Let’s start our color journey with a fun and unusual way to make a watercolor picture. We’re going to do it without using paint or sheets of paper, and we’ll be using some of our drawing techniques before we start “painting”! You may remember a similar project, the Burst of Color art class, Read more…
As the 4th of July approaches, Independence Day here in the United States, I have had a strong desire to celebrate in an artistic way. Though my country has its complicated history, there are many ideals that I believe in. These are the things we have in common not just Read more…
The other day I was experimenting with a ruling pen, India Ink, a thin paint brush, and some 4X4 squares of multipurpose paper. Usually, I go into my artistic practice with some idea of what I’d like to do and am often using my time as a trial for one Read more…
As is usually the case with my artwork, it all began with an experiment. For years I’ve been practicing a technique using plastic wrap and watercolors, itself the result of experimentation. This combination creates a beautiful and unique finish, that I enjoy and am so comfortable with. But getting so comfortable Read more…
One of my favorite ways to create art, and art lessons, is to look around the house for unusual materials that can be used as tools. I like to find things that people might already have in their homes and repurpose them to make art projects more creative and hopefully Read more…
As much as I love art and seeing the work of other artists, I find it important to have a diverse pool of interests and inspiration. On Instagram, which has become one of my favorite sources of new ideas, I follow many gardening and farming content creators in addition to art Read more…
Happy second day of Fall! Here in Southern California, there isn’t much evidence of the changing seasons, but I’m getting myself in the spirit anyway. As someone raised in the Midwest, I look at photographs of the beautiful fall leaves with envy as my palms, pines, and pepper trees defy Read more…
Mark making has quickly become one of my favorite ways to create art. I know, I know, it seems like I say that about every technique or medium I teach. And it’s true! At one point or another, each artistic process is incredibly special. But there’s a bonus with mark making. Read more…
I find so much happiness and satisfaction exploring color in various ways and know that is a common experience of many artists. My students are always having fun in class choosing, mixing, and finding that perfect combination of color when presented with a wide array of materials. Professional artist friends Read more…
Sometimes I just want to do something that seems backwards, out of the norm. I had already experimented with the process of adding salt on top of wet watercolor, but I wondered what would happen if the salt was under the paper. For an experiment like this, watercolor paper would not Read more…