I’m writing to you from my artist’s residency, where I’ll be for the next few weeks, gathering new inspirations as I work on my latest painting collection along with a new writing project. It all reminds me that I’ve always been a writer and artist. In high school, my favorite subjects were art and English. In 8th grade, we moved, and I changed schools. I... Continue reading

I’ve always been an artist. That’s what I told the gallery owner when I went in to inquire about a job. He laughed, looked at me, and said, “Of course, you’ve always been an artist.” I was in a serious slump in my early 20s. I’d graduated from college with degrees in fine arts and journalism, landing a ‘dream’ job at an arts newspaper in... Continue reading

Happy New Year! I hope you’ve enjoyed a beautiful start to the new year. Currently, I am on an artist’s residency, working on my latest painting collection. I have a deep love for travel. New locations, much like new mediums and colors, inspire my creativity in unique directions. My creativity flows best when I can transition from one creative endeavor to the next—whether it’s writing... Continue reading

Mistakes always happen while I’m painting. I’ve dumped my water bucket accidentally on a face, ruining my perfect eyes, and had my neighbor’s dog run into my yard and spill black india ink all over a painting (these things happen to me all the time). It can be SO frustrating to make a mistake or to not be able to paint the idea just as... Continue reading

Every painting has an ugly stage (especially the faces). In college, I only painted abstracts. I loved shapes and color, but I got stuck there and would just paint over everything (again and again). Each time I thought I’d intuitively know what to paint next. But I was never attached to the painting, so I’d just keep covering it up. Now every painting I create... Continue reading

Develop your style, loosen up, and confidently share your art with the world… I’m so excited to share this membership with you! I am thrilled to introduce THE SCHOOL OF HAPPY PAINTING MEMBERSHIP, the most comprehensive class offering I have ever shared, providing access to seven of my online courses. It’s perfect if you’ve been wanting to develop your style, loosen up in your art,... Continue reading

My creative process revolves around staying loose, playing, and experimenting in my initial layers, then building upon them as I progress with the painting. I often find myself setting aside my brushes and focusing on finger painting. This approach keeps me unattached to my work, preventing me from overthinking how the eyes and face should look. It allows for imperfections and beautiful mistakes. Even after... Continue reading

Lately, I’ve been experimenting with acrylic paints and water-soluble pencil, along with acrylic paints and inks. It’s fun to add acrylic ink and then color with pastels, picking up some of the ink, creating new color combinations, and lots of beautiful mistakes (especially when I dump water on top). Once that dries, I begin to pencil in my face and body. I love to keep... Continue reading

I just can’t thank you enough for all of your support over these fifteen years that I’ve been painting, teaching, and sharing my art and process with you. Your love and kindness mean more than I can ever say and inspires me to create from my heart and keep sharing it all with you every day. Over the years, I’ve talked with thousands of artists... Continue reading