Painting the Wilderness

a totally doable, totally free 10-day watercolor challenge to kickstart new creative adventures.

your inner artist is calling...

The first-ever challenge, with projects exploring beginner mountains, forests, fields, and more

A voyage through the seas, lakes, rivers, and all things water

Celebrating stunning color palettes and harmonies in the wild

happening now!

round 3: color

round 2: seascapes

round 1: landscapes

FEBRUARY 13 - 24, 2023

Painting the Wilderness:
World of Color

Painting the Wilderness is back for another round!

Join us from February 13 - 24 as we explore scenes in the wild that celebrate breathtaking colorways lighting our world every day.

Sign up here -- you'll receive a welcome email with a supplies list and helpful video links

How does
it work?

Paint along with the daily tutorials at your own pace -- they will always be available!

01

02

let's break it down:

Ditch perfectionism -- focus on what you loved and what you learned for each painting

03

Post your work to Instagram for a chance to be featured! Use #paintingthewilderness and @thiswritingdesk

04

Explore your new watercolor skills with bonus photos and resources!

05

Schedule of Events

Challenge Prep:
Supplies Video published to YouTube and sent to artists

Day One!! 
First tutorial premieres on YouTube at 12pm ET -- Kolbie will be joining to answer questions via real-time chat!

Jan 31

Feb 9

Feb 14-17

Challenge Prep: 
Warm-Up & Techniques video published to YouTube and sent to artists

Days 2-5: Tutorials published to YouTube and sent to artists at 9am ET

Feb 13

Keep going

Break for the weekend! Use this time to catch up on tutorials and play around

Final Day! Day 10 tutorial premieres on YouTube at 12pm ET -- Kolbie will be joining to answer questions via real-time chat!

Feb 18-19

Feb 20-23

Feb 25

Days 6-9 : Tutorials published to YouTube and sent to artists at 9am ET

The Artist Cooperative opens for a limited time (2/25 - 3/2)

Feb 24

Each Painting the Wilderness challenge has 10 unique step-by-step projects inside -- these are not repeats of past work! By the end of the challenge, you'll have a solid toolkit of ideas to use on your next creative adventure.

No experience? No problem! I've curated each challenge with beginners and more experienced watercolor artists in mind -- even with the more challenging scenes, I'll break each step down to a totally doable pace, while still providing ample opportunity to take your own creative sidequests.

(free doesn't mean cheap around here)

painting a unique perspective

beginners welcome.
experts too.

explore far and wide

back to basics

Even after the challenge is over, I'll send you off with tips and resources for incorporating creative experiences like this into your everyday life -- because the magic of watercolor never has to end!

make life creative, all the time.

everyday exploring

Through my tried-and-true self-reflection process, we'll work through your creative experience with self-compassion, curiosity, and connection -- so you can grow in skill and experience without sacrificing your self-worth. 

grow your own way.

shame-free progress

What will I learn?

Here's what
you'll need:

Paint

Some combo of the primaries (red, yellow, and blue) will be good! Sign up for a list of my favorites.

Brushes

Round number 2, 6, and 10 are my favorites for beginners! 

Paper

Watercolor paper, 140 lb (300 gsm) 
100% cotton is the best, but student-grade also works!

ready to get started? let's go! >