Painting Nature: A Three-Week Watercolor Series

A three-week creative journey into watercolor and the beauty of nature

Have you ever looked at a flower, leaf, or branch and thought, "I'd love to paint that"?

This three-week watercolor series is an invitation to slow down, look closely, and learn how to turn the beauty you see in nature into a painting of your own.

Whether you're completely new to watercolor or have some experience but want to feel more confident, artist Lea Bäcksteiner will guide you through the process in a relaxed and supportive setting.

We'll explore watercolor techniques step by step, but there is no pressure to create a "perfect" painting. The goal is to learn, experiment, observe, and enjoy the process.

Over three weeks, you'll learn to:

• Feel comfortable working with watercolor
• Mix and layer transparent colors
• Create light, shadow, depth, and dimension
• Paint flowers, leaves, and other botanical subjects
• Simplify what you see while keeping the character of your subject
• Combine watercolor with watercolor pencils
• Develop a painting from the first marks to a finished piece

Each session includes demonstrations and guided exercises, followed by plenty of time to work on your own painting and receive individual feedback and encouragement.

Three weeks to slow down and create

Week 1: Discover Watercolor
Get comfortable with the medium, experiment with water and pigment, and learn the basic techniques you'll use throughout the series.

Week 2: Look Closely
Explore flowers and plants while learning how color, layering, light, and shadow can bring a painting to life.

Week 3: Make It Yours
Bring everything together as you continue an existing painting or begin a new one, with time to focus, experiment, and, if possible, complete your piece.

Meet your instructor

Lea Bäcksteiner is a fine artist, muralist, illustrator, and educator with an MFA in Fine Art and Illustration from the New Art School in Basel, Switzerland.

Her work spans watercolor, gouache, oil, ink, digital painting, illustration, and murals. Her artistic style has been described as playful, whimsical, minimalist, and beautifully balanced.

Lea has exhibited her work in New York, Basel, Zürich, and Boston, and she brings both professional experience and a genuine love of teaching to her classes.

No experience necessary.

You don't have to think of yourself as an artist to enjoy this class.

Come with curiosity, bring your watercolor supplies, and give yourself three weeks to slow down, look closely, and make something beautiful.

Three sessions | $95

A relaxed, supportive space to learn, experiment, and enjoy painting nature.