Do you struggle to be loose in your art? I do (all the time). I take photos of my process to remind myself there’s always an ugly stage. But recently I’ve also liked taking photos at stages of a painting where I’m happy with it, but still feel it’s not finished. That reminds me that it’s okay to let go and paint over something I... Continue reading

Hello Friends! I’m writing to you today from my backyard garden where the sun is shining and the lilies are in full bloom. The baby birds are chirping and I’m enjoying my coffee, the peace and the quiet inspiration that comes when I just sit, look and listen. I’ve also been editing a few bonus painting videos for my new online class the Portrait Painting... Continue reading

My characters begin with the eyes, but they’re always the hardest thing to paint. Oftentimes 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 whenever I start a painting, my mind tells me I should get it... Continue reading

Hello! I’m writing to you today from my studio in the woods where I’ve been out in the garden, working on a few new portrait paintings and lots of watercolors too. The flowers are blooming like magic and I’ve been waking up in the early mornings to photograph the sky and clouds. Summertime is one of my biggest inspirations, so I’m always taking photos for... Continue reading

Happy June! I’m writing today from my studio balcony whereI’ve been spending so much time painting a few larger pieces! It’s such a fun experience to paint barefoot outside and return to that place of blissful creativity and completely reminds me of being a little girl. When I was little, I used to lay out all of these sheets of paper and drip watercolors all... Continue reading

I’m so crazy excited… today I get to share with you something I’ve been working on for a very long time. In lots of ways I created the Portrait Painting Masterclass for myself – because I needed to simplify my creative practice. I’d just been finding that showing up to paint felt too hard. I want to feel joyful and creative and I want it... Continue reading

Hello! I’m writing to you from my studio balcony, where I’ve been doing these daily watercolor paintings for my new class… It’s the Portrait Painting Masterclass and if you’d like to learn more about what’s included, and how it works, you can learn more HERE . The watercolor portraits we’re creatng in this class are so calming and soothing to create. They’re like meditation. They... 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