One of the best things to do when spring hits is to be outside, whether it’s going to the park, the beach, or just sitting on your porch. This is where I find most of my inspiration when I choose to paint, painting nature is one of my favorite things to do. The flowers, trees, and birds seem to be at their most beautiful.
Painting is one of the easiest hobbies to pick up. The best beginner’s medium I’ve found is with acrylic paints, they are easy to work with and not too costly, you can go to any local craft store or a store like Wal-Mart to buy them. Acrylic paints can cost as little as $0.98 a bottle all the way up to $13, brush sets can be bought for as little as $5. You can use acrylic paints on a canvas or in a sketch book that has a medium weight paper in it. They also are easy to blend together to make those beautiful spring colors that you see in nature.
I like to set my easel up in front of a window or on the patio and submerge myself in my painting. Some days I’ll even go to one of the many local parks and wetlands in the Tacoma, WA area like Lakewood Gardens Botanical Garden or the Tacoma Nature Center. There are lots of great parks in this area with all the forest around. The pictures that I take I use to inspire my paintings.
One of the reasons that I like painting so much is that therapeutic factor of it. It helps to take the mind off of stressful situations when they arise. This is also a great hobby to get the family involved in, kids love painting and there are even water based paints you can get to even encourage your pets to try painting.
I paint on a somewhat regular basis so I’m not limited to just the spring time, but with all the flowers and leaves beginning to grow back as well as all the wildlife we see in Western Washington it is a great time to pick up the hobby.
Painting is overall one of my favorite hobbies, I’m not the best artist but just putting the brush to canvas is so relieving for me. And it gives me a chance to take advantage of the few beautiful sunny moments we have in Washington.