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My Love Hate Relationship with Trees

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I despise drawing trees. The branches never look quite right. The leaves are weird. A stand of trees off in the distance isn’t bad. And obviously I have some love for  birch trees, but of course those are close up and you don’t have the branches and leaves to contend with in those pictures. However, as much as I hate drawing and painting trees, I also love them. They’re beautiful and stately and they make a landscape all the better. So...that being said, I have started to try and push myself into figuring out trees. You know which ones are a lot easier to start with? Pine trees. They have a simplicity and a balance to their branches that makes them a little less frustrating. So this is where I started. While I worked on trees, I also worked on my watercolor technique. I don’t feel like you can ever mess up watercolor. Not everyone agrees with me but I’ve usually been able to fix any weird mistakes. Your color is too dark? Add water. Not enough color? Add paint. With watercolor ...
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Upcycle Your Art

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Canvases are expensive. Not like they used to be, but still...that big painting hanging behind your parents’ couch costs a bit more than the 5”X5” you did at the “Paint and Pinot” Bar with your girlfriends. Did you know you can paint over canvases that you’ve done before? Or in my case, I pick up canvases at garage sales and thrift stores super cheap. The “masters” did that way back in the day to save money. Why shouldn’t I try it too? Here’s where I started. You can see how dark the oil painting is. I used some rubbing alcohol to take off any finish and grime built up from wherever it was previously hung.  Then I applied a few coats of gesso to prime the painting. On this particular one I used Golden’s Absorbent Ground after the gesso. It took 3 or 4 coats before I was happy. Basically this gives the canvas a more paper-like finish. My first love is watercolor and that’s what I planned to use here.  I used tape to give the trees some better definition ...
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Custom Kicks - Inspired by Mickey & Pluto

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I made this pair for a 1st birthday. And then the worst thing ever happened. I was spraying the sealant on them and the marker I had used to outline started to run! Thankfully I was quick thinking enough to salvage and repair the damage. Faces are not easy, but with practice, I feel like I’m slowly improving. 
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Custom Kicks - School Spirit

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After trying those Toy Story inspired shoes, I thought I’d make a pair for myself. I teach at an elementary school and our mascot is the Wildcats. I’m always my own worst critic, so I see dozens of problems and mistakes I made, but I love the detail that I was able to create. And the whole collage effect is a part of my artistic style too. These shoes inspired another pair for a friend of mine. They turned out really different but with each pair, I love being able to customize the design and incorporate those personal touches. 
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Custom Kicks - Inspired by Buzz & Woody

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These are the shoes that started it all. My mom said to me, “Hey, do you think you could do something like this?” She handed me the phone and showed me a pair of Toy Story themed shoes someone had painted on Pinterest. I did a little research and decided to try it. One pair became 3 since I wanted to do an entire set for my niece and nephews. Who knew that painting on a pair of shoes would be so fun?
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Welcome to the studio...

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I’ve never considered myself an artist, but a few years ago I started teaching art to my class in a totally different way. I started realizing that process was just as important as product and it’s through the process that we grow and change. We never really stop being artists, but perhaps we lose our confidence in that label as we grow up. I love art. I love sketching, painting, and taking inspiration from the world around me. I am an artist. One that is always changing. So welcome to my studio, my space where I get to learn...and grow...and create. 
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