Paint this exotic city: Watercolor painting in 3 EASY steps

I've been passionate about telling stories through art since I was a kid. In my home in Orange County, California, I used to watch Bob Ross (the afro-wearing painter of "happy little trees" on public access TV) and I would mimic his paintings using crayons. I grew up knowing that creating art would always be my life's endeavor. I was never fortunate enough to pursue a formal art education, but I've more than compensated by private study with accomplished instructors, collaborating with highly-esteemed local artists, and devouring countless art books and videos. The art instructor who had the most profound impact on my technique was impressionist master Vadim Zanginian. Private study with Vadim in Los Angeles, California completely reinvented everything I knew about painting, and I attribute much of my current success to working with Vadim. The both of us being musicians as well, and tireless fans of the Beatles, each painting day would end with me on the guitar and Vadim on the piano as we sang away the hours with old Beatles songs. I've discovered that my favorite subject to paint is light itself, which means that anything in the world becomes my favorite thing to paint, if the light is pretty enough. I love to paint exotic locations (like Italy and Africa), New York skylines, Colorado landscapes, coffee, people, horses, birds, dogs, ice cream, you name it. My main medium is oil paint on canvas. My style could be classified as Impressionist, however I feel I'm somewhat of a blend of these fearless artists from the late 1800s and the more diligent Barbizon painters who came before them. I love having a scene that you can appreciate as a whole when standing at a normal distance, but when you get close you see a combination of accurate details, playful color, and loose brushwork. Over the years I've also become an accomplished art instructor, sharing my knowledge and passion for painting by educating eager students who hunger to tell their own stories. I've taught group and private workshops across the US and Italy. In these two facets of my career – creating paintings for people to enjoy, and teaching art – I accomplish my life's endeavor of sharing beautiful art with everyone. Thank you for visiting, and I hope we can tell great stories together.