works online, in galleries and at markets. Ive painted commissions, murals and live on stage. People often asked why I didnt teach painting, but I felt unqualified to do so because my degree was in business, not art.

Then I stumbled across the idea of paint-alongs, and I knew this was something I could do! I knew I had the ability to plan out the steps of a painting and explain each step clearly. So, one cool spring evening in 2011, I invited a few friends over, and we painted flowers and butterflies together. I watched closely to get an idea of what beginner painters wanted to know and how long the various stages of a painting would take to complete.

That first session gave me the confidence to really give this a go, and later that year I opened my home studio to host a couple of paint-along groups. From there my little business really started to grow. Today my paint-along sessions fill up within a matter of days, and sometimes within hours. And while I have many regulars (I like to call them my Shiny Happy Graduates) who add new paintings to their collections each term, I still have many beginners joining me to paint their very first shiny happy works of art.

The sheer joy and amazement of helping somebody to produce art that they are proud of is one of the most important reasons I keep doing what I do. I believe everyone is creative in some way. I also understand that as adults, we often place totally unrealistic expectations on ourselves when it comes to making art. But just as you wouldnt expect to be able to sit down at a piano and play Mozart without plenty of practice, you have to give yourself a break when it comes to painting. Your confidence and ability will improve with the help of a good teacher (thats where I come in), but dont be discouraged if you arent able to produce a masterpiece right away. It takes time and practice.

It should also be fun! Painting with a friend is something I always encourage. Over the years Ive had sisters, parents and children, extended families and work colleagues come in and paint together. The results have been not only beautiful, but the memories they made are priceless.

Its also important to create art that fits into you life. In order to feel like Ive achieved something, I have to be able to start and finish a painting in one session. But with four kids at home, I dont have unlimited hours to devote to a composition. The beauty of the paint-along projects in this book is that they can be completed in a single afternoon, and the result will be a painting that youll be happy to hang on your wall.

As you work through the projects in this book, youll notice that I dont spend a lot of time on theory or fancy names for techniques. Rest assured, you will be learning plenty of brushwork and painting techniques as you complete the various projects (in whichever order you choose). But I really want you to be able to simply follow the steps as I show you in order to produce something you love. And if that encourages you to pick up the brush more often and learn a little more each time, then well all be shiny happy artists!

After running paint-alongs in my studio for more than three years and welcoming hundreds of enthusiastic painters through my big red doors, there are a number of things that I now make sure I talk about at the beginning of every session.

Its amazing how one persons vocal negativity can bring down the mood of an entire room. I learned early on that I just couldnt let that happen. Even if youre painting alone, I encourage you to stay positive inside your own head. Know that I will guide you step by step, just as I have done with many others. I encourage you to experiment with believing you can learn this! Connect with the child inside that wouldnt hesitate when given a brush and paint. In fact, speak to yourself the way youd speak to a child. Feel freeits where I try to live and its nice over here.

If you havent actually had two glasses of wine before you start painting, pretend that you have! Be bold. Be confident. Just follow along and dont sweat the small stuff. Do whatever it takes to relax. Shiny happy art isnt meant to be stressful, so if youre not enjoying yourself, step away from the canvas! Its OK if you need to take a break or if today is just not your day to paint.

This stay-loose mantra can extend to your whole body. Be conscious of how much you are moving while you draw and paint. Dont limit yourself to tiny finger movements, holding the pencil or brush the way you were taught at school. Use your wrist, your forearm, your upper arm, your shoulder, even your whole body to make expressive shapes and smooth curves. Using bigger paper and canvases will also help with this.

Try playing music while you paint or leaving the TV on in the background. Experiment with sitting or standing, painting in the morning, painting at night, inside, outsidetry it all! Then youll have more of an idea about what works for you.

Your happy experience of painting will seep into your artwork. You dont want to look at your art on the wall and think about the stress or tension that went into it. You want to connect it to a wonderful experience, a time that you enjoyed the process and achieved the outcome you desired. That memory of joy is one of the things that makes your artwork really special.