Join the more than 1200 students who've taken this course and LOVED it!

Have you ever been so INSPIRED to create that you cannot wait to begin PAINTING, but you find that when you approach the canvas, the results don’t match what you had in your IMAGINATION? Or maybe you experience a CREATIVE ROADBLOCK and nothing comes to you. You stare at that blank canvas and don’t know where to begin. YOU'RE STUCK. Or you end up hating your attempt at painting and another canvas ends up hidden away in a closet. Maybe you compare your paintings to the paintings of other artists, and you tell yourself you’ll never possess the talent they possess. "LOOSEN UP AND FIND JOY IN YOUR ART" is for anyone who wants to learn how to let go of control and find JOY in their ART again, using my tried and true techniques. The course will help you to overcome habits that may be holding you back, causing you frustration, and keeping you from REACHING YOUR FULL POTENTIAL as an ARTIST. In my art course, you will create an ABSTRACT FLORAL PAINTING like I paint, from start to finish. And best of all, once you buy the course, you may refer back to it over an over, watch all of the video content, and download all of the helpful PDFs. THIS COURSE IS FOR ALL LEVELS, although a background in art is preferable.

Reviews of this Course

Are you ready to take your art to a new level of skill and enjoyment?

Let's get started!

Course curriculum

    1. Bonus: Prepping Your Canvas With Gesso (View if you need to learn to prep your canvas.)

    2. Bonus Video: Demo for Prepping Your Canvas

    3. First Up: Lush Greenery

    4. Demo for Creating Lush Greenery

    5. Reference for Lush Greenery

    1. Adding Those Billowy Blooms

    2. Demo for Adding Billowy Blooms

    3. Reference for Billowy Blossoms

    1. Additive vs Subtractive Shapes

    2. Your Cell Phone as a Tool

    3. Keeping Composition in Mind

    4. Demo for Additive and Subtractive Shapes

    5. Reference for Additive vs Subtractive Shapes

    1. Adding Your Sparkle

    2. Demo for Adding Your Sparkle

    3. Joyful Colors Painting by Kathleen Rietz

    1. Reference for Painted Edges

    2. Examples of UV Protectant Varnishes

About this course

  • $99.00
  • 22 lessons
  • 1.5 hours of video content

I will walk you through the colors and mediums that I use in this course.

You can watch me mix colors on my palette. Use the colors I've chosen for this course, or use your own favorites.

Kathleen Rietz, a Chicago artist and instructor, explains why she choses these colors on her paint palette.

What Does This Course Offer You?

Here are solemn of the things you can expect when you sign up for this course:

  • Instant access to all material

  • Supply list

  • Course is suitable for all levels

  • Techniques such as finger painting, using a spray bottle to create fabulous textures, mark-making, color mixing, painting with both a brush and a palette knife, additive VS subtractive layering

  • The course never expires

  • 21 lessons

  • Helpful downloadable PDFs

  • Language: English

  • FREE private Facebook group for questions, feedback, critique and instructor feedback

Unlike most courses out there, my course encourages you to PLAY. We will paint with our fingers, palette knives, brushes and crayons. I will encourage you to look at things differently -- even turning your painting completely upside down and drawing with your non-dominant hand!

Aside from learning something new, you will have FUN!

In this photo, I am applying the greenery in my painting with a gloved hand.
Kathleen Rietz is teaching adults to finger paint in her first ever online art course.

What are my students saying?

Here is just one example of a message I have received from a student after taking my course.

"I took your course and loved it. I have taken a few online art courses and in person too. This course was one of the best in terms of helping me make progress in my art. Thank you so much! I did start feeling discouraged at one point. I guess I felt like my painting was “ugly”. I almost gave up, saying to myself I am just bad at art lol. But a new day dawned and I came back to it and realized as I followed you that there are many layers, many stages to a painting and each stage in itself it not meant to be beautiful, just a stepping stone toward what will become beautiful. I hope that makes sense. I started looking at each stage without asking “is this pretty” but instead asking “what does this need right now?” At each stage I gave the painting what it needed and suddenly I was looking at a “pretty” painting!" M.D.

You'll learn the correct order of painting -- blocking in your composition with shapes before adding details at the end.

You'll be pleased to see how well your painting can flow if you save all the fun details for last. The details are the reward at the end of your painting, the special finishing touch that will give your painting "sparkle"!

In this photo from my demo, I'm explaining how I use palette knives to make my abstracted floral shapes.
Kathleen Reitz explains how to use a palette knife to create abstract floral shapes and flowers.

This is the best part!

Adding those final details is where it's at! Getting there is fun, but there is nothing like the confidence you will feel when you step back from your painting and LOVE IT!

Kathleen Rietz is pictured painting one of her iconic abstract florals.

All courses come with a free private Facebook group for students to post their coursework and receive support and feedback.

When learning anything new, it can feel as though you are all alone, perhaps unsure if you are headed in the proper direction. Kathleen offers her time to students in her FREE Facebook group. This group is open to all students enrolled in a course.

I love helping my students learn and grow.

Let's Do This!

Once you purchase this course, the content is yours and never expires. Watch the videos, download the course PDF content, and join the Joyful Colors Facebook group.