Change background color of slider only

Hi,

So I’m trying to change a few things regarding the slider. First off, I’d like to change the background color of the slider without changing the background on the entire site. Right now it is set to a bright blue, which looks great on the post dates and the “read more” links. However it also brackets the photos in the slider. Ideally I’d like the slider photos to stand on their own.

Secondly, I’d like to change the font color on the slider.

I’d like to figure this out, but if it would be easier to plug in a custom slider widget just say so.

Here’s the site: https://www.smartenoughtodiy.com

Thanks!