Hi Janel,
Welcome aboard and glad you found the courage to join us. I wasn't sure how well I would fit in here since I don't paint at all, but everyone here is encouraging, interesting, and has much to contribute in their own way.
I too spent endless hours as a child drawing and making things in the clay dirt - and apparently developed a fondness for dirt.
Looking forward to seeing your work on here some day soon (we are all our own worst critics, so I'm sure it is much better than you think).