I wrote this post in May of 2007 -- more than FIFTEEN years ago. Wow! I have been blogging for a loooong time. I was a different person 15 years ago. Childless. Married to a different man. Living in NYC. Working in the theatre. Art as a hobby. And yet, I was the same person I am now -- inquisitive, thoughtful, approaching art through an intellectual lens, and always striving to improve. Despite the cringe-worthy reference to the New York Times article about a generation of sore losers, I feel like this blog post gets at so many things I... Read more →

Raise your hand if you're an art supply hoarder. I hope you find this post from November 21, 2018 useful. ---- I took a class this past weekend. The instructor had us do an exercise that focused on speed. When we were done she said, "Even if you don't like it, what have you lost? 5 minutes?!" The woman in front of me turned to her friend and said, "And wasted your fabric." That comment hit me like a silver bullet. I am an unabashed hoarder. I get how hard it is to let go of supplies you paid lots... Read more →

Hey friends! I'm taking the rest of the week off from the blog. Steve is out of town and I've got my hands full. While I'm busy chasing down a toddler whose main ambition in life seems to be to run away from me, I thought I'd share some great content from the archives. This post originally appeared on the blog on May 13, 2016. ------- I often post art journal pages that I've created or that other people have created and say something like, "I hope you see something that inspires you." But today it occurred to me: What... Read more →

I recently finished a series of three 5x7 mixed media collages. (You can grab one in my shop, if you're interested.) You can watch this overview video to see them come together: As I mention in the video, I started them for January's Book Club. This is what they looked like at the time of the Book Club recording: And here they are now: A few tips to take with you: Don't be afraid to cover things up. The layers and the texture are still there -- just in a more subtle way. Learn what things make your artwork "feel... Read more →

Way back in 2014, I designed this stencil, called Stones Divided: It is no longer manufactured, though you can grab the SVG cut file in my online shop. The design is so simple, and yet I love it. And lately I feel like I've seen a lot of these half-circles-that-make-a-whole kind of designs and I love them all. Check it out: source source source source source source source So the next time you're stuck for inspiration, why not try some half circles that make a whole? You can paint them, stencil them, collage them, stitch them, stamp them...there are so... Read more →

This post was originally published in August of 2012. I recently watched the auto-tune remix from one of my favorite childhood TV shows, Mr. Rogers Neighborhood: I had forgotten how much of the show was about using your imagination. I actually teared up a little watching this video. The lessons of kindness, courtesy, responsibility, and respect that Mr. Rogers espoused on his show, not to mention his encouragement to dream and imagine and play make believe, have stuck with me into adulthood. A day or two after watching the video I was still hearing two phrases rattling through my head.... Read more →

This sentiment is a cornerstone of my art practice. When I don't feel inspired (which is often), I make collage papers, do research, test out new-to-me products, scribble in my sketchbook, make Art Parts...and often inspiration hits me while I'm busy working. Inspiration feels a little bit like luck. You know the old saying? "You make your own luck." Luck is not a guarantee, just like inspiration. You have to work hard so that you're ready for it when it comes. This is how I developed my "Art Parts" theory. I make mindless parts for my art (backgrounds, embellishment clusters,... Read more →

This is a photo of the dining room of my house when we bought it: Looks great! Beautiful woodwork and I don't even mind the wallpaper. But six months later, this is what that same room looked like: Not because we wanted to move walls or change the layout. We had to take everything down to the studs because the structure of the house was no good. From plumbing to electrical to insulation to the foundation to the roof...the structure of this house needed to be repaired. It's easy to understand that structure matters in a house, right? No matter... Read more →

A client recently told me that she was overwhelmed by her art supplies and feeling paralyzed whenever she entered her creative space. I'll share the advice I gave her with you: And in case you're one of those people who never watches the video, here are the basics: Purge (in stages if necessary) Create "Supply Cards" Explore & Learn Remember, you are the boss of your art supplies and creating should be fun. Get rid of the things that make you feel bad or overwhelmed. Thanks for stopping by! --- P.S. THIS is the book I shared in the video. Read more →

Last January I wrote a long post about inspiration and how fashion designer Iris Van Herpen had inspired me to make several pieces of art. For example: When I was watching the Golden Globes Red Carpet on Sunday night, I sat up straight in my seat when Joey King walked out in a beautiful Iris Van Herpen gown. Lots of inspiration in that beautiful gown! But even more in this video from Iris Van Herpen's most recent runway show: What to do with this inspiration? Well, inspiration isn't a straight line. Ask yourself a simple question: What inspires you about... Read more →