About a month ago, I started saving all the glass jars that we otherwise would have put in the recycling bin in order to create a slightly different take on the traditional Easter basket: an Easter candy Jar! Fill it with your treat of choice -- jellybeans, chocolate, Peeps, etc. Besides being super cute, it's actually a great way to keep the candy fresh in an infinitely resealable container! Here's the how-to: Supplies: clean empty jars stickers (or digital cutter, removable vinyl, & transfer grid) primer acrylic paint (plus paintbrush) candy optional: tweezers If you don't like the chalky finish... Read more →

We are almost half way through The 100 Day Project and I think that I have finally found my way. What I'm creating right now is not anywhere near what I thought I'd be creating for this project. Through experimentation, failure, frustration, and play, I have finally found something I'm delighted to be exploring: abstract art with botanical elements. You can see the evolution of that concept - in fits and starts - over the past week: I love, love, love this final piece. Like...LOVE it. I'm really excited to keep exploring and trying new things. I'm less excited about... Read more →

If you're new to Art Journal Every Day, the concept is simple: It's a commitment to take ten minutes each day to do something in your art journal. No need to finish anything or even like it. It's about making the time to nourish your creativity every day! If you have the time to flip through your phone, you have the time to Art Journal Every Day. If you'd like to share what you make, use the hashtag #artjournaleveryday so that we can all take a peek. You can find new Art Journal Every Day posts here on the blog... Read more →

I recently made myself a long concertina-style book to experiment in. I find myself wanting to create more abstract art and discover my personal abstract style. Because I'm in a learning phase, the struggle is real. And because I know that some of you struggle too, I thought it might be useful to share this video where I sat down to work on this spread 3 times and it changed dramatically each time. Here are the cliff notes: And here is the video: Monthly members have access to the real-time version of this video in the online classroom. :) Here's... Read more →

A woman named Joanne Hawker hosts an instagram event every March called, "March Meet the Maker." From the March Meet the Maker website: "Introduce yourself and your brand to the world, let people in behind the scenes of how and where you work and show everyone the various different aspects of running a small creative business!" Every March I've seen the posts, but I've never participated before. This month, I decided to take the leap. There is a list of prompts to help you with what to post each day: It's not too late to join in if any of... Read more →

If you'd like to make these super cute paper birds, you can visit my online shop to grab BOTH the SVG cutting file AND a printable PDF to cut by hand. Here's a video on how to put them together: I love how quick and easy these birds are to make! Thanks for stopping by! Read more →

We are 36 days into The 100 Day Project. About one-third of the way through the whole thing! Woo Hoo! Here's a peek at what I've been creating: I decided to count my mural painting towards this 100 day botanical art project: Thoughts: The little art journal has been working for me! It's a great size for getting something done in one sitting. Each double page spread is about 11" x 7.25." That said, I rarely actually finish a spread in one sitting. When I finish a project, I clean off my brush on an empty page or I throw... Read more →

If you're new to Art Journal Every Day, the concept is simple: It's a commitment to take ten minutes each day to do something in your art journal. No need to finish anything or even like it. It's about making the time to nourish your creativity every day! If you have the time to flip through your phone, you have the time to Art Journal Every Day. If you'd like to share what you make, use the hashtag #artjournaleveryday so that we can all take a peek. You can find new Art Journal Every Day posts here on the blog... Read more →

The town I live in is hosting a public art exhibit called "Yard Art." Everyone is welcome to participate by placing a piece of art in their yard from March 5 to April 2. I have been working on a large mural (almost 20 feet long) to wrap around the giant tree in our driveway. I'm using regular acrylic paint on top of tar paper (also called roofing felt). This mural took me several days of non-stop work. But I loooooved every minute of it. I miss working on big pieces. I am resolving to do more of it. Now... Read more →

I'm so delighted to share that I will be offering Design Boot Camp again this Spring: May 10, 2021 - June 7, 2021. This class is not for the faint of heart. This is a serious five-week art workshop that will challenge, inspire, encourage, and educate you! Do you have trouble articulating what it is that's wrong or "off" with a piece you don't like? Do you struggle with decision making while you're making art? Do you have trouble figuring out if a piece of artwork is done? Are you searching for the words and the language to be able... Read more →