I often feel like I’ll never be able to paint beautifully again. So often I need to look back at my own process and remember that it took a ton of layers to get to the finished painting (which happens pretty much every time). I’ve been painting nearly every day for the last ten years. This has given me some time to figure out my... Continue reading

There are a few supplies and colors I use in every painting. One of my favorites is Titanium White acrylic paint, so I got it in an enormous bottle. After awhile, it started to thicken. But I didn’t think too much about it. Then, during a super inspiring painting session, I had three backgrounds ready to go. I couldn’t wait to add my characters. But... Continue reading

If I’m not liking my painting, I generally have to cover it up. Usually, the parts I don’t like are either my character’s eyes, posture or face shape. If it’s the eyes that I don’t like (or the entire face), I’ll often pour water on top and smudge the features out. This helps to give me a new place to begin, but since I can... Continue reading

My art is a form of visual storytelling. I take progress photos of my paintings to help me remember where I felt like giving up, when I thought I’d made a huge mistake and when I overworked a character (all of these things pretty much happen in every painting). For this latest painting, I was inspired to combine my female characters, shape shifters and whimsical... Continue reading

I found all of these canvases with half finished characters. If I wait too long to finish a painting, I simply cannot begin again where I left off (not even close). So I’ve been painting over parts of my old artwork. Do you ever find it difficult to cover up parts of your paintings? I do (a lot). All of my experiences and emotions go... Continue reading

The question I’m asked most often is how I developed my style. I paint a lot (usually every day). And I try to balance staying in my comfort zone with pushing myself, so I can keep developing my style. As I paint, I stay really conscious of how I’m feeling and when I get frustrated. I take photos of my work in progress, so I... 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

I used to feel like I needed to keep moving to stay inspired. So, in the spring of 2018, I took a solo road trip out west. I visited my brother in Colorado and then stayed a few days in Santa Fe, New Mexico. On this trip I felt so free. I remembered the importance of going out on my own, which always makes me... Continue reading

I have an obsession with art supplies. Every year at this time I always take inventory in my studio – cleaning and reorganizing, especially in my supply closet. I have so many art supplies that I never use. I tend to have my favorites – like my fluorescent pink and white paint pens, my titanium white oil paintstick, my cobalt teal acrylic and a few... Continue reading