Moving forward with my ruling pen experiments, I decided to take on a subject loved by all, myself included. As seen in the video above, I drew the magnificent owl. In my classes, I often mention my “treasure box” of three-dimensional objects and materials, but I also have boxes and files 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…
Using watercolor as a background is the perfect beginning to so many artworks. The unpredictability and movements of colors will always give you a good base for your art. After seeing a photo of a with rolling hills and the impression of moving light within it, I had an idea 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…
I know I’m about a month late with this “Shark Week” inspired project, but since I saw the theme happening throughout my Instagram feed, especially within the homeschool community, I wanted to “swim” with it. After researching these amazing and feared creatures, I was curious as to how I could 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…
So many things could be placed as the definitive symbol of summer. Depending on where you live, this could mean ocean waves, palm trees, barbeque grills, popsicles, pool floaties, or even Santa Claus! But I think the summer symbol we can all agree on, the one we all have in common, Read more…
I have been enjoying experimenting with the vintage ruling pens I inherited from my father. Previously I used markers as the background to my artwork, which were different types of birds and insects, but for this new trial with watercolor paints I wanted to try something more abstract. For me, abstract Read more…