This spring, I used my iPad, and the app Procreate to develop some painting ideas for a commissioned beach-themed artwork. Painting digitally is helpful because you can work with the client to try out different ideas without actually applying paint to canvas. You can easily go back and remove the changes with just a click of… [Read the rest of the post]
I’ve joined the “Painter Ladies”
I recently joined the National League of American Pen Women. The NLAPW is a nonprofit organization of professional women in arts, letters, and music that was founded in 1897. Our mission is to support and promote creative excellence and professional standards among women in the arts. I am participating with them in an art exhibition at the Waterside… [Read the rest of the post]
How does commissioning a painting work?
Have you ever wondered what is involved when commissioning a painting? Let me take you through the steps of how it works with me. Step 1: It starts with a simple conversation about what the client is looking for in a painting. This includes the subject matter, size of work, color scheme, and general style and… [Read the rest of the post]
You’re never too old to play
I’ve been thinking about the importance of play in art. I feel pulled in many different ways on a daily basis. There’s so much to get done – writing and organizing social media posts, updating my websites, applying for exhibitions and grants, nevermind painting. And what about family, bills, exercise, and a balanced life? I noticed one… [Read the rest of the post]
The importance of community
What a great response I got last month for showing how I created the painting Women’s March (yes, I finally named it). I thought I would give you another peek at the process of creating a recent painting titled Communities. My concept was to illustrate the importance of the communities in our lives. All of us are part of not… [Read the rest of the post]
My six “not so easy” steps to making a painting
I thought it would be fun to show you a step-by-step process of how I created one of my new artworks that will be hanging in my upcoming the show. Step 1: I usually start with an idea. In this case, it was illustrating the 3 R’s – reading, writing, and arithmetic. Next, I start by drawing some… [Read the rest of the post]
Step by step, how to rework a failed painting
Some paintings come easy, while others require a lot of work until I’m happy with them (or I throw them out). My painting Rock Garden was one of my more difficult pieces. On my first try, I ended up with this version. It had the elements of a strong composition with a clear focal point… [Read the rest of the post]
Creating a large painting from a small sketch
After developing some small paintings, I needed to figure out how to expand these ideas to fit onto bigger canvases. I initially thought it would be as simple as copying the idea onto a bigger surface. But I’ve found that doesn’t really work. The artwork seems flat without the original energy and inspiration that created the original small artwork and the work… [Read the rest of the post]
Working Small to Develop Big Ideas!
I’ve been wanting to start a new collection of larger canvases for a solo show I have scheduled in April. But before jumping willy-nilly into it, I thought it would be helpful to decide the conceptual direction of the work. Here, I created small paint sketches with slightly different ideas. I’ve got three different themes on this… [Read the rest of the post]
Planting seeds that grow into art
Stop by and see my mixed media painting “Garden Harvest” at the National Heirloom Expo on September 5, 6, & 7, 2017. “The World’s Fair of Pure Food,” also known as the National Heirloom Expo will be host to over 20,000 farmers and gardeners! The expo features over 300 vendors, including thousands of Heirloom varieties from across… [Read the rest of the post]
I’d rather shop for paper than clothes
I am not a big fan of shopping. Don’t get me wrong. I love getting new clothes, yummy food from the grocery store, or pretty new earrings. But I just hate the actual going to the store, picking it out, and paying for it. And living in New York City, that includes schlepping it home… [Read the rest of the post]
Delight your eyes and your palate!
If you’re in New York City this Friday, please join me at the opening reception of my art exhibition “Whimsical Worlds” at Corks on Columbus from 5:30 to 8pm. Corks on Columbus (between 74th and 75th St. on Columbus Ave.) is a wonderful wine store on Manhattan’s upper westside and they will be… [Read the rest of the post]
What's on your desk blotter?
I have a beautiful wooden desk in my art studio where I work on my computer, doing sketching and more. It’s too nice a piece to go with my paint splattered folding tables and Ikea bookshelves, but it didn’t fit in our New York apartment when we moved so I got to use it in my studio… [Read the rest of the post]
Feeling Blue? I know just the place for you
The color blue evokes serenity, spirituality, infinity. Lay back and look at heaven. The 5th chakra: the throat, voice and self-expression. Deep blues: singing, listening. Sea and shadow. Blue symbolizes the Virgin Mary. Krishna has blue skin. Fifty-three percent of the world’s flags have blue. It’s the color most commonly used in corporate identities. Miles… [Read the rest of the post]
The therapy of scissor work
I’ve struggled to create some work for my licensing company, Wild Apple, that I think they will like. I have sketched out and discarded a number of ideas. Nothing seems creative enough or unique enough to stand out from the competition. I finally realized that I’m going about it the wrong way. Instead of trying… [Read the rest of the post]
All that glitters is not gold
Nope, it’s silver! A silver bowl to be precise. Sadly, I’ve reached the age where I can’t read without glasses. I’ve bought a half a dozen pairs to have one in every room, but they all seem to end up on my bedroom nightstand instead. This table is already cluttered with an iPad, an iPhone, and a… [Read the rest of the post]
A glimpse inside my creative process
I started with the idea to create a set of matching paintings with lots of 3D texture. I love the soft, white flowers of the dogwood tree but realized I would need a colored background to make the petals show in the paintings. I’ve documented my painting process below. I will flip-flop between the two paintings as I forgot… [Read the rest of the post]
How to say "peace" in many languages
Patz, salaamata, huag totoka, rauha and taika all translate to “peace” in different languages (in order here…Spain, Ethiopia, Fiji, Russia, and Lithuania). In Sanskrit, “shanti” means peace and is often chanted three times in a row during meditation. The newest painting in my yoga-series is titled “Shanti”. I started the painting by gluing down broad… [Read the rest of the post]
What gift goes with a 25th anniversary?
Wild Apple, my art licensing company, is celebrating their twenty-fifth year of being in business. And while silver is the traditional gift for 25 years, I didn’t think that was going to cut it. Instead, Wild Apple nicely ask each licensed artist to create a celebratory post in their unique style to commemorate the big event…. [Read the rest of the post]
Downward Facing Dog anyone?
I fit in a couple of yoga classes while in Colorado for the holidays. This motivated me to start a new painting for my yoga inspired series which I began last year. I have four paintings completed so far and this will be the fifth. For this series, I start each painting by first picking out a Sanskrit word as… [Read the rest of the post]
Watch me make a painting – Step 4
The last couple of days, I have shown you a painting in progress. Today is the last steps where you see how I pull all the “randomness” together into a cohesive work. I retraced my original vine sketch to scale (24″ x 24″) to fit the dimensions of the painting panel and transferred it to the… [Read the rest of the post]
