Do you ever struggle to be loose in your art? I do (all the time). For so many years I wondered when I’d finally find my style. Then, little by little, people kept telling me how they recognized my art. I’ve painted nearly every day for over ten years and the one thing I always return to is playing with my favorite art supplies. This... Continue reading

When I’m at an ugly stage with a painting, I have to turn off my inner critic and let go. But that’s way easier said than done. A few days ago I was painting and I completely overworked the eyes and face of my character. My first thought was, “I’ve totally ruined my painting.” Then I thought, “There’s no way I can save this piece.... Continue reading

When I get stuck with my art, it usually means I’ve reached an ugly stage and need to return to play. The other day when this happened, I went back to splattering acrylic inks over wet acrylic paint. Then I squirted a little neon pink liquid watercolor on top to see what would happen (I got this incredible stained glass effect). This is one of... Continue reading

Do you struggle to cover up your art? I do (all the time). In my free workshop I share a bit about how I draw my character with the eyes closed whenever I’m having trouble with the face (just click here to join my free workshop). Another way I cover up my art is to fingerpaint. There can never be a wrong way and it’s... 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

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 perfect and painted on. Everything felt like a struggle. That’s when I take a step away and start a... Continue reading

With all of my artwork, I follow an intuitive painting process. After a few background layers (and many attempts at the character’s eyes and face), something finally starts to come out of the paint that resonates with my soul. Then I add more and more layers to bring out that heart, using spray paint, oil paintsticks, acrylics, inks, paint pens, water soluble pencil and pastels.... Continue reading

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. When I started painting whimsical characters in 2009, I’d often struggle if I didn’t... Continue reading