I make it a habit to walk daily. Rain or shine in all but the harshest weather, I hook up the dogs and take to the path. There are a long list of artists who do this, so I am never surprised when I read of or speak to an artist who makes it a [...]. . . read more
Christmas is over, and it’s nearly time to ring in another new year. That means it’s time to take stock of everything you’ve achieved over the last year, and set goals for yourself for 2013. As an artist, you may find yourself being challenged by this task of goal setting.. . . read more
We artists can be a pretty shy bunch, especially when it comes to evaluating our own work. Sometimes we’d rather hide our art away in a cupboard than put it on display for people to judge. We constantly feel the need to tell people what’s wrong with our work. And networking?. . . read more
It isn’t my nature to paint in a loose style. Some would say that’s because I have perfectionist tendencies (my Maui friends would say it’s because I have three planets in Virgo) but whatever the reason, historically I have gravitated toward a tight, precise style. I’m. . . read more
As an artist or wanna-be artist you challenge yourself often, don’t you? Let me tell you how it is with me. If I’m not growing as an artist, I feel discontent. It’s mostly in my stomach, but in my whole being is restless. . . I find myself working less and less, and slowly I. . . read more
One of the ways I find new energy and creativity for my work is by discovering new works by other artists. I love stumbling upon a painting that I haven’t seen before, and when something particularly unique catches my eye, I just have to ask. . . who painted this? I especially love visiting. . . read more
In a recent interview where I asked 5 artists how they make a living from their creativity, one of the interviewees, Jonathan Hardesty (who is also an art teacher) happened to mention that one of the saddest things he sees is “someone who is 65 years old that comes to me saying. . . read more
Painting is a solitary activity. You can’t paint to your fullest potential while you’re “connected” to the internet and social media, or surrounded by people. You’ve got to unplug from that bombardment, at least for a while. . . read more
Somewhere in our subconscious, most of us keep a list of items we would like to buy for ourselves. As artists, these are often things that would further our creativity, or our artistic career. . . read more
Most artists take great care of their art making tools. . . that’s a given. But whether you are naturally creative, or have developed your talents through training, it’s just as vital to care for and nurture your creativity. . . read more
Some paintings have a story. . . this one sure does. It was my first in a series of paintings that I did en plein air just before the wheat harvest. I was in the fields along the Yumuna river in Noida, a city in Northern India. . . read more
It’s not the devil or poor lighting that kills the motivation to create. It’s LIFE. Life wears us down and we use it as an excuse. I have a history of talking to myself, explaining why today isn’t a good day to make art.. . . read more
When I was a kid living in New Jersey with my 3 brothers, it was a boy-dominated neighborhood. We had 2 older boys living on one side and 2 boys on the other. Thankfully, there was one other girl for me to play with, but it was a pretty rough and tumble, sports-oriented backyard. . . read more
Sitting on the school floor at the age of 5, I was momentarily distracted from the drawing I had just started. Turning back to my drawing, I immediately saw that the girl sitting next to me had switched my drawing for hers. . . read more