Color charts, value guides, paper palettes, books on artists’ processes — in this video I offer my collection of essential painting resources, references and painting aids to make it easy for you to achieve the results you want in your abstract painting. Please click here or on the video below to watch. One of my […]

Sometimes a painting isn’t “working” and you’re not sure why. Is the composition unbalanced? Isthere too much yellow? Is there not enough contrast? Much of the work an artist does involves creative problem solving and becoming adept at problemsolving will lower your frustration and help you develop your painting skills more quickly. Click here to […]

Would you ever think of using a CD rack as a tool for painting? It’s not just traditional paint brushes that you can use to paint with. Sponges, bamboo skewers, pipe cleaners and, yes, CD racks. There are lots of different tools that can be used for applying paint to a canvas and each tool […]

Yes, a great artist can do a lot with a simple No. 2 pencil.  But even the great ones find that some styles and media suit them better than others.  And one’s preferences may change.  When health issues afflicted Henri Matisse in the 1930s and he could no longer paint he turned to collage and […]

Imagine your task is to fill a 20×40-foot space with art and collectibles that are fresh and different from what you offered at the previous show.  That’s a challenge I’m currently dealing with — and greatly enjoying — in getting ready for the upcoming antiques and collectibles show at Round Top, Texas. In this video, […]

Every artist desires inspiration to generate ideas for the things they create. But how or where does one get inspired? Inspiration can be found in a variety of unexpected places. You simply need to know how to seek out ideas that stimulate and spark vision into your future creations. The good news is that inspiration […]

What to do you do when you want to start a painting, but you can’t seem to come up with any ideas? What if you could get an endless amount of inspiration from simply playing? Playfulness lightens everything up, so you’re not bogged down with what is right or wrong. When you view painting as […]

We all have the ability to create abstract artwork that makes unique visual connections for ourselves, and those who view our artwork. In fact, abstract art gives you the freedom to create artwork by trusting your intuition. I find abstract painting allows artists at any level to freely express their creativity as they explore the […]

Finding ideas for inspiration is something we all desire. Collecting color swatches and patterns will help inspire you as you create your works of art. From beginners to seasoned artists— we all need a collections resource book to reference while we work. Using this type of tool will help initiate a clear direction for anything […]

Getting ideas for abstract paintings is challenging for a lot of people because they don’t know where to start and they can get really anxious about doing it. Here are two exercises that are designed to help make getting ideas for painting fun and playful. The Strokes Painting Exercise. In this exercise, you will create […]