Created to Create

April Created to Create class focused on painting a robin’s nest on canvas with acrylic paint. We learned how to shade those little blue eggs & build texture with a variety of strokes & a limited color palette. Sometimes we don’t get the full impact of our finished project until we step back to take in the whole image. It is always so enjoyable to see everyone’s approach in their finished painting. We learn from each other as well as from our own experiences & frustrations. Thanks to all who showed up & enjoyed the class. 

Pansy flowers are one of the favorite blooms of spring! Their striking flower heads are gorgeous little faces of spring and so easy to paint with watercolor. We will focus on their vibrant, face-like 5-petal structure using wet-on-wet techniques for soft blending, or "loose" painting styles to capture vibrant purples, yellows, and deep velvety tones. We’ll use a step-by-step process to create your own original watercolor painting. No drawing experience necessary for this class! We will leave some edges undefined to help the painting breathe by letting some of the colors bleed into each other. Forget those coloring book images with the heavy black lines that force you stay in the boundaries. We want to give our paintings some life so that these faces seem to nod & smile in the spring breeze.  Hope to see you in class, Gayle & Marlene 

Because we are all made in the image of God, we are designed to create beautiful things in the world. At First Free, we value the arts and creativity as a vital expression of worship. The goal of Created to Create—led by Gayle Gilman and Marlene Maloney—is to help people in our community exercise their creative potential and develop their artistic skills. Monthly art classes for anyone from children (able to follow directions & work independently with some assistance) through adulthood are available on Tuesdays, from 6–8 p.m.