Donna

Oil is a fantastic medium for painting! Because of its slow drying time oil makes it easy to blend colors with one another allowing you unlimited time to achieve incredible value changes and create wonderful depth and form. If you’ve wanted to give oil painting a try but don’t know where to begin you are not alone! You know you need some supplies but what to get and where to start can be overwhelming.

First of all you need paint, a surface to paint on, some brushes, and a palette knife. Read More…

Winston Churchill is quoted as saying “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”

I love that saying but the fact is, it’s extremely hard to maintain a healthy measure of enthusiasm if you never feel good about the way your artwork is turning out!

Even if we understand that failure is part of the learning experience, it’s easy to get discouraged if disaster or even disappoint becomes the norm. It’s easy to set something aside or give up on it when mistakes are made or something is clearly not going the way we expected or envisioned. Read More…

If you are looking for inspiration as an artist make the most of pleasant weather while it lasts and take every opportunity to get out of the house. Getting out is invigorating to both the body and mind, and it can yield exciting ideas and be a fabulous source of constant inspiration. Be sure to keep your camera and/or phone charged and with you at all times. And remember that some of the most beautiful works of art focus on simplicity. Read More…

If some of your favorite DecoArt Americana Acrylic paints have been discontinued all is not lost.  Yes there are some new colors but for those old favorites DecoArt has provided a color mixing chart so if you want an exact match for them follow this link to Deco Art’s website for the chart: Discontinued Paint Mixing Chart.

Below are some great substitutions provided by Chris Haughey who says these are her “go to substitutions”… They might be just the thing for those of you who love the convenience of premixed colors! Read More…

Once you learn to paint and have a space dedicated for painting or as a painting studio it can very quickly become full to overflowing with all kinds of things. Yes, some people do feel comfortable with a lot of stuff around but here are 5 reasons for getting rid of the unnecessary junk in your studio!

1. First of all it takes up valuable space! Floor space, storage space, and table space are all valuable in a studio.   

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1. If it looks like a kids’ craft brush, it probably is. The cost of a brush is often an indicator of quality but it isn’t always a guarantee. You have to examine the brushes carefully when making a selection. If the bristles look like plastic or like they have all been cut off blunt at the same time that is not a brush intended for an art student or for an artist.   Some brush handles break more easily because they are made with softer wood than others.

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1. For the euphoria that comes when you create something yourself.
2. For the satisfaction of accomplishment.
3. For the development of a new skill or the improvement of one’s current skill level.
4. For the challenge or just for the fun it!
5. Because you’ve always wanted to give it a try!
6. For the joy of self expression.

How to Learn to Draw

Our reasons for wanting to learn how to draw, or our reasons for not wanting to learn, can be as diverse as we are as individuals!    The development of skills associated with drawing and learning to really understand the basic principles of perspective can help us in all of our artistic endeavors.  It may be that we want to be able draw out our ideas, or to make things look more realistic, or to improve our ability as a painter.  Read More…