I’m posting my Watercolor Wednesday article a day early due to a busy week filled with Independence Day activities. I hope you enjoy! My grandfather’s cousin (I’ll call M) has always been an important part of our family. She has hosted family Christmas’, she attends all family birthday parties, and joins our family for many other gatherings. M is like another grandmother to me – how lucky I am. For years, M has hand-painted watercolor cards for me, my children, and many others – all have been saved and treasured. In fact, my son’s most recent card from M sits proudly on his dresser as I write this post- he loves the owls. Knowing how much my family appreciates M’s hand-painted cards, I thought I would try a few watercolor greeting cards of my own. Plus, what a great way to try new painting techniques. I referenced the good ol’ internet for quick and easy watercolor tutorials, and was drawn to a fun and sweet chickadee video demonstration by Wplus9 Design. Here is the finished product – a Father’s Day card for my dad: The video tutorial is a speed painting, but the steps are not hard to follow – especially when the user can pause the video to catch up when needed. If you’ve ever wanted to try watercolor painting, this video is perfect for beginners. You can check it out below: I have completed two more cards since I painted the chickadee for my dad. The first was a painting of a mallard Imy grandfather – an avid hunter and fisherman. The second is of a comical cardinal I painted today. This male cardinal will be sent as a thank-you card to my friend up in the Boundary Waters in northern Minnesota. She is a lover of wildlife and animals, so I thought this bright cardinal may bring some joy to her day. These greeting cards take, on average, 30-60 minutes, so they can be done in very short order. Even though they are quick paintings, I find them fun and lively – perfect for greeting cards. My greatest joy in my painting journey has been sharing my work with others. The cards I have received from M have made me smile for years. I hope I can continue this tradition, and spread the same joy to others. Do you create handmade items for others, or have others done this for you? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comment section below. Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day! ~Erin