Thoughts on the mindfulness that comes from painting

Many of my students have asked me how to choose a reference photo for a painting, so I thought I would take this opportunity to explain my thinking behind reference photos.

Reflections on lessons learned from Plein Air Easton2022

Small works for under $100 and why I think affordable originals are so important.

What I learned during the past two years and the online gallery of paintings I’ve created during that time

50 original tiny landscapes for under $50 and why I think affordable originals are so important.

A holiday gift to my students (current and prospective) to stay motivated and keep your creative juices flowing

Are you plagued by that little voice in your head that says:

“I really should paint, but I have so many other things I need to do…..”
“It is a pain to take all of supplies out…. I’ll do it a little later…”

“I don’t have enough time to start a serious painting…”

Here are some practical advice to overcome those obstacles.

Recently, asked to write a bio for a profile, I pondered my artistic journey and thought I’d share it in its entirety

This week, as i was preparing to teach a class about painting people, I had a revelation. I always tell my students to look at the shadows and shapes not the features and I also tell them how difficult it it so paint someone you love…. because you are so invested, and it is hard to keep the objectivity about them. But this time, I became aware of something else. How to capture shapes and how to capture a person’s spirit in paint.

Years ago I took a workshop with the late Charles Reid. Having always been in awe of Charles, as we unpacked our supplies, I could immediately tell who the Charles Reid “groupies” were….

Something I have learned from teaching is how important it is to just put in the time with paintbrush in hand. You can follow painting videos, read books, watch demos to your heart’s content…

But what if I could do a few entry level classes….. and make sure they have the exact supplies…. without leaving their house. VOILA! My Watercolor 101 answers the needs. Starting in December (and maybe even monthly or bi-monthly after that) I will offer a 2-class series to introduce new students to watercolor… (or perhaps other students to MY approach to the medium.) And the best thing is that when they sign up, the price of the class will include a sampler set of QUALITY watercolor supplies.

Early in my art career, I often stopped myself in the midst of the creative process, calling myself out for my messiness”— both in the work I was producing and in the studio where I was producing it.

When I teach classes, I do demos but i don’t do “paint-alongs.” Rather, I like to talk about techniques or concepts and demonstrate them in action by “talking through a painting” as I create…

When I paint, I feel two pulls. On one hand I want certainty…. To know where a painting is headed. Wouldn’t it be a relief ….