Art Can Help Us Through Times of Loneliness
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: Like many of you, I’m feeling some anxiety in this time of uncertainty. When I lay down to go to sleep at night, there are a host of thoughts and anxious questions that start reeling through my mind. These questions need to get set...
Why I’m Obsessed with High Flow Acrylic Paint
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: Students frequently ask me about high flow paints, and why I like them so much. I thought it was an excellent question and wanted to share why I’m obsessed with high flow acrylic paints with you as well. Let me first say a word or...
Layered Art Journal Pages
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: I thought it would be fun to give you an idea about how to work in a “process oriented” way in your art journal. It’s time we kicked perfectionism to the curb! Let’s focus on finding the joy in making art again....
Art Alchemy Is Open for Registration
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: At the end of 2019, I thought about what I wanted to offer in 2020. I thought about what you needed most in your art practice. I thought about what I needed too. And as I reflected on your feedback in classes, the blog, social media, and...
Drawing Beautiful & Imperfect Faces
If only you give your portraits a chance to exist – imperfectly, beautifully, just like us – they will take you magical places.
Best Gifts for Artists 2019
Each year I compile a list of my favorite art related supplies for the year. This year I’ve included supplies to help you make art on the go, empower your artistic voice, decorate your home with original art, and finally take that class with me that you’ve been dreaming about. These are the best gifts for artists in 2019.
Finding Your Creative Spark
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: Today I have the pleasure of sharing a lovely podcast interview I did with Suzanne Redmond, of The Left Brain Artist. You may be familiar with this podcast already, as Suzanne has a thoughtful, easy-going style and has interviewed some of...
My Art Book Wish List 2019
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: Each fall I compile a list of my favorite art books. My hope is to inspire you to keep your world brimming with creative inspiration and encouragement, as I find this is an essential part of feeding my own art practice. This year,...
Perfectionism is Ruining Your Art Practice
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: Lately I’ve been thinking about the importance of finishing things, and it’s relationship to perfectionsim. I don’t know if this happens to you, but sometimes I look around and notice I have about 6 or 7 art pieces in...
Why Creative Gatherings Matter
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: I am writing to you today, just FILLED with creative joy! I’ve just returned from The Gathering of the Creatives in Santa Fe, NM. I want to reflect with you about why creative gatherings matter. For starters, look at the faces in...
100 Ways to Fill Your Sketchbook
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: Figuring out what to do when you sit down to create can sometimes feel overwhelming. Keeping a sketchbook is a great way to cultivate your ideas and turn them from seeds into something inspiring. I did that recently, as I set out to use...
What’s In My Travel Art Kit
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: I am really passionate about making art on the go. Whether I’m camping for a week in the woods, in NYC for the weekend, or waiting in the doctor’s office, a travel art kit helps me put so much more art play time in my life....
Creating Mindful Art
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: I am always fascinated by the topic of paying attention and inspiration as an artist.The more I pay attention with a curiosity, and a sense that, yes, I WILL see or experience something that inspires me, the more I do gather inspiration....
Be More Curious, Make More Art
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: How does curiosity relate to art making? I think there are a number of ways, and I’d like to show you some of my paper cut journals to illustrate how you can be more curious, and make more art. Curious Artists Indulge in Really...
Get Inspired with Paper Cutting Artist Carol Held
Get inspired to do paper cutting when you see the work of paper cut artist, Carol Held.
5 Ways to Fill Your Sketchbook
Use these 5 simple methods to fill your sketchbook, gather your ideas, and improve your drawing skills.
Paper Cut Art Journal Tutorial
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: There is so much that’s beautiful and intriguing to me about a paper cut art journal. You might remember that I did my first one a few months ago, and shared it in this post. Now that I’ve begun my second one, I thought it...
Making Art with Simple Materials
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: When was the last time you felt completely engrossed in your creative process? Lately I’ve been incredibly engrossed in my art, making art with simple materials. I’d like to help you imagine the same for yourself. In your...
How to Develop Your Artistic Style
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: Here’s what I most want you to know about how to develop your artistic style: you can’t force it. When coaching clients and students tell me they want to develop a style, I suggest that what they need is not a style, but a...
5 Ways to Begin (and Finish) an Art Journal Page
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: One of the most common issues that folks run into when they first start trying to keep an art journal is how to begin an art journal page. Some people have too many ideas, some have none at all, and lots doubt their artistic ability. Art...
Top Mindful Art Journaling Ideas to Inspire and Calm
Dear Wonderful Creative You: I’ve been looking back at what I and my students have accomplished in 2018. This year, I wanted to spend more time with you in “live” online classes. We did that in Spring, Summer, and Fall sessions of Diving Deep....
My Holiday Gift Guide for Artists 2018
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: I like to make my holiday gift guide for artists based on what I’m excited about at the moment. This year I thought I’d create some little kits for you inspired by the projects I’ve worked on this year. You...
Art Books to Change Your Life, Inspire Your Work, and Move You to Create
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: Art books changed my life. My favorites have beautiful pictures, inspiring quotes, and generally give you permission and support to be your weird, wonderful, self and let it show in your art. This year I closed my art therapy...
Art Journaling When You Feel Sad
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: One of the questions I get asked most is how to art journal when you feel sad. My art journal has been a great source of comfort and self-understanding for years. I’m blessed to be able to share my techniques here. I’m hoping...
My Brooklyn Sketchbook Project Journal
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: I’ve been interested in cutouts and layering in my art journals for quite a while. It started with my class, Fluid Art, where I create tunnel journals. Soon I started using my cutouts as collage, as I teach in my new class...
My Completed Collaborative Art Journal
Dear Wonderful Creative You: Tomorrow I am off for my annual art retreat for the next several days, so I want to leave you brimming with ideas for YOUR creative life. Connection with other artists is one of the most nurturing things I do for my creativity. An...
Let’s Make Some Inchies!
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: Join the Inchie Challenge! You’ll get my free Inchie Workbook, and from August 20 – 31st I’ll be sending prompts and inviting you to create small art. For this challenge, we will be creating art that...
Fluid Art Journaling Pages
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: This week I had the pleasure of spending some time with you on Facebook Live to create some fluid art journal pages. I wanted to show you how I used mark making and layered paint to create intuitive images on this fluid art...