Be Happy — Make Art!

It's an Adventure!

Bring the magic of art
into your life
​and set free
the artist in you!

 — Web page under construction --

Acrylic Painting 101:
How to Paint — for Complete Beginners

Wondering how to get started?

Discover your creative self
​with artist and teacher Karen Lynn Ingalls
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Karen Lynn Ingalls painting "Sunset Meadow" • © Karen Lynn Ingalls
Is Art Calling You?

​Do you long to immerse yourself in creativity?
​
Art is nourishment for the heART and sustenance for the soul. You can nurture yourself and navigate these times by discovering how to paint.

Maybe it's time to make 2022 the year you become the artist you were meant to be.

If you wonder whether you can really do what you long to, and worry that you might not be talented enough, the truth is, "YES, you can!"

It's not about talent. You just need to know where to begin, take it one step at a time, and have fun as you explore your creative path.

​That's exactly what you'll be able to do, when you take this class.

What You'll Discover in this Online Art Adventure

(at a Very Special Introductory Price)
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Palette with three primary colors, waiting to be mixed • © Karen Lynn Ingalls
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Abstract Meditation • 16" x 20" • Acrylics on canvas • © Karen Lynn Ingalls
You will discover:​
  • The #1 Secret of great color harmony
  • What paints to use
  • How to mix colors to create a variety of possibilities
  • What are the different kinds of brushes, and how to use them with confidence
  • All about palette knives and how to use them 
  • Even more tools you can use to create a variety of effects in your paintings!
  • How to create an abstract painting with what you've learned
  • Why abstract? For now, it keeps things simple, so you don't worry about getting a likeness to anything.
  • 3 different ways to approach an abstract painting
  • How to keep that inner critical voice at bay
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Mixing paints with palette knife, for abstract landscape painting • © Karen Lynn Ingalls
What will you come out of this Art Adventure with?
What will you get out of it?
Picture
Abstract Meditation • 16" x 20" • Acrylics on canvas • © Karen Lynn Ingalls
At the end of this art adventure, you will:​
  • Know the #1 Secret of great color harmony
  • Know what kinds of acrylic paints to choose
  • Know how to mix your colors to make a variety of colors, including browns and grays
  • Feel comfortable using paintbrushes, palette knives, and other kinds of tools
  • Be able to create a variety of effects in your paintings using all your tools 
  • Know 3 different methods to create different kinds of abstract paintings 
  • Have 3 abstract paintings of your own creation 
  • Know how to quiet the voice of your inner critic
How does this work?  What can you expect?
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Different types of paintbrushes
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Abstract Demonstration Painting • 16" x 20" • Acrylics and collage on canvas • © Karen Lynn Ingalls
How does this work? What can you expect?
Examples of abstract paintings in progress,
​by students in our in-person workshop....
What other students say about
​classes and workshops with Karen Lynn Ingalls....
Testimonial #1
Testimonial #2
Testimonial #3

Meet the Artist

Picture
Karen Lynn Ingalls, painting "Knights Valley Autumn"
About the artist and your teacher

Karen Lynn Ingalls is a working artist and California credentialed teacher who lives in Calistoga, a little town at the upper end of Napa Valley, and whose studio is over in Santa Rosa's SOFA Arts District, just on the other side of the hills.

Her artwork, including paintings, drawings, collages, and life-sized painted sculptures, has been exhibited and can be found in collections on both west and east coasts of the United States, and a few places in between, too. Or you may have seen it on the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle, or possibly on a billboard in Petaluma, California.

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Karen giving a painting demonstration for the students at St. Apollinaris School in Napa.
Originally a drawer and painter of people, Karen began painting places threatened by development, along with a group of artist friends, as they worked together to help save a threatened wetlands area in the Monterey Bay. She loved painting the land, and loved the impact they were able to have, and continues painting landscapes to this day.

Karen began teaching over thirty years ago, and has been teaching art mostly to adults for nearly twenty years now. She has developed ways of teaching that encourage her students' creativity, and help them develop their skills, vision, and own unique style more rapidly, without using copying or critiques.
"If you are a creative person, then you are meant to create!
Painting brings the artist enormous joy, and empowers you to bring beauty and meaning to life. The world needs beauty, joy, and meaning. Making your art matters!"
— Karen Lynn Ingalls