Intro to Watercolors: Flowering Cacti at Paper Craft Pantry

The Teacher

Rachel is a very talented painter and her work with watercolors is impressive. We watched her create a cactus with only a few swipes of her brush. She also has an eye for colors and color mixing to add intrigue. She was a good teacher and taught us the skills required to make our own watercolor cacti and flowers. She does have strong opinions on what your cacti should look like (colors, etc.) which can be great for some people, but may not be good for others.

The Setting

Paper Craft Pantry is a great place to learn a new skill! Plus your set up always includes a glass of rose and sweet and salty snacks, which definitely doesn’t hurt! There were about 12-14 students in the class which is the standard size at Paper Craft Pantry. It worked, but for this specific class I would have preferred a few less people. There were times when it became too loud to hear the instructions and and Rachel had to go around a few times to make sure everyone heard.

The Class

We enjoyed the class and getting to learn a new skill. Our cacti turned out beautifully and we’ve already put a few up on the walls to add a splash of color. Rachel walked us through all of our tools before talking us through the steps to paint two kinds of cacti and a desert flower. Although we did not get to take the brushes we used with us, we did get to take the paint palettes which let us keep practicing our new skills at home.

One quick disclaimer: this class is not a “Wine and Paint” class. It was much more focused and practice based. A few of the attendees were expecting to walk out with a finished painting and were looking for a more social experience which made it hard to hear the instructor at times. If you’re looking for a class to socialize, this is not the one. Not that there wasn’t any socializing, but it wasn’t the focus.