Art

Hello, creative friends! Art is a powerful storytelling medium, allowing us to share our experiences, dreams, and emotions in a unique and personal way. Today, I’m excited to share some tips and techniques to help you find your voice and tell your own stories through art. 1. Start with What Inspires You Every story begins with a spark of inspiration. But what if that spark feels elusive? Instead of waiting for a lightning bolt of creativity, cultivate a habit of mindful obser

I've finally finished, "Perseverance" – a stunning mixed media painting that beautifully encapsulates the essence of resilience and self-discovery. Even more fitting is that this painting started as something completely different. I loved the background when I first created it, but as each layer went on I become more and more frustrated with the competition of the painting. I set it aside for a few weeks and moved onto other paintings, but even with time it just wasn't workin

We've all been there – those days when everything you touch in the studio turns into a mess, and you start questioning if you're a fraud, a failure, and if your artistic career has hit a dead end. I recently had one of those days, and it felt like I was navigating through a storm of self-doubt and frustration. But guess what? It's okay. It's okay to feel like you're creating crap and to admit that not every day is a masterpiece waiting to be born. The key is not to beat yours

There's a certain magic in taking a spark of inspiration and turning it into a work of art. 🌟 As an artist, the journey from a mere idea to seeing it come alive on the canvas is nothing short of exhilarating! 🖌️ This painting began as a whisper of imagination, a flicker of color, and a dance of emotions in my mind. It was just a concept, a dream that begged to be expressed. With each brushstroke, I breathed life into my vision. Every color choice, every stroke, and every de

If you're looking to add a unique touch to your next art journaling project, you may want to consider prepping a vintage book with gesso. Gesso is a type of primer used to prepare canvas or other surfaces for painting. It can also be used on a vintage book to create a smooth and even surface for your art journaling and paint. Here are some simple steps to help you get started: Gather your supplies. You’ll need a vintage book, gesso, a paintbrush, palette knife and a surface t

Writing the perfect title for your artwork can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be! Here are some tips to help you choose the perfect title for your artwork: Think of a phrase or sentence that expresses the essence of your artwork. Take some time to reflect on the themes, colors, and composition of your artwork and think of words that capture the emotion and feeling you are trying to convey. Consider the medium you used to create the artwork. This could be a great w

Photo by Deeana Arts on As an artist, it can be easy to get discouraged when we don't meet our goals or feel like we're not making progress. However, it's important to remember that failure is an essential part of the creative process. By embracing our mistakes and learning from them, we can expand our horizons and become even better artists. Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your failures: Acknowledge your mistakes: Acknowledge that you have made a mistake and

My Illustrative Botanical illustrations has to be the most asked-for class. I've had the class scripted and planned for a couple of months, but I was waiting for the new studio to be done before I started filming. I wrapped up filming last week and my amazing son and video editor took over, and today I finally got to hit publish. I'm currently offering it on Skillshare and for those who are members of Art After Loss Community the class will also be available there. In this c

Growing up I had many in my family who were clay/tile artists, but sadly that talent I do not count as one of my own. It's something I would love to learn and get better at, but in the meantime, I had fun playing with Air-Dry Clay and making some fun paint palettes of my own. I ordered some Air-Dry clay. There were a couple different brands, you can even get the kind that you bake in the oven. The downside of the Air-Dry Clay was how quickly it started to dry making it hard t

Vintage books are one of my love languages. I love the way they look lined on the shelf. The way they smell and how they feel in my hands. I especially love the old books that are tattered and falling apart. They make you slow down and gently open their pages. There is something amazing about the life each of these books have lived and all the owners and readers that have flipped through these pages before me. It took me many years to have the courage the cut into an old book

Water-soluble graphite is a type of graphite that is soluble in water, which just means it can be dissolved. Now, regular old graphite can also be "spread" with water a bit, but the water-soluble graphite will actually dissolve and become ink-like when it's wet. It can be moved and spread over a surface, much like watercolor paint. You can control how thick (dark) and thin (light) the wash becomes by how much water you add. Water-soluble graphite comes in different grades of

Each creative must actively wade through the uncertainty that comes with the very act of creating. Whether creating art, music, or the written word...each must explore, question, play and experiment with their subjects and voice in order to find where they sit comfortably and authentically as a creative person. Creatives can't sit by and wait for inspiration or even motivation to bite them in the rear-end and compel them to sit into action. Passion is the driving force. Creat

Being a self-taught artist has brought me both immense joy and overwhelming fear. The joy stems from the freedom to learn my way and to create a style that is truly my own and that reflects who I am and the life I’ve had. The fear seeps into those dark moments where I feel like a fraud or a failure. The moments when I compare myself to others and find my art lacking. Or when I put my art into the world and...crickets. 7 Tips for Being a Self-Taught Artist... 1) Be willing to

One of the most frequently asked questions I receive from students is how they can find their artistic style. It’s followed by how do they find it if they are learning…copying…another artist’s style? Finding your unique style is a matter of finding yourself in the art. It’s noticing the little habits or traits that appear in your work over and over. These aren’t thing you choose but rather they are things you’ll find by looking at your artwork and noticing the little things y