rubber cement resist

I work with watercolors a lot and one of my favorite tricks is using rubber cement as a resist. It's a fast and 

easy way to create unique painted surfaces full of texture.

All you need is a jar of rubber cement, watercolor paper and watercolors!

There are so many ways to get creative with this process!

Here are a few of my favorites...

The result is unique and colorful paper that can be used for all kinds of creative projects!

you, me & the sea retreat

What a lovely weekend was had! Fifteen amazing women traveled from all over the country to my little 

hometown on the Oregon Coast for my You, Me & the Sea Art Retreat.  We sketched, we painted, we 

hunted for treasures, we sat in the sun and had a wonderful weekend! I love to teach, to create and 

inspire others and to get the opportunity to share my little hometown AND teach in my studio is truly a blessing. 

I am humbled and feeling OH SO GRATEFUL for this crazy, creative life and thankful for those of you out there who 

support what I do.

make your mark

Mark making is such a simple yet profound component in creating art. Often I take for granted those simple lines, scribbles and swipes of the brush because I am lost and swept up in a creative moment. So in an attempt to be more aware of my own mark making process, I have put together my favorite (and simple) ways to make marks of all kinds.

Using your fingers is not only a wonderful way to create unique and expressive areas of color but its also messy fun!

You can make a mark with just about any object. From cardboard rolls (above) to bubble wrap to chopsticks or silverware- use your creativity to find unique objects to make marks.

I love using scribbles to create a background, to fill white space or even to add a messy element. The best part about scribbling is that you can use just about any materials to scribble- even spray paint!

ball point pen still life drawing by my husband Andy

Crosshatching can be used in all kinds of ways- to shade, add texture, create pattern and add dimension.

Brushstrokes are my favorite way to make marks on my canvas. I love messy swipes of colorful brushstrokes over the top of collage elements.

I love using dots in both my drawings and paintings. They are great for adding texture, pattern and added interest to a block of color within a composition. Try using contrasting colors for your dots for added POP!



HOW ABOUT YOU? DO HAVE A FAVORITE PROCESS FOR MAKING MARKS?

a peek into my studio

I've been busy cleaning, organizing and preparing my studio for my next retreat at the end of this week. Welcoming people into this space is like welcoming them into my home (and my heart) so I have been doing all that I can to get my studio retreat ready!

think outside the box