For those who have been asking about free oil painting tutorials, here’s one for you!  I have been toying with the idea of starting a Patreon page where I can offer painting tutorials for a small monthly subscription to those who are interested, but I kept stalling on launching it.  The idea became more of a roadblock than an incentive for me to offer more painting tutorials and I’ve learned that when I’m dragging my feet on something I want to do, I need to go back to the drawing board and determine my hang-up.  I realized that it felt like too much pressure when my focus is diffused in this season of my business (working on my home, working on book proposals, writing this blog, painting for original art sales.)  I just needed to keep it simple and I can continue making painting videos and sharing what I’m learning

This is sort of turning into art week here on the blog.  There is just a lot happening with my artwork right now, so that’s what was in the hopper to share.  I do have some other home projects going on, though, and I’ll share some of those next week.  I really just need to take the time to get some photos of what I’ve been working on. Anyway, today I wanted to officially announce that I am offering commissioned paintings.  I’ve taken one or two here and there, but I always felt a little intimidated by them!  Actually, a lot intimidated!  But, I feel like I’ve grown as an artist both technically and in acknowledging my own abilities.  (It’s interesting that we have to nurture the ability to say, “Hey, I’m actually good enough to do this!”)  I feel more comfortable in my style and process and, while I

This is one of those you-just-never-know stories that goes all the way back to 2004 when I ordered a book from a home decor book club.  The book was called .  The cover of that book is unfortunate, but the interior is scrumptious.  I poured over that book and, almost 20 years later, it’s still a favorite home decor book to revisit.  The book features the homes and tips of shop owners, designers, and stylists.  And one of the shops featured in that book is Ekster Antiques. Fast forward to my first Lucketts Spring Market as a vendor in May of 2010.  As I milled around to look at other booths, I was so enamored with one particular tent that was filled with natural tones and European Antiques.  I snapped this picture, a little slice of the beautiful space curated and styled by Caroline of Ekster Antiques.  I didn’t make

The art side of my business has been slowly chugging along for a few years.  I go through spurts and seasons but didn’t really commit to producing enough to have regular art sales (about once every six weeks) until this year.  And, wow!  What a difference it’s made.  I know I shouldn’t be surprised that commitment and follow-through can have a significant impact on many aspects of growth, but it’s still surprising.  I find myself feeling more like an artist, like that might be the simple answer when someone asks what I do.  It’s not all I do, but it’s feeling more and more like it’s becoming the main thing I do.  Not only am I having regular art sales, but I am also getting more requests from clients who want custom work for specific projects or who would like to carry my work in their retail spaces.  More of

I intended to make new pieces available as prints on Society6 after each original art sale, but I got behind.  The truth is, I would rather paint and do a ton of other things rather than upload photos of paintings, and tag and categorize them for a few hours.  It’s not complicated, but it’s a repetitive task that isn’t very engaging.  But, I finally pinned myself down and added a bunch of new paintings – bunnies, water birds, landscapes, still life, and one of the dogs.  I didn’t add all of my paintings from the past few months, but I added some of my favorites.  If there was one that spoke to you and you were waiting for one to be available as a print, then just let me know! If you want to jump right to Society6 to see the new designs added, you can click HERE.  Society6 is