Drawing from nature brings grounding and joy.
Let’s marvel at nature’s abundant beauty.
Learn to draw and paint the natural objects you love in a way you never thought possible before.
Let’s get closer to nature!
17 Guided Video Lessons
Join me in nature as we draw and paint in our journals together
A 22-page PDF Guide
Full of written instruction and extra resources to support you throughout this class
Nature Based Inspiration
15 lessons to fill your nature journal
Looking deeply at the shapes, colors, and twists and turns of the forms helps me to slow down inside, and also to render nature’s beauty more accurately.
Learn to render our natural treasures in gorgeous detail. Add color and life and take your drawings from wonky to WHOA!
Drawing Adventures:
– Portable Art Kits and Prep
– Respectfully Gather Natural Objects
– Let Me Take You on My Nature Drawing Adventure
– Choosing Objects to Draw
Contour Drawing
– Warm-Up: Scribble Drawing
– Blind Contour Drawing or “Wonky Drawing”
– Semi-Blind Contour Drawing
Watercolor Painting Techniques
– Watercolor Basics
– Color Mixing
– Adding Watercolor to Drawings
– Extended Co-Painting Time
Botanical Drawing and Watercolor
– Contour Drawing Flowers and Greenery
– Watercolor Painting Botanicals
Watercolor Bleeds and Contour Drawings
– Creating Watercolor Bleeds
-Contour Drawing Feathers
Adding Lettering and Text
Nature Journaling Inspiration Gallery
Books to Inspire Your Practice
Thanks again for asking for my impressions of the delightful Drawing Closer to Nature. It’s beefy and yummy as you said, filled to the brim with inspiring content. As I watched and read, here’s what came to me:
-an opportunity to enjoy your lush photography; there are tons of examples of your work for inspiration
-loved being able to join you on an outdoor adventure!
-you have joyful and boundless enthusiasm for the natural world
-every video offers clear guidance and instruction
-your classes are endlessly watchable, always exercise in mindfulness, and always offered with humor and self-deprecation
-learning with you is like having a wise friend in my studio space
-you offer a gentle flexible structure and containment, that’s always invitational
-you teach us how to truly see
-yes-tons of content, with follow-along videos and myriad of tips along the way to ensure success
-we get to watch contour drawings come to life through expert watercolor instruction, offered with a playful, easy touch
It was a little hard for me to keep reviewing in a timely manner
without stopping to actually do the lessons. Watercolor calling!
You enjoy getting out in nature (or looking at photos)
You want to keep a nature journal, but don’t know how
You love nature, but can’t seem to draw it.
You want in depth guidance about watercolor techniques
Mindful Art Studio was created with you in mind. It’s my way to stop your inner critic from getting in the way of your creativity.
All my courses and resources are inspired by the connections between nature and art, and invite you to explore patterns, materials, ideas, and often the simplest things as the basis to a thriving art practice that fits into your everyday.
I’m a trained art therapist, which means every course incorporates mindfulness practices and techniques for getting the inner critic out of the way.
Absolutely! Whether you’ve never drawn before, or you are an experienced artist, this class is structured to provide you the space to learn to see in new ways, and opportunities to translate those new visions onto your journal pages.
For an experienced artist, I would recommend this class if you are trying to get out of a creative rut by approaching art mindfully and with fresh eyes. But you might resonate more with a class like BIG ART.
This class is not art therapy. However, I am a registered art therapist, and I use my understanding of psychology, mindfulness, and the artistic process to help students tune joyfully into the moment and engage in their art practice in deeper ways. We will not use this class to address your mental health concerns, but engaging in a mindful art practice, like any mindfulness or art practice, may have positive benefits for your overall sense of well-being.
Yes, this class is accessible on a page hosted on my website. The videos are all shot in HD and require a broadband connection for viewing the class.
Your PDF is available for download and you’ll have access to the class as long as I have a website, you have access to your class. Videos can be viewed on my site at your convenience.
Supplies are not included in the cost of the class. The price for the basic starting supplies are about $20 – $30. You’ll need a watercolor journal, drawing pen, watercolor paint and brush.
This is a self-paced class with videos and a PDF. You can access them on the site whenever you want.
Because this is an immediate, lifetime access class, no refunds will be granted, regardless of circumstances. Registration is non-transferrable.
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This is a pre-recorded 3-hour workshop with an accompanying PDF and additional pre-recorded video. Join us for a 3-hour workshop on Magic + Mist: Painting Watercolor Worlds.
+ Learn basic color mixing, layering, and basic “erasing”
+ Create watercolor bleeds that are misty and expressive.
+ Lay down layers of color that build depth
+ Create misty, magical little orbs of delight
+ Play with different ways of playing with watercolor in a circle format, both similar to, and different from the samples.
+ See how the simplest patterns become your unique art when you manipulate them mindfully.
Let’s embrace the mystery and magic of watercolor.
We will be approaching these watercolor circles with a mixture of playfulness and structure. I will teach you some basic skills about how to make the watercolor move and mix, and how to add and take away color. We will also get playful, seeing what surprises this medium has in store for us. This is a playful class, not a technical approach to watercolor.
No, this is open to everyone. I approach watercolor in a playful, intuitive way. While I don’t approach watercolor in a technical way, I will show you the basics that will help you create these beautiful orbs of magic and mist and find your own fun orbs as well. This is a practice that brings me a lot of joy and I want to offer it for you too.
You will provide your own materials as this is an online class.
I will give a more detailed list of supplies with links in the PDF, but at a minimum, you’ll need the following:
2 pads 140 lb cold pressed Arches watercolor paper 10 x 14 inches – OR,
1 pad Strathmore 400 Series paper 11 x 15 inches AND pads 140 lb cold pressed Arches watercolor paper 10 x 14 inches
1 Size 10 Student grade or better round brush – Blick or Utrecht recommended or similar
1 Size 4 Student grade or better round brush – Blick or Utrecht recommended or similar
1 Size 0 or 00 Student grade or better round brush – Blick or Utrecht recommended or similar
3 colors high quality paint that go well together, such a Daniel Smith, Winsor & Newton, or similar
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CLASS CONTENT:
4 Guided Video Lessons – 2 hours
Inky Line Warm ups
Making Large Inky Line Pieces
Adding drawing to Inky Line Pieces
Selecting Smaller Pieces for Collage
Full color PDF
Lifetime, self-paced access
Two hours of guided video instruction to get you creating beautiful, lilting lines with a bamboo brush for stand alone art works, and fodder for collage and art journal pages.
Your full-color PDF has guiding principles, techniques, and ideas for further projects with your Inky Line pieces.
Absolutely! I will lead you through step by step in all of the 4 lessons, and also provide you with prompts for drawing and painting in the PDF.
For an experienced artist, I would recommend this class if you are trying to get out of a creative rut by approaching art mindfully and with fresh eyes. But you might resonate more with a class like BIG ART.
This class is not art therapy. However, I am a registered art therapist, and I use my understanding of psychology, mindfulness, and the artistic process to help students tune joyfully into the moment and engage in their art practice in deeper ways. We will not use this class to address your mental health concerns, but engaging in a mindful art practice, like any mindfulness or art practice, may have positive benefits for your overall sense of well-being.
As of right now, we do not offer this. We hope to be able to offer this in the future!
Yes, this class is accessible on a page hosted on my website. The videos are all shot in HD and require a broadband connection for viewing the class.
Yes, as long as I have a website, you have access to the class!
Supplies are not included in the cost of the class, and you purchase your own. The price for the basic starting supplies are about $20 – $30. You’ll need a watercolor pad, drawing pen, bamboo brush, and ink or watercolors.
This is a self-paced class with videos and a PDF. You can access them on the site whenever you want, and you have lifetime access.
Because this is an immediate, lifetime access class, no refunds will be granted, regardless of circumstances. Registration is non-transferrable.
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]]>In the Wild Places is more than a workshop or art class. What I’m offering is an opportunity to develop a lasting, nature-based art practice. It’s not a paint by numbers type experience, but rather one in which I’ll lead you step by step through art and writing exercises that will help you arrive at work that is unique and a process that is joyful.
In the Wild Places is an exploration of the Wild Places in your environment, and the wild places inside of you, revealed through your art. You’ll wander in nature, collect your own mark making tools, and create a large volume of marks, pushing the boundaries more than you have before. From there, I’ll show you how to cultivate your favorite marks into layered art works with depth and meaning. We will co-create with nature and with each other. Come ready for a slow, beautiful, deep dive into the Wild Places within.
What has most helped me through this dark time is nature. I want to share that with you.
Let your feet walk on sacred ground,
Bathe in nature’s healing, then create from it.
Let’s create with our hands and collaborate with the earth.
– Making Books
– Making Papier Mache Forms
– Sewing with Papier Mache Forms
– Combining Wild Pieces With Other Art Forms
– Making an Envelope
– Student Project Ideas
– Idea Generation for Your Own Projects
I’m Amy Maricle, an art therapist turned art facilitator who adores helping artists make more meaningful, joy-filled art. We are going to explore, experiment, and play with tuning deeply into nature, mark making, and creating your unique art with nature.
No, whether you’ve never painted before, or you are an experienced artist, this two part, two afternoon retreat is structured to provide you the space to learn to see in new ways, and opportunities to translate those new visions onto your paintings.
You will provide your own materials. As usual, I aim to keep the supply list simple to help you focus on your maximum creative output by limiting the supply choices. A full supply list is included with the class, but here’s the bulk of what you’ll need:
Tracing paper
One or more high flow acrylic paint colors or ink
Natural materials you gather
String
White gel pen
Micron drawing pen
YES paste
Needle and thread or sewing machine (optional)
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I’m Amy Maricle, an art therapist turned art facilitator who adores helping artists make more meaningful, joy-filled art. Working small, focusing on process and play has been a powerful driver in my creative life. I love seeing the way these techniques super charge my students’ creative lives as well.
Make beautiful watercolor and patterns, stoke your creative fire.
With Paint, Pattern, Repeat, you’ll get:
No. There is a Facebook community, however, if you would like to share your work and discoveries there. You can share your work on Instagram with #mindfulartstudio
You do need basic computer knowledge to access this class.
Yes! As long as I have a website, you have a class!
No prior art experience is needed.
All you need to begin is watercolor paper or journal, drawing pen, and watercolor paints. If you had nothing at all, supplies could cost you less than $40.
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There are four videos in this first section where I introduce the outline of the course and how best to use it, show you the supplies, get you set up to create on the go, and most importantly, lead you through the creative exercise that will help you generate YOUR unique BIG ART ideas.
– A welcome to BIG ART
– Gathering your supplies
– Your portable art kit
– Generating your BIG ART ideas











+ How to use the class in YOUR way
+ Creative batching
+ Slow drawing patterns
+ Imperfect botanicals
+ Dot clouds
+ Nature inspired patterns
+ Smoky paint
+ Messy paint
+ Color bursts
+Graceful liner brush marks
+ Idea generation exercises to find your BIG ART ideas
+ Ways to let an image “travel the grid”
You can use these details to login to your Big Art Dashboard and access the class whenever you’d like. The Dashboard will house all classes you’ve taken from Mindful Art Studio.
At a minimum, you’ll need watercolor paper, a number of high flow acrylic paints, YES paste, at least one drawing pen, and a white gel pen. *You could also do most of the projects with WATERCOLOR PAINTS.
The full supply list includes watercolor paper, a paper cutter, micron pens, white gel pen, white paint pen, colored paper for mounting large pieces, Yes paste, zip pouch, an assortment of brushes, and a liner brush. You could also do the majority of the projects with WATERCOLOR PAINTS.
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]]>This beautiful printable PDF page is an easy but super useful Simple Marks game that will keep you from ever asking - what should I make? Use this game as a creative spark whenever you're feeling stuck creatively, or want to play in your art journal.
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In this super playful PDF page, it is my delight to help you find ways to innovate and be more playful in your art journal.
This beautiful printable PDF page is an easy but super useful Simple Marks game that will keep you from ever asking – what should I make? Use this game as a creative spark whenever you’re feeling stuck creatively, or want to play in your art journal.
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