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

My creative process is all about staying loose, so I always play and experiment in my first layers. I also often find myself setting aside my brushes and focusing on finger painting. This keeps me unattached to my painting, preventing me from getting into my head and “thinking” the eyes and face should look a certain way or be a certain shape. It allows for... Continue reading

I’ve been journaling every morning for years – it’s always been my way to wake up and get grounded before doing anything else. My morning has become a ritual, a moment of quiet reflection, grounding me in the beauty of the changing seasons. These moments often spark unexpected inspiration, especially for new color combinations. The subtle pink of sunrise blending with the celadon blue of... Continue reading

These last few weeks, I’ve been painting a new collection inspired by peace and new beginnings.. This new painting is a small study for one of the larger pieces I’m working on – she’s called Truth Speaks, Mixed Media, 12” x 12”. Autumn is stunning right now as all the leaves are full of color here in Wisconsin, so I’ve kept her color palette vibrant... Continue reading

Every painting I create begins with a few playful first layers. They inspire the direction of my painting. I also paint them whenever I need to loosen up. They’re a reminder that there’s no right or wrong way. And nothing has to be perfect. Once I return to having fun, I let go. From there my creativity is free. I often begin my backgrounds by... Continue reading