Fortune
“… and we never failed to fail, it was the easiest thing to do.”
– Crosby, Stills and Nash
Studio Treasures
This is the only thing I have that belonged to my grandfather.
Lessons on Light From a Ladder
The biggest weapon an artist has is observation.
Ouch
I recently got a splinter.
Perception
How things change…
Unilome
Survival is its own creative act.
Authenticity
I love authentic people.
Grace
Last week I was talking about a space feeling “right.” This week is about a painting feeling “right.”
An Unmade Bed
I have a confession to make… I like making my bed.
The Slap and Whisper
Happy New Year! I’m back!
Sushi and a Blanket Fort
Please tell me 2020 is almost over…
The Interview
Time to chat about composition with Patrick Lee.
Focused as a Red Laser
A focal point in an image is key.
Composition is King I tell Ya!
So the textures in Patrick Lee’s paintings are unsurpassed. Yet it is the composition that makes you look twice…
Blue Butterflies
I love butterflies. How weird and wonderful that they taste flowers with their feet.
Rattled
Someone asked me recently what was the most difficult commission I have ever done. And without hesitation I thought of one of the very first ones I ever did.
Lighting Strikes
My daughter was struck by lightning.
Cat Prints
So apparently my cat walked into wet oil paint and walked across my taboret and floor…
Already Gone
“So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains and we never even know we have the key.”
-Eagles song, “Already Gone”
Neutrality
Just as in this tumultuous political climate, in art, there is no such thing as neutral.
Spilled Rice
In the past few weeks I have moved on to painting other things. And sometimes things get knocked around.
Book It
A hardbound book is given to the client at the end of a commission.
To Make an Omelette
You know the saying “To make an omelette, you have to break a few eggs?” Well, to make a pastel painting you have to break a few sticks.
The Reveal
So I always get annoyed with taking photos of my finished work…
Step by Step
Portraits are a treasure hunt… searching… searching…
Blank Canvas
Once the client is satisfied with the overall design and I know what their goals are in the commission, it is time to get to work.
Study
I have worked with artists creating commissions thoroughout the years and one of the biggest pieces of advice I can give to them is to do your homework.
Monster in the Making
I have a new commission…
Opera
A painting is theater.
Abstraction
So I am not an expert on abstract paintings. In fact, when I go to a museum or show, they don’t tend to capture my attention. The only clear exception for me has been Frances Kline.
Teeth
I see portraits all the time with teeth… oh man, just don’t do it.
Brushing Up
A brush is an artist’s friend, so we need to take care of our pals…
The Devil
“It’s hard to dance with a devil on your back so shake him off…” – Florence and the Machine
Getting The World to Tilt
The weather has been nice where I am lately so I recently found myself out on the grass looking up at white, fluffy clouds moving quickly past the trees.
Patches
I am a bionic woman.
Touch
Pastel Is a tactile medium.
Crabby
I am crabby. Crabby, crabby, crabby…
Getting Curves
And just like an an awkward teenage girl, when a line grows up it can get curvy.
Walking the Line
A line is the most powerful tool in art.
The Difference a Year Can Make
There is something inherently powerful about welding a brush…
Ping Pang
You know you are an artist when…
A Crit
So while in quarantine I have been doing critiques for artists…
Impact
Sometimes a light shines in the darkness… or at least into your living room.
Flowers
I am busier then ever… so why do I feel that I am not getting much done?
Guest Blogger
Hi! this week I am taking you to a wonderful blog spot called How to Pastel.
Arrested Momentum
In the very beginning of designing this painting I asked myself- “What is most important?”
Light and Air
Hang in there everyone! Glad you could join me again this week from containment. I sincerely hope that
Purple People
“What color should I use for skin?” I get asked this question all of the time.
PINK and pink
“Pink” is just a name for a broad category of colors.
This Is Not A Pink Rose
I often see artists getting ready to paint something like this flower above and I watch them getting out all their pretty, pink pastel sticks or start to mix up pink paint… uh… nope.
Raindrops
I got new glasses.......
Oil Painting – The Tavern Project Part 3
More on those panels!
Oil Painting – The Tavern Project Part 2
This week I will take you through the stages that the paintings went through for the restaurant project that was discussed last week.
Oil Painting – The Tavern Project Part 1
I recently found myself painting in oils for a new Restaurant…
Shooting Stars, a Deserted Island and Pirate Booty
Over the holidays I was...
2019
My easel broke…
Out of Touch
Lately I have noticed a weird phenomenon…
Getting a Grip
Tomorrow in the United States is Thanksgiving.
Psst…
One of my favorite...
Color of Light
All light sources have an inherent color. Photos tend to throw things off so we see things as “white light”
Sketchy Endeavors
While you are reading this I am in day 4 of Jury Duty. Yup, this week I am a servant of the State.
The Lies That Photos Tell
If you paint portraits from photos, you instantly have a battle on your hands because those pesky photo references tell lies. Here’s why.
Color Color Color…
Controlling color is one of the most important things you can do as an artist… as well as the most difficult.
By A Nose…
My students often complain about painting a nose. I hear ya, they are tough… so let’s look at a few things to make painting the schnoz a little bit easier.
Illumination
I recently posted a little oil painting that I was working on last week and was pleasantly surprised when it received a lot of attention on Facebook. SO cool! So I thought I would show how this little image came to be.
Learning Never Stops
I am always amazed when people tell me, “Oh! you are so talented!!” as though my work stems magically from fairies and pixie dust. Nope. Good art is created out of dedicated time and knowledge.
Control is a Beautiful thing
In September I am teaching two weekly classes…
Flashbacks
As of this morning I have two girls in college…
Loss and a Kitten
Sometimes losses come all at once. And when it rains it pours…
The Power of Pastel in Action
So last week was my first “Power of Pastel” Workshop at Sweetwater Center for the Arts…
Brushes, Bugs and Bridges
Plein-air and me? Oh man… I thought I would share some pics and struggles from the last week.
Walking in the Leaves
Recently someone asked me if I had a plan for my career now going forward. Goals for awards, shows etc… in other words, what does success look like to me now?
Chocolate Snob
Chocolate is my friend. Well, maybe we are a bit too close when I see photos of myself.
ALL the Colors
Last week I was in Iowa City. I took my daughter to college orientation for the University of Iowa. My days with her home all the time are numbered, and soon it will just be my son and I. On the flight this is what he packed…
Joy
“Painting a landscape is illusionary… like trying to catch rainbows…”
– Phil Salvato
Alexander Soukas. Visiting Master
Last week I had the honor of inviting and studying with Alexander Soukas from Denver, Colorado as part of the Master Series of Workshops I am setting up here in Sewickley at Sweetwater Center for the Arts.
War
Sometimes a painting just keeps tapping me on the shoulder until I confront it, design it and then try to execute it. Sometimes this conversation with an image takes years.
Tips and Tricks: Microfiber Friends
I am always impressed by those artists that try so hard to keep their pastels squeaky clean.
Tips and Tricks
A quick tip for those working in pastels this week…
The Rest Is Just Noise
Do you hate the painting you are working on? Frustrated with it and just wanna get it “over with?” I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but anyone looking at the painting will know…
Flying Buttresses
“It’s all in how you arrange the thing… the careful balance of the design is the motion.”
– Andrew Wyeth
Yup… composition is king.
Be Not Afraid
“I don’t think that there is anything that is really magical unless it has a terrifying quality.”
-Andrew Wyeth
The Value of Design Part 2
“The way I feel about things is so much better than the way I’ve been able to paint them. The image I had in my head before I started is not quite – never quite – completely conveyed in paint.”
– Andrew Wyeth
The Value of Design
One of the most prized possessions I have in my studio space is an old book I bought for $6.99 from a second-hand book store.
Brown is Not a Color Either…
So when is a color not a color???
Grey is Not a Color Part 2
Some artists are challenging me about the concept of grey not being a color.
Blue and Yellow Don’t Make Green
Yes, there is a...
Power of Pastel with Christine Swann
Christine is included in this Master Series learning event at Sweetwater Center for the Arts. Learn directly from local artists in these workshops …
Chiller Theater
Warning- if you have an aversion to horror films or are a very tidy artist, you may want to look away…
Crazy Quilt
I found myself complaining recently that I was feeling quite scattered. Starting projects, stopping projects. Throwing myself into events and paintings only to table them soon after…
Inertia
Some years ago I heard the amazing portrait painter, Howard Sanden, talk about his work. He said the most difficult thing for an artist to overcome is inertia…
Artist Guild
Monday night was the second meeting of the new Artist Guild here in Pittsburgh. How do I know? I am running it.
Making Lemonade Part 3
Oh the happiness of a...
Making Lemonade Part 2
I have to say the...
Making Lemonade
So the painting I...
Lemons
Welcome to the first blog of the New Year and to the first painting of my New Life…
Another Old Lang Syne
I love music....
Traveling
Nope, I am not talking...
Artist Guild
5 months ago I moved to...
Ferrari Red
“You can only paint the smell of damp pine needles by being there: a photograph is a poor substitute for working from the real thing when painting a landscape.” -David Bellamy