Presidio Marketer, Rachel Leung, is getting our creative juices flowing with inspiration for getting started with painting. 

Painting is a great way to relax your nerves. Working on an art project helps you slow down and focus your energy on creating, not worrying! Painting also allows you to not only imagine yourself in another place, but envision it however you want. More flowery hillsides? No problem! Hate that building blocking your view? Don’t paint it!

If you don’t have an epic view outside your window, you can use photos you’ve taken or find photos of some amazing places online and blend a bunch of ideas all together.

I painted this scene using some photos I took while backpacking near Dewey Point in Yosemite last winter. The scene isn’t quite like the photo - it’s better! I remember waking up at 3am to answer nature’s call and seeing El Cap framed perfectly by a sky lit full of stars and the valley filled with low heavy fog. It was so mesmerizing and unforgettable, but I was not prepared to set up my camera so took a mental picture and combined it with my actual  photos to create this:

I used watercolor for this painting, but if you don’t have watercolors you can start your project using any art paint (no house paint, people!) and brushes you might have lying around. Paper designed for your paint is best, but don’t fuss about it too much and get just that brush to paper - remember, this exercise is all about the process, not the finished product, so don't stress the technique!