Mother. Wife. Interior designer. Equestrian. Trail runner. Woman. These are all titles that have been easy for me to claim. Some come with respect. Others are adventurous. But I always had a hard time telling people I was an artist. I spent
Art for Life
Living life as an artist is a practice. You are either engaging in the practice or you're not. It makes no sense to say you're not good at it. It's like saying, "I'm not good at being a monk." You are either living as a monk or you're not. We tend to think of the artist's work as the
Patriarchy and Trees
For as long as I can remember, I’ve felt a pull to the mountains. As a little girl, they scared me. I’d walk to the edge and turn around to the home my father built. The trail was thin that slid into the dark timber and disappeared. You’ll be swallowed too, I’d think. When the town I
Books Every Creative Needs to Read
I'm an avid reader. I credit that habit leading to every good thing in my life. Today I want to list 5 of the must-reads every creative needs to read: The War of Art and The Artist's Journey by Steven Pressfield. “Are you paralyzed with fear? That’s a good sign. Fear is good. Like
The Critics
Self-worth is an inside job. There will always be someone who doesn't want what you have to offer. How often do we think of them? I do more than I should. They are endless. I'm not even sure focusing on the invisible person that needs our work is helpful either. Sometimes it leads us
A List of Faustian Bargains
Cell phonesHorsesParenting (coupled with a career)IB Profen (and anything stronger)Running as we ageMowing the lawnPress I haven't yet decided if art or religion make the list. The question is always this: what are we willing to trade in order to do something else?
The Pursuit of Perfection
I like to call myself a "recovering perfectionist." Years ago I realized it was one of the reasons I wasn't making art. My talent wasn't matching my aspirations. Creating felt like a burden, not a blessing. I combatted that by starting the practice of daily painting (or painting when
Creative Effort
Where does it come from? Why do we have it? "Robert Henri once said that art is not actually intended but is the result of a desire to express, and a need for appreciation. To these factors may be added the enjoyment of nature and an instinctive desire to excel. A desire to excel or attain
Cadmium Red vs. Alizarin
I'm back. It's been crazy. Who would have thought 2020 would be one of my busiest years to date? I had a question pop up about Cadmium Red vs. Alizarin Crimson, so I thought I'd share today. First, be aware that different brands vary, and this information I'm sharing comes from my experience