Art has always been a fundamental part of my life, thanks to the incredible influence of my mother.
She was a true master, capable of drawing anything she saw or imagined and seamlessly merged reference images for clients. Whether taking commissions, exploring personal projects, sculpting, or experimenting with various mediums, she excelled in every artistic endeavor she pursued.
My mother’s artistic guidance was truly priceless. She shared genuine academic advice, teaching me the nuances of color theory and anatomy at a young age.
She would suggest using green in the shadows of portraits or adding purple to other types of shadows for depth and realism. She encouraged me to draw sheets of hands to improve my anatomy skills and to use my own reflections as references by posing in the mirror.
It was like going to an art school at the age of 6, hah. Back then, it seemed like too much. Now, I am beyond thankful.
Our days were filled with so much creativity, and looking back, it’s mind-blowing to me that I was creating that much art. We drew and painted countless works together, daily, and wrote many stories, and even published comic books for years.
We posed for each other, brainstorming and collaborating like an artist and apprentice. It was an extraordinary experience, living with a real master artist who nurtured my growth every step of the way.
Plus, the bond we shared over art was profound and deeply influential. Here is a photo of my mother from her high school days, featured in the school newspaper, showcasing her artistic talents and dedication. She also made dolls, doll clothing, and dollhouse items:
So, I can say my mother’s legacy is the foundation of my artistic journey. Her mastery, creativity, and unwavering support have shaped me into the artist I am today. When I think of the “why” behind my art, it’s hard for me to come up with a single answer. But I do know it’s who I’ve always been—it was a gift, passed down.
Harnessing the Power of Timeless Themes and Storytelling in Art
Art has this incredible ability to transcend time and evoke deep emotions, especially through timeless themes and storytelling. By drawing inspiration from the masters before us and looking to some of our most beloved characters, we can embody curiosity and wonder, creating works that resonate on a profound level. In my own journey, I’ve found that weaving timeless themes and rich narratives into my pieces not only enhances their impact but also creates a deeper connection with my viewers.
The Magic of Storytelling
Storytelling is at the heart of my art. Whether it’s through a series of connected pieces or a single, evocative image, I aim to tell a story that captivates my viewer’s imagination. One of my favorite projects, my reimagined “Little Red Riding Hood” collection, is an example of this. Set in the 1700s Rococo era in Germany, this series combines paintings for my book with the same name. With the whimsy of Disney with the enchantment of Hayao Miyazaki, I channeled my favorite storytellers. My protagonist, Rose-Red, embarks on a journey through a magical and dangerous forest, encountering challenges that test her wit and courage. By adding layers of narrative and character development, this collection goes beyond visual appeal to engage viewers in a deeper, more meaningful way.
Timeless Themes in Art
Timeless themes like love, bravery, transformation, and the natural world are universal and enduring. These themes are prevalent in the works of the masters and continue to inspire contemporary artists. My “Metamorphosis and Marvels” collection, featuring butterflies and moths, explores themes of transformation and renewal. Each piece in this series captures the delicate beauty and intricate details of these beautiful creatures, symbolizing growth and change. This collection not only celebrates the wonders of nature but also resonates with anyone who has experienced personal transformation.
Drawing Inspiration from the Masters
Studying the works of master artists has profoundly influenced my approach to art. For my “Studying the Masters”, a personal project, I recreated and reinterpreted pieces from artists like John Singer Sargent and William Bouguereau. This exercise allowed me to understand their techniques and storytelling methods a little better, through their amazing compositions and subject matter. By incorporating these lessons into my own work, I strive to create pieces that are not only visually stunning but also rich in narrative and emotion.
Using Popular Characters
Using popular and beloved characters from timeless stories is an excellent means to captivating the viewer – that sense of nostalgia and wonder comes into play. Characters that embody curiosity and virtue bring a unique charm to art, I think. My “Princess Bride Collection” is a tribute to one of my most favorite films, capturing the essence of its characters and their love and adventures. Through watercolors and graphite, I aimed to bring to life the humor, romance, and bravery that make the story so sweet and so timeless. I hope these pieces evoke nostalgia and joy, and fill viewers with a sense of magic.
Creating Connection Through Nature
Nature is a profound source of inspiration in my work. My “Garden” collection, a series of paintings of flowers and gardens, represents a spiritual journey of discovering peace and connection with the divine. Each piece is a meditation on the beauty and serenity of nature, inviting viewers to find solace and inspiration in the natural world. Similarly, my “Winter Animals” collection features owls, wolves, penguins, and foxes, capturing the majesty and mystery of wildlife in a winter landscape. These pieces celebrate the timeless bond between humans and nature, evoking a sense of wonder and respect for the world around us.
Excited to announce I’ll be starting LIVE drawing and painting sessions 7/10/24, and you’re all invited! Starting with little Bambi, because who wouldn’t want to be able to draw Bambi? The great thing about drawing this little cutie is that, you can actually use what you learn here to strengthen your skills of drawing realistic deer or any hoofed animals, because the anatomy is still there. Join me on Youtube this Wednesday to learn how to draw Bambi with my secret weapon… a vintage drafting tool! We’ll add a little watercolor for kicks, and see where this adventure takes us.
You may already know that I went through a pretty rough time when I got hacked. It was like a sudden whirlwind that took away my Facebook and Instagram accounts, leaving me feeling pretty well… devastated. It’s true what they say about living on borrowed territory in the online world.
Losing personal photos and videos was tough enough, but there was one memory that hit me especially hard. There was a video capturing my daughter’s very first steps, and like a buffoon, I had stored it on Facebook. I can’t help but wonder if it exists anywhere else, but I’m not sure at this point.
That’s just an example, but another big loss that hit me hard – my precious art community that I’d built back in 2020.
This group means the world to me. I had poured my heart and soul into creating a space for artists to come together and unlock their watercolor superpowers, because I understand what it’s like to crave community and guidance when the journey seems hard. But due to that stupid hacker, I even almost lost the group I had painstakingly nurtured.
Can you imagine the shock I felt when I regained access to my account and discovered that I was no longer the admin or even a member of my own group, but it was still up and running? It was a sinking feeling, to say the least. I wasn’t even sure how to join.
Now, here’s where things took a fascinating turn. As I explored the group page, I noticed that a new admin had taken over. And guess what? She actually approved my request to join! It was both perplexing and intriguing. Part of me wanted to reach out and explain that it was, in fact, my group all along. But I was worried about sounding ridiculous or raising hell, so I couldn’t muster up the courage to do anything.
In a twist of fate, just minutes after being approved, I received a message from the new admin herself. She explained that she had received a notification from Facebook stating that the group would be dissolved if no one took on the role of admin. So, out of a sense of duty and goodwill, she stepped up and became the admin until I returned… waiting for me. And then, in the kindest gesture, she graciously made me the admin once again.
EEEE :’)
Moments like these make me believe that there was something serendipitous about the whole event, as if it happened for a reason. After I lost everything, I really went through a lot of self discovery with my body of art and what I bring to the table.
It’s crazy how things unfolded, almost like pieces of a puzzle falling into place. It served as a reminder of the strength and resilience of communities too, and how sometimes, even in the face of adversity, unexpected connections and acts of kindness can bring us back to where we belong. She was just so nice about the whole thing, and I’m so thankful.
BTW, if you wanna join in, anyone is welcome! CLICK HERE to get all the goodness. I designed this group to be a pretty free environment where artists share their hearts and passions, but I also post tips, tutorials, and share inspiration. I just really want to cultivate a healthy playground for artists to thrive, connect, and grow <3
New paintings are now available in the shop! Ive been working hard on this new shop. It’s a lot different than my Etsy shop, but feels a lot cleaner and more professional. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you’ll see my shop is fully functional and synched there as well! Hoot hoot!
Nov 9th, 2022. I received an email from Meta stating my Facebook account was in violation of community policy standards and would be permanently disabled.
Well, that’s…. Confusing.
To say the least. I went on over to Facebook to check into matters further, only to be greeted by an intense page of MANY dings against my account and furthermore, restrictions. I couldn’t fully log into my account, couldn’t see or deny the accusations, and I couldn’t click any of the Facebook violation notifications to review their explanation. No options to contact anyone nor do anything.
Not gonna lie, I was beginning to panic at this point. What could I have done? There was that time I was put into Facebook-jail because I said, “I’m gonna have to give my hubby a good spankin'” (for dirtying the new stove), in what I thought was, a teasing manner. Or maybe one of my candid videos of my hippie kids with barely any clothes on. Uhhh…
Well, it wasn’t long before those first emails were followed up with copious more, saying “Your ads have been approved” along with thumbnail-previews, and bills for ads. All in Thai. That “I” had scheduled(?)
YEP. I WAS HACKED. BIG TIME.
It also wasn’t long before I realized my instagram was shut down too. Meta does own them both. But my emails were showing suspicious activity in my twitter, TikTok, iheartradio, and others.
Couldn’t get password reset codes to function either. Last I knew, the bills were up to over $500, but the account was hooked up to some outdated card resulting in denied payment. Praise the LORD. I even received one payout for the ads of $100, before I straight-up ditched all accounts out of pure and unadulterated paranoia – so now…
…I’m basically starting over. Yippie.
Let me tell you something – besides losing half my business, friends and following, losing 12 years of photos + video of my family and kids upset me worse. I’ve lost photos before, and I’ve lost business before, but honestly, my more-than-decade-old accounts (yes, I was there the day Facebook and instagram STARTED) had become a backup of many of my lost keepsakes and documentation of my life spanning 12 years.
What is the answer to all this? Nothing, really. Getting my accounts back would take investing in lawyers and grueling efforts starting court cases and speaking directly with state officials to see if *perhaps* something could be done.
So, my solution for myself is to quickly get back on board and catch up to where I was, no, and hopefully even more. Maybe not drag my feet so much, and get this master course of mine finally launched for you guys…
This experience has been so surreal. Not to mention, traumatic. Like a heavy dream with surprises at every corner that makes your belly churn. Something seemed against me. Even coming back, I’m getting constant DMS and comments asking if I am the real ME, and to prove myself. Can you imagine?
…I also want to share one more part of this wacko story… which made everything seem so utterly crazy. But who likes a blog post that goes on and on? I’ll share that next…
When I consider the importance of practice, I think back to my days as a barista + baker working at a local café near my hometown. It was a rough experience to say the least and I’m still letting go of all the drama I experienced there. Now though, I can say it was worth it, because something magical I learned was… the power of practice.
…I still remember having such a strong desire to make fancy coffees during that time, knowing that if I could just make a lot for practice, I’d get much better at pouring latte art – which was a personal passion I played with at home on my own espresso machine. But only making 1-3 cups a day for myself, I just couldn’t get in enough experience to master the beautiful latte art of my dreams…
So, I looked for a coffee house to join and improve my skills. Yep, I’m that into coffee…
…When I found a barista job, I did indeed witness the impact making hundreds of coffees in a day had on my ability. It wasn’t long before I could pour perfect and beautiful latte art every time.
Customers would look into that warm cup of joe and find a lot of joy in the hearts and rosettas that greeted them. I felt so much pleasure in that connection…
My job also landed me an exciting opportunity to make coffees at IU, where I treated recruiters and office personnel with specialty coffees. That was a lot of fun!
I also took it as a chance to practice my rusty drawing skills. I drew whimsical designs on all the cups… giving them out was a lot of fun, and it was a great method of forcing much needed practice…
…After a while, the staff invited me to work in the back as a baker as well. I was amazed by the intense artistic touch that went into decorating their signature cupcakes… gorgeous icing flowers and elaborate designs that introduced me to a whole new form of art.
I was driven to pick it up. My first attempts were at best, adequate. But I practiced copious amounts of cupcakes every shift and each design brought me a little closer to aesthetic presentation. I was committed to filling the pastry case with sweet and beautiful works of art. And… I really enjoyed it.
..Every cupcake was made as if it should be my best, but even when it wasn’t, I didn’t dwell… I pressed forward with the next cupcake until my skills caught up and I was eventually one of the best in the bakery.
I was even invited to participate in the annual wedding show where we showed off our designs to advertise the business.
…I learned a lot through my experience. I learned that practice only has impact when done in quantity, with intention and structure. Quality is a result of that process.
In the book, “The Science of Rapid Skill Acquisition”, Peter Hollins states that any skill can be learned quickly by applying specific principles of focus and strategy.. quantity over quality, until quality forms itself – I agree.
…Fast forward and back to subject, I’ve taken on a drawing mentor since rediscovering art in my life. You see, I am not a confident person by nature and I crave the drawing skills it takes to be able to paint any subject… so I figured some instruction may be in order.
Lessons with my mentor remind me of Daniel from The Karate Kid. Monotonous drills that do not seem to have a lot of purpose. Endless amounts of charcoal gradients, complex shapes, and steadying my line-work are both tiring and frustrating exercises that he’s had me do daily.
Guess what. I’ve been seeing the benefits unfold before my eyes…
I gotta say, when I see artists practice exercises like brushstrokes or lines, more often than not they complete a small page of various sorts all together, move on, thinking they got about as much as that exercise can offer.
…But that just is not the case. Said artist should put out hundreds, even thousands of each exercise to actually benefit. And each exercise should be in order and repeated in an identical and structural manner, so you may compare the current practice to the last.
Which reminds me of the day I moved all over my upsettingly large 19”x25” sheet of paper with gradient exercises, sometimes at the top of the page and others near the center or bottom. That is so me… completely ADHD and bouncing around all over the place…
My mentor had me slow down and start from the top lefthand corner of the sheet the next round, and work my way down in rows in an organized manner. Then I repeated the exercise on the back. Then another sheet, and then the back. And then another sheet… and even now, my mentor has me doing them every day.
He also had me do this with complex shapes, which I mirrored from templates and repeated many times, along with other exercises which I repeated as well… no rulers, erasers, or tracing allowed.
And it hit me. Practice means nothing unless it’s delivered in a strategic, methodical manner. You must fulfill the exercise in a committed way, as if that particular exercise will be delivered to a customer. But do not dwell on the specific outcome, press forward quickly and repeat.
…Might I also mention that when that I started learning guitar during my teens, I learned through scales and sheer repetition in order to play my favorite songs…
…so just like decorating one cupcake, and pressing forward to the next, and the next, and the next. Just like the coffees, pouring one and then another. And just like scales on the guitar…
There is enormous power in this form of practice, and you can apply it to any exercise you’d like.
Art is exactly the same way. One sheet of lines or brushstrokes has little impact on your skill set. One or two portraits follows the same principle…
When I wanted to practice wet in wet techniques with skin color, I chose a subject and repeated it many times since understanding the structural design of a proper practice session. The example above of my daughter is one of many sheets I attempted. My children are my favorite muses so I enjoy painting them, and it’s easy to put in the excessive amount of work it takes to develop a formula.
I learned a lot through this exact exercise. I learned that I prefer less glazes and to increase the paint mixture with every additional wash. It taught me to pay close attention to the consistency of paint in the mixture.
According to the master watercolor artist Marcos Beccari, a formula of tea-milk-honey consistencies coincides with a light-mid-dark value approach.
When you’ve pushed through and practiced many times, you become desensitized to the results and simply move forward. Being less attached to the outcome allows you to learn more abundantly.
Then, you can attempt a final painting having a lot of experience beforehand… knowing exactly what you want and how to achieve it.
In conclusion, if you want to improve your lines, brushstrokes, or even portraits and landscapes – you can’t bounce around or practice different styles… you must apply this form of practice many many times to the very same subject in a committed way without dwelling on the individual subject, and you simply must press forward in quantity to reach quality.
Good luck my friends, enjoy the process for that is where you develop your style, methods, and confidence!
At the end of any phase, should come a deep and reflective pause. After struggling with severe depression this season, I finally feel like the the clouds are parting and the sun is shining down on my spirit…
I know I’m not alone in this feeling. I’ve been seeing many others struggling too… it’s mind blowing how the world seems to be falling apart. I for one, have experienced more disappointment than I can bare – deaths in the family, job loss, moving back in with my parents, nothing working out as it should or rather, as I wanted it to with our house building project, my art career and total resistance all over the place. I’ve felt so powerless, angry, shame, torn down, and hopeless…
…My silver lining is knowing that this sort of adversity often inspires great changes and growth. I’ve never understood the purpose of life like I do now, which I’m quite sure is just to feel whole and happy, and to live in the NOW and to love and to feel loved…
Have you heard of the effects of color psychology? My medicine during this difficult time has been to paint (a lot) of the color blue, which research suggests is soothing to our senses. I can only guess it is because we instinctively link the color to beautiful skies, an oasis and tropical waters.
I found the best way is to paint under these sort of emotions is spontaneously, without fretting over the outcome… but to feel the calming sensation of blue skies and water. Where nothing exists, only peace. These pieces are not often our best works, it is the process that heals… not the results.
If you are looking for a way to cope with depression or anxiety, I can vouch for the effects this ritual has had on my emotions. Use this in cohesion with any tactics you already have – a cup of tea, CBD, or prayer/meditation. This has been incredibly powerful in my life to cool down my frustrations… and when you aren’t so attached to the outcome, you simply feel the flow of water and paint… the connection is real and true and feels spiritual.
To paint your own healing blue skies with soft and fluffy clouds, try watercolors – which I believe is the most magical medium. I’ve attached a helpful video below with a step by step process… enjoy!
I recently took a poll in my StrawberrySparrow FB group, asking what holds YOU back as an artist… is it money? Is it Tools? #1 answer was simply FEAR, and a close-second was a lack of a dedicated creative space…
(My daily palette and Oui jars for water)
…One of my members was actually the one who added the option, and boy, it struck me. This is something I too have struggled SO hard with over the last…. well, forever. So much so that I rarely photograph my work area because it seems so insignificant.
…The only time I had a good office space was when I was running my little vintage retail business online and had a great home-office dedicated to it at the time. But art was in the background of my mind then, and when we moved and I sold off my inventory I haven’t had a great space since.
At out last home, my office was literally a closest – converted into a great little artist nook. I loved it. My husband made me a tracing tabled and it was really all the space I needed and I didn’t mind sacrificing space because it was adorable and in our bedroom, in my safe place…
Now that we are building a home, and we are not settled in yet, I went from having an area the size of my end table (that’s what it was) for a little while, to now having this wall. I do feel a little more freedom that before but I understand all too well what it’s like to suffer artist-anxiety when I have to pull everything out, or move it to the kitchen table, or drop my brushes and not being able to have the light on because, family.
Vintage file, tiered cart and mason jars for brushes
Still, I’ve learned a trick or two because the struggle is real, and I wasn’t about to let a lack of a sacred creative space hold me back. If I kept waiting for enough space to make my life easier, I wouldn’t have been painting for the last 6 years…
…When I had my smallest space to work in, I bought a table easel to hold my essential supplies in. It’s small, but holds a lot. I love that I can adjust the easel and store my art inside. I loved this thing and used it as my little portable office… It really did hold pretty much everything I needed.
(I don’t use it as much now but occasionally I will when I am working on multiple paintings)
I bought this table easel from ebay on the cheap!
My biggest advice is to get unconventional with storage. Use jars, cigar boxes, tupperware, letter holders, portfolios, shelves, carts, boxes, totes, picture frames… If you don’t have a lot of space, good storage and using the vertical options of the walls are key.
..Go through all your things and think, how can I make my space sacred to ME, to make ME want to paint… and by getting all of the most important tools out in the open so you are invited to sit down and paint. Your space needs to be open and ready for you 24/7…
Find ways to store supplies that don’t take floor space. I used a letter holder for packing and hung clipboards with current projects.
My mini assistant. She helps with absolutely everything!
It’s ok if your space is small.. And it’s ok if you don’t have everything you need and have to wait on your dream studio. What you need, is a spot where a piece of paper or open journal can lay, with a small water jar, brush, pencil, and a couple of paints beside it. Start there… and add your favorite little touches to make it meaningful and cozy. You’ll be surprised by how much you love your teeny tiny creative space 💖
