Looking for my latest writing? I now publish weekly essays on Substack: Living the Way of the Happy Painter. Read or subscribe here → I’m writing to you today from my backyard garden, where the cosmos are in full bloom. My mom used to plant stretches of cosmos in two separate flower gardens in the backyard of the house I grew up in. There’s a... Continue reading

Looking for my latest writing? I now publish weekly essays on Substack: Living the Way of the Happy Painter. Read or subscribe here → I’ve carried this tension for as long as I can remember — a quiet tug-of-war between my love of whimsy, imagination, and color, and the “professionalism” I thought I was supposed to embody. When I began writing my novel, I was... Continue reading

You can find the full list of all 7 Weeks of Creative Celebrations here. Welcome to Week 7 of 7 Weeks of Creative Celebrations! This week’s featured class: Enchanted – Soulful Eyes and Faces When I picked up my brush again in 2009, I never imagined it would turn into a 16-year career as a full-time artist — launching over eighteen online classes, teaching and... Continue reading

You can find the full list of all 7 Weeks of Creative Celebrations here. Welcome to Week 6 of 7 Weeks of Creative Celebrations! This week’s featured class: Bliss – Mixed Media Painting. It’s all about staying loose, so we’re painting a woman’s face with color and freedom — making marks to define our features and seeing where the colors lead us. I’m also happy... Continue reading

You can find the full list of all 7 Weeks of Creative Celebrations here. Welcome to Week 5 of 7 Weeks of Creative Celebrations! This week’s featured class: Faces – Mixed Media Portraits. It’s all about playful color, so we’re painting faces with freedom and joy — trusting our intuition and seeing where the layers want to take us. I’m also happy to continue my... Continue reading

You can find the full list of all 7 Weeks of Creative Celebrations here. Welcome to Week 4 of 7 Weeks of Creative Celebrations! It’s been such a joy seeing what you’re creating through these weeks — so many beautiful paintings shared. I’m so thankful that you’ve joined me on this creative journey. For those of you who share a passion for creative inspiration, I... Continue reading

You can find the full list of all 7 Weeks of Creative Celebrations here. Welcome to Week 3 of 7 Weeks of Creative Celebrations! I’ve been thinking lately about the moments that guide us — the little nudges that help us find our way back to what we love. Years ago, I worked as an editorial assistant and graphic designer at a newspaper in Minneapolis.... Continue reading

Welcome to Week 2 of 7 Weeks of Creative Celebrations! Over the next few weeks, I’m inviting you to a series of little creative celebrations — each one a mini-class with a fun video, a simple art tip, and a story from my studio. I hope it inspires you to make time for your own creativity. You can find the full list of all 7... Continue reading

Welcome to 7 Weeks of Creative Celebrations! Here’s the full list of all 7 Weeks of Creative Celebrations Mni Courses (you can find Week 1’s tutorial from Serendipity 1 – Develop Your Style below): Week 2 – Serendipity 2: Loosen Up Week 3 – The Joy Of Painting Week 4 – Whimsical Animals Week 5 – Faces: Mixed Media Portraits Week 6 – Bliss: Mixed Media... Continue reading