Have you ever looked at a beautiful sky and wondered how to paint it without getting lost in the details?

Clouds are constantly changing. Rather than chasing every shape, you'll learn how to recognize the larger value patterns, preserve the light, and create expressive skies filled with atmosphere.

This focused Technique Workshop will strengthen skills you can use in every landscape you paint.

What You'll Learn

By the end of this workshop you'll understand how to:

• Observe and simplify cloud formations
• Paint luminous skies with expressive washes
• Create believable cloud forms using light and shadow
• Control soft and hard edges to suggest atmosphere
• Strengthen your paintings through thoughtful value relationships
• Paint skies with greater confidence and freedom

Included

✔ Live online workshop

✔ Lifetime replay access

✔ Downloadable workshop guide

✔ Reference photographs

Why This Workshop Is Different

Instead of copying a photograph cloud by cloud, you'll learn how to:

• Recognize the largest cloud masses
• Preserve the light
• Connect shadow shapes
• Simplify complicated skies
• Suggest detail rather than paint every cloud

These are skills you can apply to every landscape you paint.

During the Workshop You'll:

• Learn how to observe clouds instead of copying them
• Practice four focused studies that build essential skills
• Complete a finished landscape using everything you've learned
• Leave with techniques you can apply to any sky

Paint a Complete Landscape

You'll apply everything you've learned to create a finished landscape featuring expressive clouds and beautiful light.

Perfect For

✔ Beginning watercolor artists wanting more confidence

✔ Intermediate painters wanting fresher skies

✔ Landscape painters

✔ Artists who struggle with overworking clouds

This workshop is designed for watercolor artists who want to:

• Stop overworking skies
• Paint more expressive landscapes
• Improve their understanding of light
• Gain confidence painting clouds
• Develop stronger observational skills

Suitable for adventurous beginners through experienced watercolor painters.

My Teaching Philosophy

One of the things I love most about watercolor is that it encourages us to simplify.

Rather than painting every detail, we'll focus on understanding the larger shapes, preserving the light, and allowing expressive brushwork to tell the story.

We're not painting a particular sky.

We're learning how to paint light and atmosphere.

Workshop Details

Live Workshop (Pacific Time): 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM PT

Other time zones:

• 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET
• 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM CT
• 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM MT

Approximately 2 hours

Replay included

Technique-focused instruction

Downloadable workbook

Meet Your Instructor

For over 30 years, I've had the privilege of teaching watercolor artists around the world through workshops, online courses, and international art events. My passion has always been helping artists move beyond simply copying a reference photo to truly understanding light, design, and the expressive qualities of watercolor.

As a faculty member for Watercolor Live and a former juror for the Transparent Watercolor Society of America, I've worked with thousands of artists at every stage of their creative journey. Again and again, I've discovered that stronger paintings don't come from painting more details—they come from learning to see differently.

My teaching emphasizes observation, simplification, and confident brushwork. Rather than focusing on perfection, I encourage students to understand the larger shapes, preserve the light, and enjoy the unique beauty that watercolor offers.

Whether you're just beginning or have been painting for years, my goal is to help you build confidence, strengthen your skills, and create paintings that feel fresh, expressive, and uniquely your own.

I look forward to painting with you!

Birgit O'Connor



Former Juror, Transparent Watercolor Society of America

Watercolor is one of the most rewarding and forgiving mediums you'll ever paint with. I hope you'll join me as we explore its beauty together.