One of the questions I get asked most often is whether I actually use my background layers for the base of my character paintings. Yes! The playful first layers I create always become backgrounds for my paintings… some just sit and acquire layers more than others in my studio ❤️ You’ll often still see those first layers showing through in the final painting. When I’m... Continue reading
Are you sometimes afraid to make a mistake? The best worst advice I’ve ever gotten was when someone told me not to be an artist. It was the greatest thing they could’ve said. In that one moment, I finally recognized I couldn’t not be an artist. And that was the beginning of me becoming a full-time artist and entrepreneur. But I still find it hard... Continue reading
Sometimes my paintings happen intuitively. I might see an eye or a spot that looks like a nose in my playful background layers. When that happens, I go with those instincts. But most of the time, I don’t see anything in the paint I’ve found I return again and again to doodling with just a few supplies – starting with a loose layer of watercolors.That’s... Continue reading
Being loose and free in my art is something I’ve learned to do, especially when it comes to eyes and faces. Having fun and playing as I paint allows me to capture the soul of my characters. But sometimes I need to get out of my own way and start playing again so I can stop thinking so much and really uncover the beauty. The... Continue reading
Every painting has an ugly stage. And it’s always at that point, where I’ve repainted a face ten times, that I feel like giving up. As I paint, I stay really conscious of how I’m feeling and when I get frustrated. Part of my creative process is trying new things and covering up what I don’t like, which is forever changing and evolving just like... Continue reading
One of my secrets for letting go and painting more freely is to make it easy for myself to create. That’s why I always have a few backgrounds going at once in my studio. I add layers whenever I have a few minutes – some acrylic inks. acrylic paints, paint pen and water-soluble oil pastels. Painting these first layers helps me stay loose and adds... Continue reading
As I’m painting, I’ll often fall back to the techniques and colors I know will work. Trying something new feels uncomfortable in the moment. But when I look back at the photos I take of my paintings at early stages, I can more easily step outside the emotion I feel as the artist creating and just become the viewer. That’s why I do whatever it... 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
Happy New Year’s Eve! I hope you’ve been enjoying the holidays. I’ve been taking some time to really slow down and indulge in being creative. But a few days ago I was painting and I got really frustrated. Sometimes a painting just won’t come together. I try all of my tricks. I add ink drips and spray paint splatters for more looseness (or to cover... Continue reading
I’ve learned that if I’m striving to be perfect in my art, I just end up frustrated and make a muddy mess. So instead, I take a step away whenever I stop having fun. Then I start a new painting and play… that’s when owls and backgrounds are the perfect thing to paint. It’s so often the things I don’t plan in my paintings that... Continue reading
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