About Ali Cavanaugh

Ali Cavanaugh is an award-winning watercolor artist, published author, and educator best known for her contemporary portrait work and her innovative use of watercolor on modern surfaces. Through years of studio practice, experimentation, teaching, she has developed a distinct approach to watercolor that challenges traditional limitations of the medium while preserving its transparency and luminosity.

As the founder of The School of Modern Watercolor Painting, Ali created this space to share not just techniques, but a way of thinking about watercolor; one that embraces modern materials, thoughtful color systems, and intuitive mark-making. Her teaching bridges classical portrait sensibility with contemporary methods, empowering artists to paint with confidence, intention, and freedom.

Ali's work and instruction have inspired a global community of artist, from beginners to professionals, who are drawn to watercolor as a serious, expressive, and evolving medium. This school reflects her belief that watercolor is not fragile or secondary but bold, modern, and enduring.