Visiting art is one of my favorite things to do. Pre-baby and pre-pandemic (aka pre-2020), I visited a museum... ...or a gallery or an exhibit of some kind weekly. I visited museums in other towns... ...in other countries... I sought out street art... ...and attended classes and art talks... ...and lots of events at art museums. I went by myself... ...on dates... ...with friends... ...and with my family. But now…I’m lucky if it’s once every two months. So, I’m working on changing that and getting back to weekly art adventures because they fill me up. (And, actually, I have to... Read more →

I am continuing my 12-week journey through The Artist's Way. It's a bit of a bumpy ride, but I've developed a personal motto for the journey: take anything that will make me 1% better. There have been some outstandingly fabulous conversations along the way. Here are the replays of weeks 2&3 for you to watch: At the end of week three, I feel like I have a grasp on the big picture -- at least from an intellectual perspective. Here is my very type-A personality "what's the point" analysis of the book: Morning Pages are a path towards Meditation and... Read more →

Have you heard of Sketchbook Revival? It's a FREE online workshop with more than twenty-five FREE sketchbook classes and I'm delighted to be one of the teachers this year! In my class "Custom Color Collage Grid," I'm demonstrating some simple gelatin printing and then showing you how to use a grid design to create a gorgeous monochromatic collage in your sketchbook, like these ones: In case you don't know, gelatin printing is a form of relief printing that I am obsessed with! You use a gelatin plate to transfer layers of paint onto paper or fabric and create a monotype.... Read more →

Another season of Design Boot Camp has come and gone. It was intense, powerful, exciting, exhausting, frustrating, exciting, emotional, and went by in a flash. I had a wonderful group of artists to share the journey with and I look forward to seeing what they do with everything we learned. Each year I tinker with the class a bit -- adding things I now know, cutting things that no longer excite me, moving things in the schedule around, adjusting assignments and instructions.....I'm always trying to make it the best experience possible for each and every student. One of the many... Read more →

I wasn't sure what to expect from Book Club yesterday. I went in feeling kind of blah about the book and the next twelve weeks, but I came away super energized by the wonderful group of artists who came to chat about the book. I appreciated each of us having a unique take on the book and our own ideas to share. Not one person shied away from speaking their mind, each one of us felt comfortable and confident enough to express our views. It was a real treat to listen to the perspectives of those around me and to... Read more →

This year, for my 100 Day Project, I have chosen to work on my stash of Art Parts. (If you're not familiar with the 100 Day Project, it's a simple challenge: commit to creating something for 100 days, and see where it takes you.) I chose Art Parts and stated my case as to why in this short video: And now, here's days 1-11: The biggest takeaway I have from the first eleven days is: I have already embraced the Art Parts methodology and doing this 100 Day Project pretty much just involves photographing or videotaping myself doing it. It's... Read more →

I stumbled across some images of "interleave quilts" and I couldn't stop obsessing. The vivid, dynamic designs, the meticulous craftsmanship and intricate detailing, the glorious colors – all these combined to draw me in and make me want to learn more. source In its simplest form, interleave quilts are composed of two pieces of fabric that are sewn together in a pattern of continuous strips. Sometimes, the quilts will include a discernible shape or shapes. This optical illusion can be used to make the quilt look even more intricate. source And being me -- a curious explorer of all things... Read more →

I stumbled upon this video from Monica Maldonado on YouTube. I kept saying, "Yes!" throughout the video because I agree so much with everything she talked about in her voiceover. In fact, most of the classes I teach are rooted in a similar philosophy of discovery. Watch the video for more: To summarize: Style is what an artist uses to make their work recognizable. It can be a brush stroke, a technique, a subject, etc. Voice is how someone expresses an idea or feeling with their work. It's more than just style. Style and voice are different for everyone. We... Read more →

Hey friends! Where did February go? I know it's a short month, but I feel like it disappeared way too quickly! Notable Family Event We had a double playdate with two families from my son's preschool. It was tons of fun and we learned how to make "smash cookies," which are such a brilliant idea! In essentials, you make sugar cookie dough balls. Then you give each child a container full of sprinkles. They put the dough ball into their container and mash it into the sprinkles until it's covered. Then you put the balls onto parchment paper and "smash"... Read more →

I was reading one of my favorite fashion blogs yesterday and saw an Alexander McQueen collection in which the textiles are inspired by "The Garden of Earthly Delights" by Hieronymus Bosch. And here is one piece from the collection: You can see more photos HERE. Also yesterday, by coincidence, my Mother sent me a link to a New York Times article about Louis Vuitton using Joan Mitchell's artwork in their advertising campaign even after the Joan Mitchell foundation said, "No." They have a blanket policy that they don't license her artwork and it can only be used for educational purposes.... Read more →