Why You Should Share Your Work

However long you’ve been painting, whether it’s been a month or ten years, I believe it’s important to show and share your work.

Through sharing you will find your community of artists and they will help you learn and grow. And you will help them too by sharing who you are and what you do.

For many years I had a website where I showed some of my work. But with so many other things going on in my life I didn’t have the time to take care of it properly. As a result, my community was limited.

Then, in May 2016, I had a conversation with my niece, Heather, about Instagram. Soon after I opened an Instagram account dedicated to watercolor and I found a community of artists whose work I liked and felt inspired by. I commented actively, made some real friends, and participated in challenges like painting 100 raw foods. It was so much fun!

How exciting to find such a large community that I could learn from and share with. Instagram has been so enriching because it’s filled with many wonderful artists from around the world with different ideas and styles.

Here are two of the watercolors I first shared on Instagram.

This first one is of a plum blossom from a little tree that my mother-in-law, Yvonne, gave to me and my husband, John, in 1998 as an anniversary present. Yvonne lived with us for many years and we planted the plum tree just outside her bedroom window.

And the second is a sprig of mountain lilac set in a glass vase. I love lilac for its color, and especially its fragrance. I look forward to seeing our lilac bushes bloom every spring.

PS: Don’t be shy! Drop by and say Hi! on Instagram @leyla_torres_watercolors And please tag me on your latest posts so I can see and support your work!