Art & Inspiration For Your Life
Imagine if you had access to an authoritative wisdom guide you could turn to at any time in your life. One who always has your best interest at heart. One who knows your desires better than anyone else. One who can provide answers, guidance and direction. One who offers comfort in times of grief...
Freedom lies in our ability to transform into that which we have forgotten we are. Some of the sweetest moments of our lives live in childhood memories. As we get older, the memories start melting away as our day-to-day routine ensues or as a result of any of the numerous obligations that come along...
Have you ever felt spiritually compelled to do something? This experience can feel like a gentle inner nudge, a reoccurring thought, or as though the Universe itself is holding a megaphone up to your ear and issuing a clearly stated directive. My own experience with writing and sharing my story has gone through each of...
What box(es) do you find yourself stuck in? When I first began my painting career full-time, I worked hard to define a personal style. I worked even harder to come up with that 2 minute elevator pitch to explain my style. For years I played within this self-defined box. One evening I met an...
Are you a go with the flow person, or do you like to feel more in control? Learning to lean into the cycles and rhythms of life is a true blessing. I mean, you can fight the rhythm if you like, I sometimes do. I forget and I panic when things don’t go the...
Vincent Van Gogh is quoted as saying, “If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.” These paintings of our cats hang in our hallway. To me they serve as another reminder of the power of breaking through creative blocks and...
You know that thing you keep saying you can’t do? What if you were wrong? What if you not only can do it, but you discover that you love doing it? This was my experience with watercolor paints. For years I told myself and everyone who asked (and some who didn’t) that I could...
I believe everyone is creative. That creativity can be used to express yourself in ways that bring joy, build self-awareness, and provide a sense of purpose. You don’t need an art degree, formal training, or fancy supplies. You don’t need 40 hours a week dedicated to the practice. You don’t need acceptance and approval...
Sometimes keeping things loose is where it’s at. There was a time in my painting career when I would have fussed over this painting long after my short plein air session. I would have brought it to the studio and polished off the lights, the shadows, and the textures. Likely I would have lost...
I find that the process of painting often teaches me. In the case of this painting of the commune Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, in south western France, it taught me to move past my comfort zone and try new things. After spending days trying to get the stone walls and red tile roofs perfect on these buildings,...
