I get impatient whenever I have to let a painting dry. So, I always have five or six paintings going on at once. This also keeps me unattached to the outcome, so the process is playful. That way, while one background dries, I can start another. Or when I mess up one face, I can start on another and try again. Then when I find…

I started my business by opening an online shop. But I didn’t list my paintings. I’d just lost my job and had to heal my heart, so I’d been painting in my backyard all summer (my favorite thing to do as a kid). But I was nowhere near ready to start selling my artwork. I’d just started painting my whimsical characters. I also began making…

Lately I feel like I don’t have enough time to paint. But I try to paint every day. So I have to make it easy for myself to get creative. Sometimes I’ll doodle or sketch with a pen or marker in my sketchbook. Other times, drawing just doesn’t cut it. My soul just craves to get messy and paint. Here are 4 Ways to Paint…

I painted this owl in the summer of 2010 and I wish I still had it. I didn’t have my own designated studio then, so as often as possible I’d paint outside. It had gotten so hot, my water soluble oil pastels melted in the sun. I should’ve moved into the shade, but I’d convinced myself I could finish this painting. I just didn’t want…

I’ve been busy painting in my backyard, finishing up a few large pieces. I always try and remember to have fun with whatever I’m creating. If I think too much about the end result or painting what’s in my head or trying to paint like someone else, I either freeze or paint something lifeless. But I’m also trying to go a bit easier on myself….

I usually paint over a face several times. Yet every time I paint, I think it’ll just fall right into place. I’ve learned that if I follow my instincts and keep going, I’ll get to just where I need to be (eventually). But sometimes a painting just doesn’t come together. I try all of my tricks. I add origami papers for more detail (or to…

My painting process is all about following my intuition. Yet sometimes I feel lost. I’ve no idea what to paint. I can have this idea to add a splash of purple red in the upper left. But I wonder why. Instead of questioning it, I just do it. Then later I realize that color is really a flower in my girl’s hair. It’s the overthinking…

My creative process involves staying loose and having fun. So the first layers of my paintings are all about play and experimentation. My backgrounds generally consist of 3-4 layers (before I even think about adding a character). I love mixing together different supplies and colors, to see what happens. I allow myself to make mistakes and try new things. It loosens me up so that…

“I’ve always been an artist.” That’s what I said to the gallery owner when I went in to get a job. He laughed, looked at me and said, “Of course you have always been an artist.” I was in a serious slump then in my early 20’s. I’d graduated college with degrees in fine arts and journalism, and gotten a “dream” job at an arts…

Having a messy studio clouds my mind when I try to paint. I can never start a painting with a mess in my studio, yet I hate to clean up. So I have to make it easy on myself and keep my studio in what I call an organized mess. That means everything has its place in a box or bin and is very easy…