Everyone - if you want to introduce yourself, start a new comment with your name in the title area and post it to the Introductions category. You're welcome to also leave links to your socials, web page, YouTube, etc. I'd like to follow all of you wherever you are, if you are okay with that. If you have a Skool course here, too, drop the link to that.

Please welcome Sarah to the community! She's an artist and grower/seller of plants. Sarah, please give everyone an introduction to yourself and tell us all what you'd like them to know about you and what you do/want to do? I'm glad you're here!

Are any of you currently submitting work to art shows/exhibits? I have entered a few this year after not entering any last year. So far nothing has been accepted, but at least not rejected yet either since the deadlines are just now approaching for all three shows. Here's the one I just entered to OPA's online spring showcase. I entered the old shed painting in the National Exhibition and if it manages to be accepted, I might be taking a trip to Steamboat Springs to attend the opening. Aside from loving Colorado, it would be exciting to make it into that show and I'd like to see it on the wall.

I think I may have done something wrong when washing the first one. It was a pretty big rock and it crushed to powder easily. There was a lot left in the jar after the first pour. I think it still has a lot of useful pigment, and I think I will try washing that part again. I don't think I have a picture but I'll take one. It took the pigment a good while to settle. I waited 5 days before I poured the water off. I used smaller jars but not the tiny because it looked like there was a lot. Again it has taken a long time to settle, 6 days, but I think can pour it later today into the tiny jars to dry. It didn't make as much as I thought so I think a lot is still in that original jar. I've washed three different ones now. The #2 yellow has also taken a long time to settle. It's been a week and I think I will pour it later today too. The third one has settled quicker, 3 days today and it looks ready to pour. I am thinking maybe our soft water here may have something to do with it taking long to settle. I didn't want to try the alum solution yet. If I do try it, I was thinking I would start slow with just a half a dropper or less.

Note: for those of you who don't have suitable rocks or want to skip the labor... you can buy pigment ready to make into paint. I have some Ozark pigments and rocks at my shop (https://shop.wildozark.com), but also EarthPigments.com has a tremendous selection of synthetic and natural pigments to choose from. I order my titanium and primary yellow, green, and blue from here and can recommend them. If you're taking my course, the technique for making the paint using purchased pigments would be the same as using the washed pigments you learn how to make in my course.