Whenever I’m stuck with my art, I look back at the progress photos from a past painting. Most of the time, my character looks nothing like it did when I started. It takes lots of beautiful mistakes and so many ugly stages before I can even begin to figure out the best posture, profile and facial gestures. Yet as I create, my mind tells me... Continue reading

Do you find it difficult to be loose with your art? I do (a lot). A few days ago, I was painting and I started to feel like I’d never get the face right. I just couldn’t loosen up and let go. It all looked too simple. Everything felt like a struggle. That’s when I take a step away and start a new painting. I... Continue reading

Whenever I play it helps me feel calm and connected. For a while, I’d been creating these very layered portraits of women with soft, realistic faces and incredible hair, using lots of mixed media art supplies and papers. Every painting took SO many layers. I enjoyed that their story evolved with each layer, but I found, especially on their faces, they lost their initial light... Continue reading

When I realized I’d run out of small canvases, I forced myself to use what I already had in my studio rather than buying something new. This pushed me to paint on the big canvases that had piled up – some white and untouched, others with layer after layer of abstract backgrounds that I never finished. I’d been avoiding these larger paintings because painting small... Continue reading

Do you ever struggle to be loose in your art? I’ve been painting nearly every day for over fourteen years. But I still get stuck and frustrated. What’s helped me the most is taking progress photos of my paintings. This way I can see what I’ve done wrong and what I’ve done right, so I’m not so afraid to cover up my artwork and take... Continue reading

I’ve been taking some time to really slow down and indulge in being creative. But a few days ago I was painting this big painting and she looked way too perfect. There didn’t seem to be any freedom or flow. Everything looked rigid and tight. So I knew it was time to mix up my supplies and add an inky mask. It’s usually the eyes... Continue reading

When I begin a painting, I don’t have a plan. To get started, I create the background with 3-4 colorful layers (sometimes more). Then I sketch a loose face and add more color. From there, the face completely changes as I add more layers. The other day, I was working on this new painting (she’s called ‘Guardian Of Dreams’ 12” x 16” on stretched canvas).... Continue reading

For years I stopped painting. All of my early artwork ended up in the basement or trash, so I thought, “What good is it to paint?” I never thought anyone would want to see my work. I went to college to study biology, but I couldn’t stay away from the art room. I couldn’t help myself from painting on everything and anything. I found a... Continue reading

Do you ever just want to throw your painting away? This happens to me (a lot). Usually it’s the eyes or face I want to completely get rid of and cover up. Oftentimes I’ve overworked them and they look way too perfect and painted on. That’s when I dump water on top of the face and scrub away the layers until just a few lines... Continue reading