Confidently create loose abstract watercolor landscapes in
a playful and intuitive way
Whether you’re completely new to watercolor or have been painting for years, Creating Boldly takes you from the essential foundations into a freer, more confident way of working.
You’ll learn the techniques you need, then practice letting go of overthinking, simplifying what you see and working with watercolor instead of trying to control every mark.
Figuring out how to start….
...can be frustrating. If you’re new to watercolor, there are so many questions. Which paints do I need? What paper should I use? How wet should my brush be? What’s the difference between a wash and a layer?
And even once you know the answers, another problem often appears. You know what you’re supposed to do, but the moment the brush hits the paper you start second-guessing every decision.
Watercolor can be wonderfully unpredictable. It moves, blooms, dries differently than expected and doesn’t always respond well to being corrected. The more we try to control it, the easier it is to lose the freshness that made us love it in the first place.
Creating Boldly begins with the foundations, then helps you build the confidence to actually use them.
Imagine if you could…
Pick up a brush and make confident strokes without thinking twice about it
Mix a simple, harmonious palette without overthinking
Create watercolor landscapes that are loose, free or abstract in a fun and relaxed way
Simplify what you see instead of painting every detail
Establish a mindset that would end fear of failure
This course is for you if..
You’re completely new to watercolor
You want someone to take you through the whole process from the beginning, without making it complicated.
You know the basics, but your paintings still feel tight or overworked
You understand watercolor technically, but want to loosen your brushwork, simplify more and trust your decisions.
You know your way around watercolor, but want to work more freely
You’re comfortable with the medium, but want to rely less on planning every mark and develop a more intuitive, expressive approach to landscape painting.
In this course..
...we’ll walk step by step through the watercolor process, from the essential foundations to a looser, more intuitive way of painting.
If you’re completely new to watercolor, you can follow the course from the beginning as we cover supplies, color mixing, brushwork, values and the basic techniques.
If you already have experience, you can move through the foundations at your own pace and spend more time on the parts that help you loosen up, simplify, work intuitively and use reference without becoming tied to it.
We’ll experiment with washes, blending, blooms and layering, build landscapes in different ways, and practice making confident decisions as the painting develops.
You’ll walk away understanding not only how watercolor works, but how to trust yourself while you’re working with it.
You have lifetime access and can work through the course whenever it suits you.
Introductions | Watercolor, mindset and making space for painting in an already busy life.
Supplies and materials | What I use, what matters most and where I think your money is best spent.
First steps | Color mixing / Brushwork / Values
Three basic techniques | Wet on wet / Wet on dry / Dry on dry
Diving a little deeper | Blending / Washes / Blooms / Layering
Once we have the foundations in place, we’ll use them in a series of painting projects designed to help you loosen up, experiment and make more decisions for yourself.
Painting project 1 | We’ll create landscapes intuitively, using blending as our starting point and allowing the painting to develop as we go.
I N T R O D U C I N G
Creating Boldly with watercolor
Want a peek inside?
Painting project 2 | We’ll begin with a rich wet-on-wet base and build a soft, atmospheric landscape from it.
Painting project 3 | We’ll let the sky take the lead and use it as the starting point for the entire landscape.
Creating from a reference photo of a landscape | We’ll simplify what we see and translate it into bold shapes and brushstrokes rather than copying every detail.
Creating from a reference photo of a seascape | We’ll build from the lightest lights to the darkest darks while keeping the painting fresh and loose.
Final steps | Mistakes happen. We’ll look at what can be fixed, what can be changed and what might actually be better left alone.
Voices from previous students
“Yours is the first course to make me feel relaxed and confident while painting!”
Christine
“This course has transformed my practice.”
Mary
“My favorite part was finding the joy in the process”
Mathilda
“I absolutely loved this course! Even though I’ve been painting with watercolor for over 5 years, I felt full of fresh ideas and inspiration after watching it. The techniques Maria shares are approachable and simple, yet provide endless possibilities. I tried so many new combinations of colors and strokes, and it led to unique and beautiful landscapes unlike anything I’d ever painted before. I highly recommend this course whether you’re a beginner or seasoned watercolorist.”
Whitney
“I was painting this morning and thinking how incredibly intuitive and flowy my work has become, and I’m finally getting the results I have always dreamed of! I have taken so many online watercolor courses and never ended up with the abstract, ethereal work I love. Now I am painting exactly that! Your course changed the way I paint in the best way.”
Judy
“What a fabulous teacher you are! This is really helping me to loosen up and enjoy the experience. I’m not so focused on getting it right, but seeing what emerges and learning from what happens. Gentle and joyful!”
Sarri
“I feel much more confident in using larger brushes with light washes of color and lots of water. I also love the looseness and freedom (not tI feel much more confident using larger brushes with light washes of color and lots of water. I love the looseness and freedom that comes with this style of painting. I am hooked! The final paintings are beautiful and calm.”
Karen
“I enjoyed your fun, insightful and easy-to-follow course even more than I anticipated. The value is real. I feel boosted with skills and confidence and am looking forward to continuing my journey”
Tanja
Hi there, I´m Maria!
As a fine artist and art teacher, I know how easy it is to believe that the
answer is simply learning one more technique.
For years I overworked my paintings, second-guessed my decisions and thought I needed to get better at making the paint behave.
What changed my work was learning to do almost the opposite. To simplify. To trust the water. To leave some things unfinished. And to stop treating every painting like a test.
Creating Boldly grew out of that way of working.
Inside the course, I’ll teach you the foundations you need, but also how to loosen your grip on them enough to find your own way.
I already know the basics. Will this be too beginner-focused?
The foundations are included so that complete beginners can start from the beginning, but they’re only one part of the course. If you already know them, you can move through those lessons at your own pace and focus on bringing the techniques together, simplifying landscapes and developing a more confident painting process.
Do we actually paint complete landscapes?
Yes. Once we’ve covered the foundations, we put everything into practice through several complete landscape projects, including paintings created intuitively and from reference photographs.
How long do I have access?
You have lifetime access to the course, including future updates and additional content.
Still have a question? E-mail me here and I’ll be happy to help!
Are there subtitles in the videos?
Yes. The videos offer subtitles in several languages in addition to English, including Spanish, French, Swedish and German. The written course material is in English.
How long is the course?
The recorded videos add up to approximately two hours, but there’s no need to rush through them. You can pause, paint along, repeat lessons and return to techniques whenever you need them.
Are all videos and lessons available immediately?
Yes. You’ll have access to the entire course as soon as you enroll, and you can work through it at your own pace.
What materials do I need?
I share the tools and materials I use, along with what I think is worth prioritizing. But I strongly encourage you to begin with what you already own rather than buying an entirely new studio.
I’m a complete beginner. Is this suitable for me?
Absolutely. We start with materials, color mixing, brushwork, values and the fundamental watercolor techniques before bringing everything together in landscape paintings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Still undecided?
Creating Boldly might be right for you if...
You’re completely new to watercolor and want one clear place to begin
You know some of the techniques, but still aren’t quite sure how to bring them together in a painting
You want to understand the full watercolor process rather than collecting isolated tips and techniques
You want to build the confidence to create loose, expressive landscapes on your own
The goal isn’t to teach you to paint like me.
It’s to give you enough understanding and confidence to stop needing someone else to tell you what every next brushstroke should be.
