As I was finishing my latest collection, I had to forget about trying to make things perfect (especially faces) and go with the beautiful mistakes. The other day when this happened, I was working on this new painting (the left image, she’s called ‘Miracles’). I’d finally finished the face and then dropped a blob of fluorescent pink watercolor right on her nose. Instead of wiping... Continue reading
Every painting has an ugly stage. I’ve been painting nearly every day for over ten years. But I still get stuck and frustrated. 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... Continue reading
Whenever I’m stuck with a face, I look back at my progress photos. I see what I’ve done before to make my face work. Maybe it’s a spalsh of cobalt teal at the forehead that added softness and depth. Or extra lashes that made the eyes look alive. When I was stuck with this new painting it was becuase her face looked too perfect and... Continue reading
My characters never really start to come together until I find the eyes. The eyes have to resonate with my heart before I can go deep into the rest of the painting. There’s always an ugly stage, but, little by little, layer by layer, the face and shape comes together and then it feels like magic. The other day when this happened, I was working... Continue reading
I’ve been finding so much peace and calming in painting this new collection of whimsical animals and female portraits – I hope you enjoy them! Shop the New Collection Here. As I’ve been putting the finishing touches on work for this latest collection, I had to take steps away before I overworked my characters. At one point, I was in the middle of this cat,... Continue reading
Most of my paintings begin with the eyes, but they are always the hardest thing to paint and I can never stop until they resonate with my soul. I begin with a few colored fingerprints on a solid background. Then add in my eye outline and definition with water-soluble pencil. Next, I go back in with more color and a little white paint pen on... Continue reading
Do you ever get stuck with your paintings? I do (all the time). Whenever I try to be loose in my art, it never works. Sometimes it seems like it’s only the happy accidents and mistakes that lead to freedom in my paintings. The other day, I spilled a brand new bottle of neon pink ink onto my nearly finished painting. The color spread all... Continue reading
Lately I’ve felt a bit stuck and disappointed with my paintings. I’ve had to take steps away before I overwork my characters. If I paint over something again and again, I know I’ve stopped having fun. I’m usually trying to make my paintings perfect. Sometimes when I look at a finished painting and remember all of the layers underneath, I still forget that I was... Continue reading
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
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