A New Skill -- New Brunswick

     As you may remember, I try to learn a new craft/art skill in each province. Here is what I have done so far:

Newfoundland:

Painting Jelly Bean Houses with acrylic

A Lady Walking in the Rain. Acrylic painting again.

Prince Edward Island:

Heritage Rug Painting on oil canvas 

Loom Knitting

       Nova Scotia:

Rug hooking.
I think most of the maritime provinces do rug hooking

New Brunswick:

     I always admired the watercolour painting skills that my mother had. From the time she was a young child, she drew and painted mainly greeting cards such as the one below:

This was an anniversary card my mother painted showing
our first cat Gandalf sitting on the back of our couch.

     In 2017, during a cruise around Australia, I took one watercolour class as an activity on the ship. Although it was a bright painting of a fish, the instructor kept telling me that I was painting like I was using acrylic paint instead of water colours. In my defence, I had just finished the painting classes in Newfoundland which were in acrylic. One day, I will redo the tropical fish using proper watercolour painting techniques.

 So during this past fall when I met Sandi McKessock, who is a wonderful painter in watercolour, I was very interested in the fact that she offered watercolour painting classes. Last week, a friend and I took our first class. It was wonderful! We each painted an inukshuk and our paintings turned out so different but both so nice. In each rock Sandi taught us a different technique. I was amazed how different it was from the fish I painted years before.

     Here is what we did:

My friend Penny getting instructions from Sandi

Penny and I showing our version of an inukshuk

Standing with our instructor, Sandi

My version of an inukshuk. Each rock is a different watercolour technique.

     I find it wonderful to learn a new skill. Many things that I learn are self-taught but it is great to join in with an instructor who can show you the techniques. I will have to take another class.

     What have you learned recently?