Blog

In my last post, I wrote about jealousy in the creative world and how easy it is to compare ourselves to someone else's success. But it's also important to remember that we rarely know the story behind the accolade, the sale, or the opportunity we wish had been ours. Sometimes, what looks like overnight success has been years in the making. Last week, I attended Noah Kahan's (unfortunately, no relation!) sold-out concert at Nationals Park in Washington, DC. With more than 40,000 fans in attendance, the lines for everything were long—the bathrooms, the concession stands, and especially the official merchandise booths. One item caught [...]

There’s something funny about being an artist… people tend to imagine inspiration just floating down from the heavens while you sip coffee in a paint-splattered apron. In reality? A lot of art life is trial and error, awkward stages, second-guessing, community, persistence, and occasionally buying yet another tube of paint you absolutely did not need. (Looking at you, “hoping to be a hot pink.”) Over the years, I’ve realized there are a few things that consistently help artists grow — not just creatively, but mentally and professionally too. So here are my personal “Artist Musts.” Not hard rules… more like the things I [...]

If the light is yellow, the shadow is ultramarine blue, and the object is reflective copper… and there’s a neighboring object with a local color of red… what color is the reflected light in the shadow? And what color is the highlight? Yes. Apparently this is now a math word problem. But make it color theory. This past weekend I had the pleasure of taking Trisha Adams’ “Color Secrets” workshop at her beautiful home studio in Herndon. I feel incredibly lucky that this gem of a workshop is practically in my backyard — other artists traveled from as far as South Carolina and Massachusetts. And [...]

Painting commissions are very much a long game—and this one proved it. I went back and forth with an interior designer in NYC for two years after her client saw my macaron stacks at the Affordable Art Fair NYC. She was redesigning her client’s kitchen and wanted a pair of paintings that would feel perfectly at home in the space. After plenty of thoughtful discussion (and patience), we landed on two macaron stacks—each featuring colors chosen to match the kitchen walls. One macaron of each painting needed to coordinate with Windy Sky 1639 by Benjamin Moore, and one of the others was to correspond to with Benjamin [...]

A battle against time. Like many oil painters, I battled the frustration of wasted paint. Blobs left on my palette would develop a thick, unusable film within days, forcing me to start fresh and squeeze out even more. It was a frustrating cycle of waste – until I discovered this simple method! After experimenting, I found it keeps my paints supple and usable for weeks. While cold, limited oxygen, oil, and clove oil individually slow drying, I needed a reliable solution for my large palette. Here's my approach - You'll need: Your palette (with those lovely, wet oils!) Furniture pads (felt – the ones that protect your floor) Clove [...]

Ever wondered how artists create different textures, edges, and brushstrokes in their paintings? The secret lies in their paint brushes! Just like a chef has favorite knives, artists have go-to brushes for precision, blending, and bold marks. Whether you’re an art collector curious about the process or an artist looking for brush-care tips, this is a peek into the tools that bring a painting to life!   Let’s chat about brushes! Not all brushes are created equal, and artists often have a collection of them. I have over 100 brushes, and I use them for different things. Some are my everyday favorites, while [...]

  LET’S TALK: VARNISHEver wonder what gives an oil painting that finished, polished look? Or why some paintings seem to glow with vibrant colors? The answer is varnish! What Is Varnish and Why Does It Matter? Think of varnish as a superhero cape for your painting. Not only does it protect your artwork from dust, debris, and grime, but it also enhances the colors, making them pop while giving the surface a smooth, uniform sheen. In short, varnish ensures your masterpiece looks its best and stands the test of time. For collectors, varnish is like an insurance policy for your investment. It keeps your painting [...]

I was recently invited to judge the Baltimore Watercolor Society’s Signature Members exhibit.  I enjoyed spending the time to look, feel, and evaluate the artwork.  Judging an art exhibition is a nuanced process that involves evaluating various aspects of the artworks on display. It's not merely about the aesthetic appeal but encompasses a range of criteria to ensure a fair and comprehensive assessment of each piece.  With that in mind, I looked at here are the six different criteria: technical merit, originality, composition, presentation, color value, and its ability to elicit an emotion. Technical merit is a fundamental criterion. This involves examining how well the [...]

Can an artist also be a curator?   I was recently asked to be part of the Fall Art Show at Bluebird Sky Yoga in Washington, DC's Brookland neighborhood.   I did not know much about the space going in, besides hearing great things about the space and community, I am an avid yogi, so I thought it was a great fit and a new audience for my work.   The one thing I did not fully comprehend was that I would not only be the artist of the exhibit, but also the curator!  At first I was a bit nervous, but I ended up realizing [...]

In my previous blog (click here to go back and catch up), I mentioned some changes in my efforts to be more authentic. After creating a new look for my website, I wanted to focus on my newsletter.  My newsletter, "The Artful Receipe" has run away from me.  The "Artful Recipe Club" was a bit to flashy for my lone-person art organization.  I was promising too much and could not deliver the way this perfectionist wanted it to.   ENTER the art of pivoting and rebranding...   Welcome:   While the title may sound french and pretentious, the aim is simple.  Miriam Webster's definition of amuse-bouche (n.) is [...]

After viewing a painting of some luscious figs on an artist friend's newsletter I sent her the following message: "I gasped when I saw your cover image!  Several weeks ago I started a very similar painting.  It is still a WIP, but clearly great minds think alike! Just wanted to show you in case you saw it later…."   Her response really made me take pause.  She replied, "I  went into this fig painting knowing full well that I didn’t have a monopoly on figs. LOL."   I blatantly wrote so she would not think I was copying, but in return she gave me a gift: [...]

Artists typically have a home base where they feel comfortable and thrive.  For me, that place is an oil paint laden sweet still life.  For others the subject matter and art medium vary wildly from portraiture to abstract, from collage to sculpture.  So, what happens when an artist steps off that home base? At some point or another, the grass is greener, the colors are brighter, and there is a call to move beyond a repetitious art practice and mix it up a little.  The right-brain needs a break from the usual grind in order grow.  This is a normal and fantastic [...]

Life gets busy and the first thing to go is my precious studio time.   Why? I could choose to cut back on my computer time, shorten my workouts (which let's be honest, happens too), or not run that extra errand, but I don't.  I make the conscious choice to not spend time in the studio.   This happens time and time again.  You know what happens from here?  Days turn to weeks and no painting process has been made nor have I spent time in my creative space.  Then I get grumpy.  I don't even realize it at first.  Initially it manifests itself [...]

  At the beginning of May I challenged myself  to paint TEN 8x8 alla prima (one-attempt) panels inspired by my Norman's Farm CSA produce picks.   Why Did I Attempt this Challenge?  Four reasons: 1) I was a bit bored and wanted to test my limits to see if I would stick with a personal painting goal. 2) I wanted to improve my alla prima painting skills, as wet on wet paint sometimes turns to mush and practice, practice, practice is the only answer to becoming better at anything (my kids are so tired of me saying that).   3) I had a desire to create [...]