Paint Light, Mood & Expressive Skies

Learn to capture luminous clouds, beautiful atmospheric effects, and the feeling of light through essential watercolor techniques you can apply to any landscape.

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 have a better understanding of how to:

• Observe and simplify complex cloud formations
• Create luminous skies with expressive washes
• Preserve highlights and suggest beautiful areas of light
• Use value and color to create depth and dimension
• Control soft, hard, and lost edges to suggest atmosphere
• Connect shapes and simplify your landscape
• Paint with greater confidence, freedom, and spontaneity

More Than Painting Clouds

This workshop isn't simply about copying a photograph or reproducing one painting.

It's about learning to see differently.

We'll explore how cloud formations relate to light, how values create depth, and how water and pigment can work together to suggest movement and atmosphere.

You'll discover when to guide your watercolor and when to let it do the work.

These are skills you can apply to almost any sky or landscape you paint.

What's Included

• Live, three-hour online watercolor workshop
• Step-by-step, technique-focused instruction
• A completed landscape demonstration
• Lifetime access to the workshop replay
• Reference photographs

Who Is This Workshop For?

This workshop is designed for adventurous beginners through experienced watercolor painters who want to:

• Stop overworking their skies
• Paint more expressive landscapes
• Develop a stronger understanding of light and value
• Simplify complex subjects
• Feel more confident working with water and pigment

Whether you're just beginning to explore skies or looking to loosen up your painting style, you'll find techniques to build on.

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'll explore how water, pigment, and thoughtful brush movement can create beautiful atmospheric effects without overworking the painting.

We're not painting a particular sky. We're learning how to paint light and atmosphere.

Workshop Details

Live Workshop Saturday, November 7, 2026

Other time zones:

• 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET
• 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM CT
• 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM MT
• 9:00 AM – 12:00 AM PT

Duration: Approximately 3 hours
Format: Live online, technique-focused workshop
Replay: Included with lifetime access

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.