In the Studio

I have yet to discover a good, affordable brush. I can, however, tell you what brand NOT to buy. Don't buy Blick's acrylic brushes because they are terrible. As soon as you use them they completely lose shape and the hairs get all frayed and look as if they've been used for years. The quality is about the same as a set of student brushes I bought for a children's party. But the Blick brand was much more expensive. In fact one of my favorite brushes to use is a cheap flat brus

I stumbled on Heidi Annalise's tiny art out of old Altoids tin boxes and became completely enamored. I was intrigued with Annalise's method because she uses oil which is similar to acrylic, the medium I use. She shows how to make one of these tins in this article, where she also gives credit to the amazing artist Glenn Dean, where she got the idea from. Using an Altoid tin for a travel paint kit is a pretty common concept for watercolorists. You can find tons of information o

When I have some free time, I like to watch art technique videos on YouTube and one of my favorites is Jane Davies. She offers paid online workshops as well but, her long list of free YouTube videos are extremely helpful and cover a wide range of topics. She focuses on everything from mixing colors to collage techniques to mono printing. Her medium is mostly acrylics and her style is very free and abstract. I like how her videos are simple and easy to follow. Even if your sty

When I first started painting, mixing colors was one the most frustrating challenges. I didn't know what I was doing so, I was wasting a lot of paint. I understood the basics of the color wheel but, I couldn't get the more elegant and sophisticated colors that I wanted. Especially when working on a landscape, a particular shade of green or brown could really change the intent of the painting. I started looking for books and classes and over time, every little bit of advice he

I'm taking a break from the portraits because I have an itch to scratch. I've really been wanting to rework some of my old abstracts so, I put the portraits away for now. I started with this original 30" x 35" painting that I did about a year ago. I liked the simplicity of it at the time but, I was ready to change it completely. So, I went in on a Saturday to just play and this is what resulted. It was interesting but, something about the left side really bothered me. I didn'

A distinctive point of view that is recongizable ​and unique to yourself. We all have it, but why is it so hard to translate to our work? I am in admiration and envy of those artists who have figured out how to send their voice clearly through their work. So, that when you look at a piece, you can tell right away it is by them. Especially artists that can do this in many varied styles and mediums. I was thinking of this while listening to KCSM's special program on Nina Simone

I found myself with lots of time this weekend. The kid had multiple birthday parties and it was a long weekend. I worked hard during the week and was able to catch up with all my grading. Nothing like having time. So I used my time to do something I love, and paint something I love. The above painting was mostly completed in one day. It's the second portrait of this size. The first (on the right) didn't turn out so well, but I learned a lot in the process. After reading a few

How much stress do you need to be productive? In class, on Friday, we talked about how stress is necessary. You need it to be at your best and part of success is figuring out how much stress you need to be productive. Too little and you are likely to become bored and depressed. Too much can lead to total meltdown. Last week was about figuring out a formula that works for me. At the beginning of the year I had grandiose plans to be super productive. I had a schedule that consi

Starting a new series based on photos I took in Japan. It's a nice change from the abstracts I was working on before I left. #japan #candyagogo #painting #acrylic