Recently, in the process of painting the walls of our dining room, living room, and my studio, we had to take down and then rehang the many paintings we’ve collected over the years—most of them botanical art originals. In handling them, it dawned on me that every one...
Fugitive watercolour pigments (those are the ones that can change colour or even fade away completely) can be very seductive. Some are easy to fall in love with. Take Opera Rose, for example. It came up on a social media post this past week and since discussion on...
Today I was scrolling through botanical art posts on Instagram when I felt the kind of spine-tingling sensation described by people who believe they’ve seen a ghost. I was looking at a painting of a white phalaenopsis orchid that appeared to be one I’d completed about...
A recent article by Robert McKinley on www.artistsnetwork.com addressing the topic of blending on paper (or canvas) to merge value transitions, caught my attention. And it’s not just because he references Leonardo da Vinci’s famous ‘sfumato’ blending application but...
I’ve recently received enough questions about exhibiting to warrant an article on the topic. Most artists welcome an opportunity to exhibit, especially if there’s a possibility of selling a piece. And if someone is willing to open their wallet for your work, it’s...
I frequently hear versions of this question: “What does it take to get to the next level? Please review my work and tell me where I need to improve.” I’ve been instructing for a long time now and of course I am in a position to do this. But my advice will not make a...
