Award-winning Southern California Watercolor Artist • 200+ Women Making Original Art • Third Place, San Diego Watercolor Society International Plein Air 2025 • Second Place Portrait, SCAA Spring 2025 • Honorable Mention, Paint San Clemente 2024

Award-Winning Watercolor Artist Teaches Women to Make Original Art: Not Copies

I picked up a brush at 63.

200+ women have started making original art since I did.

This is me, Cindy Bale Tanner, the Watercolor Painter and Your Instructor!

Now, let’s talk about you for a minute!

  • Do you have a lifelong artist dream as yet unrealized?

  • Would you like to break away from paint-along videos to create 5 original watercolor paintings IN YOUR STYLE you can hang on your wall for all to admire?

  • Would you like to paint a portrait of your own grandchild in watercolor from a favorite photo?

  • Would you like to share your artist journey in an online group?

  • Or would you like me to paint a great likeness portrait for you?

Select the option that best describes YOU

for a special invitation ✉️

I’d like to paint 5 original watercolor paintings in my own style in just 5 hours

I want to paint my own children from my favorite photo!

I’d like to share my artist journey with an online group

I’m an aspiring artist. What should I do?

I would like Cindy to paint a one-of-a-kind portrait of myself, a loved one or a beloved pet for me

What these Artists learned

from Create Your Own Original Art™ and the Artist Journey Community™

Marie Nault of Quebec, Canada: From Paint-Along Student to Working Artist

“This was a true privilege to have Cindy all to myself, getting to know a bit more about each other. It was really wonderful  to chat about our own work and goals as well as what is coming in the next lessons. I have already learned so much with these gatherings. Cindy is a great listener and I feel she truly cares about helping us grow and becoming more successful with our art. She’s also a great teacher. Just a great experience. So thankful.“

When Marie joined the Artist Journey Community in April 2024, she wasn’t just doing paint-along videos, she facilitated a cohort of Anna Mason members so they could copy together.

Six months later, Marie received her first commission request: a dog portrait from her sister’s friend. With Cindy’s guidance, she used AI to adapt an animal portrait commission contract Cindy provided into a friendly email, asked for a 50% deposit upfront, received it, painted the portrait from a photograph, and received the final payment and a tip when she delivered the portrait in time for Christmas.

Nine months later, Marie hosted her first in-person beginner watercolor workshop. She has since hosted three more.

In under a year, Marie went from copying other artists’ work to earning income, and, a few months later, teaching her own students.

Find Marie on Instagram here.

Rowanne of Maine, USA: From Zero Experience to 50+ Paintings For Sale

“I had a wonderful time, as always! Thank you for your thoughts on my landscape, you were very helpful…

Thanks always for having these sessions, I am really seeing a difference in my art since I started watercolors with you!!!”

Rowanne enrolled in “Your 1st 5 Abstract Watercolor Paintings” and the Artist Journey Community 9 months ago with no watercolor painting experience whatsoever. She was afraid there were rules she didn’t know so she didn’t try.

Since she joined she paints three abstract watercolors a week, and piles on acrylics, pencils, gouache, collage and more to create her mixed media beauties. She recently opened her own Fine Art America sales page with more than 50 paintings available for sale.

In nine months, a complete watercolor beginner became a prolific artist.

Check out Rowanne’s art on Fine Art America here.

Cindy Bale Tanner

Your Artist Journey Guide

Cindy Bale Tanner is a Southern California watercolor artist who picked up a brush at 63 after 43 years in corporate IT and never stopped.

Since 2019 she has won multiple watercolor awards at the San Clemente Art Association, an honorable mention at Paint San Clemente 2024, and placed third in the 2025 San Diego Watercolor Society International Plein Air Exhibition.

Since February 2023 she has taught more than 200 women to make original watercolor art. Her courses, including “Your 1st 5 Abstract Watercolor Paintings” (100+ students) and “Your 1st Watercolor Child Mini-Portrait (50+ students), are built on a single belief: paint-along videos teach you to copy. Cindy teaches you how to create.

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