Three Ways to Help you Start Making Art

Three Ways to Help you Start Making Art

Are you sitting, staring at a blank page, wondering when an idea will arrive? Do you feel like you’re unmotivated and disinterested in creating? You can’t simply sit and wait for ideas to arrive; you need to go and find them; they’re all around you if you’re willing to pay attention. Ideas come to those […]

How to Write About Your Art Work

How to Write About Your Art Work

If you’re taking an advanced placement art class, you know that you need to write about your work, but you need clarification on what to say and are even more confused about how to say it in 100 characters. Writing Sections: You’ll start by adding writing to each of your digital images. A reminder that […]

Creative Prompt: Julie Mehretu

Creative Prompt: Julie Mehretu

I first encountered Julie’s work while teaching AP Art History, or at least that’s the first time that her style and name connected and cemented in my memory. Her piece, Stadia II, 2004, ink and acrylic on canvas, 108 x 144 inches, is part of the 250 images in the image set. The movement, depth, […]

January Status Check: Progress Towards Goals

January Status Check: Progress Towards Goals

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Progress Towards Goals Jan Update This update is a bit late because I wasn’t planning on sharing these with you. However, research tells us that people who share their goals publicly are 65% more likely to achieve them! I also get many questions about how I track projects and get work done; I’ll use these […]

How to Make Progress Towards Your Creative Goals

How to Make Progress Towards Your Creative Goals

We’re almost two months into the new year. Are you making progress toward your goals? “Fear of failure is highest when you’re looking at the ultimate destination. To reduce fear, close the gap. Focus on the smallest action that moves you forward.” Farnum Street Pizza Project #52 My husband and I created a joint goal […]

Creative Prompt: Mark Bradford

Creative Prompt: Mark Bradford

While visiting The Broad in LA, I repeatedly found myself drawn to pieces by the same artists. The work was large, with colors and textures built seemingly one layer at a time. The work didn’t contain fabric or any textile processes, and yet, I could not stop thinking about how much they reminded me of […]

Get More Eyes on Your Artwork

Get More Eyes on Your Artwork

If you love making art and hope to pursue it as a career or have the goal of having more than just your mom and art teacher look at your work, you will need to write an artist statement.  Artist statements help the viewer understand your work better; they are a way to provide additional […]

Find New Ways to Fill Your Sketchbook Page

Find New Ways to Fill Your Sketchbook Page

I went through middle school, high school, and college believing sketchbooks were only for drawing. They needed to be beautiful, something people would ooh and ahh about if they were lucky enough to flip through the pages. So, I never used a sketchbook. My process is messy. I write ideas EVERYWHERE. Collect bits and pieces […]

The number one mistake that you’re making when working on projects

The number one mistake that you’re making when working on projects

In class one of my students asked, “my friends and I want to study art in college, but how do we know if we’ll be able to handle all of the work.” This is a really good and common question that I get from high school students, and the answer is, that you need to […]

Are You Misusing Reference Images?

Are You Misusing Reference Images?

Everything around you is communicating. The question is, are you listening, are you looking, and do you understand? The color, texture, proportion, and scale tell you something. Is it safe? Playful? Hot or cold?  Look in the mirror; what does your style communicate? Does it say you’re friendly, under 20, following trends, or breaking the […]