- Happiness is . . . new work
As I've said before, I had been blocked artistically since the election in 2016. I knew I needed to find something that would blast me out of that place, and all of a sudden I remembered Phil Sylvester of The Drawing Studio. I've taken classes with Phil before, and I find his teaching style so different.
- Adding to my art collection
Vancouver’s First Friday is always a pleasure. When we had North Bank Artists Gallery, of course, we always participated in First Friday. Now that it has closed, being among those walking through the galleries is like visiting old friends. We saw many of the same people who most often frequent the gallery walks. But this
- Contemplation on a Color Palette
I have already talked about how I prepare my canvas for painting, but there’s another process that’s part of my routine that’s more meditation than anything. It’s mixing my colors in preparation to paint. For me (and it’s so funny because I was talking to someone about this recently) there’s a feeling you get when
- Prepping the canvas
I'm hoping this information helps new artists see what I do before I start painting.
- Revealed: the Inspiration Board for my Water series
You may have read my blog post about the inspiration for my latest series: The Shape of Water. Once inspired, I get very excited about finding items to put on my Inspiration Board. As I’ve also blogged about, I use the Inspiration Board to guide me throughout the series, keeping me rooted in my subject
- Artist’s block: Getting back to my studio
Some of you may relate to this, and others may not. But I took it very hard when Donald Trump won the election last November. What surprised me and, I suppose, threw me for a loop, is that I had no idea why he was elected. It seemed impossible. Now, that might send some artists
- Being an Artist is a feminist issue
Although I’ve been painting, selling my paintings and displaying them regularly in shows, even juried shows, for these past 20 years, there are times when I catch myself hesitating to call myself an “Artist.” Oh sure, I’ll happily call myself a painter, but Artist? Am I letting my ego get ahead of me? In talking
- Inspiration boards
You may have already heard me mention that I prefer to work in series. I like to immerse myself in a particular subject matter, almost marinating in inspiration so that I can then dive in and really plumb the various aspects of the topic. Part of that process has always been putting together an inspiration
- The Shape of Water has Inspired Me!
It’s been a while since I’ve been inspired to paint. There’s something about last fall’s election that has put a brake on my ability to paint, which I’ll talk about in a future blog. But I’m happy to report that while enjoying my 7,000th or so sunset on the porch of my beautiful Lake Owasco,
- A new event: Clark County Open Studios
I feel privileged to be included in the Clark County Open Studios event this year. This is a free self-guided tour open to the public. 50 artist studios in Vancouver are participating. This event is happening November 8th and 9th, 2014. This is the second year artists will open their studios to the public. It is a