Fanna gave me permission to share a bit of our exchange as she purchased my painting, “If You Can’t See the Forest, Let Go of the Trees,” and the story behind the painting. Her email was so meaningful and I’m so honoured to be able to share part of it with you.
Read MoreYellow can be a favorite hue for creating sun-drenched beauty in watercolor, or a muddy disaster! If you’ve been struggling to mix and use this beautiful primary color, I have some tips to share that can help you choose the right yellows for your watercolor palette and mix and use them more confidently, with better results. Let’s explore!
Read More“Well, I guess I’m just not a loose painter.”
You’ve tried. You love the loose, intuitive style of watercolor artists like Jean Haines. You’ve followed tutorials and watched videos, but when you try to paint your own loose painting, you quickly fall into your usual habits. Detailed copywork of your reference photo, tight pencil sketches and muddy overworking seem to be an intrinsic part of your personal style, and you feel like it might just be the way it’s meant to be for you.
What style is for you? Can you choose your style, and when should you give up on pursuing the style you yearn to make your own?
Read MoreI think a good road trip is a lot like a good painting session. As we planned our Arizona vacation, many of our friends who had wintered in Arizona had advice on where to go and what to do. We did research, and made some plans, but once we set out, flexibility became essential from the moment we left home, as we started our trip with a canceled flight that tripled our travel time. Once we finally touched down, picked up our rental car and hit the road, we were not solely bound by the map and our game plan.
Read MoreDo you know how powerful your mind is? Our thoughts determine the choices we make and over the years I’ve become more and more convinced that mindset is the biggest determiner of whether you will succeed or struggle, and this is as true artistically as it is in other areas of life.
Read MoreEvery now and then I get an email from a student asking, Angela, I’ve recently lost a loved one and haven’t been able to paint since it happened. Do you think I’ll ever be able to paint again?
Read MoreI’ve been thinking a lot about one of the scariest words in life; transition. Transitions aren’t just about change; they are the process of bridging the gap between where you are and where you are going.
Read MoreI found my high school art portfolio, and it includes the very first watercolor paintings I ever did, and they are terrible; truly a testament to the power of practice. It's not magic that got me to this place where I love what I create, but many years of building skill in technique and experimenting to get closer to my heart.
Read MoreFrom February 4-25th, you can work through the lessons in Watercolour Workout with me. In the course, you'll receive a dozen exercises to help you think outside the box and paint more freely.
Read MoreAnnouncing workshops in Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec, Canada for August & September 2019.
Read MoreWe hope for a long time that "artist" is who we can be, but it's not until we see potential in our art that we feel we can own the title of artist. Somewhere along the way we create a painting and think, "Yes! This is art. I am an artist."
Read MoreWhen I stopped thinking, “I can’t paint that way because no one will understand it,” and just painted what made my heart happy, I found a freedom and joy that I’ve never wanted to lose.
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