Art was the thing I loved to do growing up and in high school. But when I graduated college, I didn’t know how to make money from being creative. I felt like my creativity didn’t matter, so I stopped painting for more than ten years. I went to work as an editorial assistant at a newspaper, occasionally writing a music review or gallery feature, but... Continue reading

My creative process mostly takes place at my home and studio on the middle of 10 acres of magical pine woods in the Wisconsin countryside. Every morning, I begin my day by sipping lemon water and journaling, followed by a big mug of black coffee. On days that I paint, I then head into the studio and work all day, pausing for lunch and a... Continue reading

Mistakes always happen while I’m painting. I’ve dumped my water bucket accidentally on a face, ruining my perfect eyes, and had my neighbor’s dog run into my yard and spill black india ink all over a painting (these things happen to me all the time). It can be SO frustrating to make a mistake or to not be able to paint the idea just as... Continue reading

I went to college to study biology, but I couldn’t stay out of the art room. I’d figured science would be the more practical route, so I didn’t sign up for any art classes (even though that’s what I really loved). I ended up graduating with degrees in fine art and journalism, but they hadn’t said much about the business side. I’d no idea how... Continue reading

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