My Creative Side
New watercolour and mixed-media art projects and inspiration for FREE.
Find out about Brina’s Creative Side or log in for teachers, community art instructors, homeschool families, or anyone who wants a little more art instruction. New projects and inspiration weekly for just $55 (until the end of 2025).
Drawing Prompt - Bike
Bikes are one of those things I have a hard time drawing if I’m not looking right at one. When I find things difficult, I practice them. So let’s paint a bike together!
Art Project - Mushroom House
Most kids LOVE to draw or paint mushrooms. The shapes are simple and they can be done in any colour. They’re actually fun to paint at any age. So, when I was planning my art camp, I thought it would be cool to turn a mushroom into a home.
Art Project - Coffee (or Tea) Mug Still Life
This idea, of painting the negative space, is a technique I use often. This allows me to create more interesting shapes because I’m not very interested in perfection. This coffee cup is a great exercise in painting the negative space. It’s a fairly simple shape AND you get to create your own mug design.
Drawing Prompt - Story - Shooting Star
A drawing prompt short story to inspire your next drawing, painting, or, perhaps, a longer comic book story. It’s up to you.
Drawing Prompt - Cat
I love how defined the whiskers are on this cat. They kind of steal the show. Try drawing or painting this cat using any tool you have or multiple art tools in your art cart.
Creative Warm Up - Shape Party
We all need to warm up sometimes, especially when we sit at the table with all our supplies and we don’t know how to get started. This is my favourite painting and mark making exercise to get my ideas flowing…or to just play around.
Paint The Things You Find Difficult To Paint
The best advice I got from an art class was, If you find someone difficult to paint, paint it over and over again until it’s not hard anymore.
Art Project - Mountain Road
I came up with Mountain Road for my Summer Art Camp and this one was a challenge for the kids. In order to make it look 3D, you you just have to remember to continue your mountain from the outer edge of the road, not a continuation of the mountain lines.
Drawing Prompt - Pathway
A pathway sends your viewer’s eyes on a journey, so I would suggest painting or drawing this picture with an additional point of interest…or keep them guessing as to where the pathway leads.
Creative Game - Chalk Board Game
Life-Sized Chalk Board Games was a very fun idea for the kids - once they got going, the ideas started flowing. In this game, the kids create their own game where they are the pawns.
Why is a Sketchbook Practice Important?
My sketchbook practice didn’t start until the spring of 2023, when I understood that art is important for me. I need to it every day because it brings me so much joy and peace. A little book with blank pages can do so much for your art practice.
How To Use Watercolours - An Abstract Landscape
Due to the popularity of my abstract landscape paintings on social media, I thought I would create a video of how I do it.
How To Use Watercolours - Metal Surface
I don’t often paint metal surfaces, but when I do, it’s all about the highlights and shadows. Grab a scrap piece of watercolour paper or two and give this a try.
Drawing Prompt - Clouds
There’s an art to painting or drawing clouds. They seem like they should be easy, and they are if you’re going for those fun cartoony clouds, but I think the hardest part is creating something fluffy and dimensional with a few shades of a colour.
Art Project - Wildflower Pollinator
Wildflower Pollinator was created for my 10-12 year old art class who really wanted to paint flowers. It’s something I love to paint so I jumped on the chance. My style of teaching is to show a little and allow them to create their own art because I find kids have such amazing imaginations and I want them to explore their ideas.
How much time should I spend on my art?
I had a hard time with this question when I was younger. I used to think I had to work on a piece of art for weeks or months…sometimes years. I wanted to work for hours and hours, through the night even, because that sounded so romantic.
Drawing Prompt - Canoe
This photograph reminds me of Loon Lake, which is a place we love to camp at in the spring. Draw this photograph using just a pencil, marker, or try getting the paints out.
Art Project - Oh Greenhouse
Inspired by artwork by Oamul Lu, a fantastic artist that you should look up, I created this Oh Greenhouse art project for an adult art class of mine. I wanted to try the masking fluid I had just purchased to help shape the greenhouse framing. It’s also a cool way to show contrast, between the inside and the outside of the greenhouse.
How To Use Watercolours - Plants and Leaves
When I paint leaves and plants, I let the paint brush do most of the work. The technique is simple, once you get used to it.
Drawing Prompt - House In The Mountains On The Water
This photograph has all the elements I love to paint from - water, a house, tree, and mountains. If you find this too overwhelming, try just drawing or painting the house and a couple trees or just the mountains and sky. Only paint what you’re drawn to.