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Something I often struggle with is titling my artwork. Every now and then, the perfect title pops into my head as I am painting the scene. But, that doesn't happen very often. Usually I am struggling to come up with a creative title after the painting is completed. Sometimes I add the location into the title or draw on what is in the scene. While other times I think more on the feeling given by the scene or even what I was thinking or feeling when I created the artwork. Often I will send the image to friends and ask...

Recently I decided to make a little "experiment", a test of sorts, by first producing a painting in the studio using a photo as reference, then going out to the same location and producing a plein air painting of the same scene. I wanted to see if I could produce a studio painting with the same looseness and spontaneity of a plein air painting.  I also wanted to work on my craft in general (composition, painting trees and buildings using simple shapes and creating an obvious focal point within the work. Determined not to overwork the painting, I began it...

People often asked me how I manage to find time for painting with a full time job and as a mother of two girls ages fifteen and nine. The short answer is, I have made painting a priority in my life. So here are my top three ways to get out and paint more. Join a group of artists that share your passion for painting. This is a great way to meet other artists, share ideas, go on painting outings and be a part of group exhibitions. In 2016, I founded the meetup group, Plein Air Round Rock. This group enables...

Every month, I organize and attend a paint out for the meetup group, Plein Air Round Rock.  In October, we met up on a chilly morning at Round Rock West Park, a small neighborhood park featuring a pond, distant bluff and surrounding trees. As I walked around the pond in search of something interesting, a small tree which was backlit by the early morning sun caught me eye.  The sun was rising behind the tree, creating a halo of light at the outer edges of the tree's leaves. The bank at the base of the tree was in cool shadow, with...