Blog

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,...

One of the things I love about painting is seeing it unfold from inspiration to final expression. There are often many magical moments that happen in the flow of brush to canvas. Equally there are often experiences of oops, that’s not right. Patience and trusting the process are skills I have learned to hone...

Each of us has unique dreams longing to be expressed in the world. Sitting outside of Baynac Castle in southern France, I felt the pure energy of living a dream come true. Travel, painting, and holding space for others to explore their Creative Spirit are passions of mine. To be leading an art retreat...

Pausing to paint in the middle of a crowded market in Cahors, I took in more than the scenery, I met new friends. The owner of the produce stand before me brought her young daughter over to meet the artists. My friend and I were shown images in the girl’s personal sketchbook and we...