Tim Blanton

My artistic journey began, quite by accident, when I was ten years old and someone told me I had talent. That seed lay dormant for forty years before I finally sought a creative outlet and picked up a paintbrush. It felt like fate when I met artist and teacher Susan Ripp, who spent five years teaching me the fundamentals of watercolor. Among the many lessons she instilled, three have stayed with me above all: be bold, stay loose, and stop before you think you’re finished — put the brush down and walk away. In 2020, the pandemic reshaped the world, and unexpectedly enriched my own path when it introduced me to Master Watercolor Artist Fabio Cembranelli of Brazil. With his in-person workshops canceled, Fabio pivoted to teaching over Zoom, opening his techniques to students like me who otherwise never would have had access. I remain deeply grateful to both Susan and Fabio for their honest critiques and steady encouragement, which helped me discover my own palette and voice. I’m a member of the Birmingham Art Alliance, the Watercolor Society of Alabama, and the Mountain Brook Art Association. I live in Birmingham, Alabama, with my two long-haired dachshunds, Scout and Bishop.