Hello, Friends! I used to struggle to be loose and let go in my paintings. I’d get super fearful about covering something up because I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to paint anything better. Now I’ve learned that in adding those layers, taking chances, and creating beautiful, unexpected mistakes, my paintings come to life. It wasn’t until I snapped in-progress photos of my paintings... Continue reading
Hello, Friends! Greetings from my studio in Wisconsin. I hope this finds you well as we ease into autumn. The leaves are just starting to change, so I’ve been going on lots of inspiration walks and taking photos in nature. I love gathering color inspiration on these walks. Since all of my paintings begin with a few abstract layers of color, these photo walks are... Continue reading
Hello from my studio in Wisconsin! It has been beautiful to see what everyone has been creating this first week of my online course – the Portrait Painting Masterclass – this session is sold out, but you can join the waitlist here. I’m also in the process of finishing a few paintings for my next collection. Remember how I mentioned that I’d been painting all... Continue reading
Hello, Friends! I’m writing to you from my studio in the woods, where I’ve just covered up a few large canvases with lots of first layers of color. I set up a temporary studio in the backyard so I could really make a mess – I even got out my watering can to splash tons of water. This is my favorite way to let go... Continue reading
For years, I stopped painting. Art was the thing I loved to do growing up and in high school, but I didn’t know how to make money from being creative. All of my early work ended up in the basement or trash. I felt like my creativity didn’t matter. I went to college to study biology, but I couldn’t stay away from the art room.... Continue reading
Hello! I’m writing today from my studio balcony where I’ve been spending so much time painting a few larger pieces! It’s such a fun experience to paint barefoot outside. Whenever I’m stuck with something I always get into nature, whether it’s picking flowers from my garden or going for a walk. It’s so helpful to just get out of my studio and get out of... Continue reading
Sometimes my paintings happen intuitively. I might see an eye or a spot that looks like a nose in my first layers. When that happens, I go with those instincts. But most of the time, I don’t see anything in the paint. That’s when I return to my simple shape template (the one I shared in your free workshop… there’s a link below in case... Continue reading
Do you ever get stuck with your art? Painting daily helps me to follow my intuition. I paint quick, small paintings in my sketchbook every day, especially when I need to loosen up with my art or get grounded. But I also follow a step-by-step practice so that when I do get creatively stuck, I can get back into my flow with complete ease. From... Continue reading
When I’m stuck on a face, I often set aside my brushes and fingerpaint. This keeps me unattached to my character rather than getting into my head and “thinking” the eyes and features should look a certain way or be a certain shape. Yet even after lots of layers, the eyes can still look too perfect and painted on. That’s when I make a mess.... Continue reading
When I’m at a creative block, there’s no way I can be loose in my art. A few days ago, I was painting and I started to feel like I’d never get my painting right. I just couldn’t loosen up and let go. Everything looked too rigid and tight. Everything felt like a struggle. That’s when I take a step away and start to play.... Continue reading
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