I believe the commonly held idea of artists toiling away alone in their studios, isolated from each other, guarding their techniques and often in some state of despair is becoming a thing of the past.
It’s a myth that no longer serves our collective human need to come together, support each other and move our evolution story forward. The bottom line is:
We need each other.
DetailsLAST NIGHT WAS THE PERFECT NIGHT TO PAINT.
My schedule was clear, the air felt delicious and it was still light out at 9pm. I turned up the music, cleaned off my palette, lit a candle, burned some sage and hung a halfway finished painting on the wall. To be honest, I wasn’t feeling incredibly inspired, but typically I just need to START in order to find my rhythm.
So, I started…
I choose a few of my fave colors of the moment (grey, yellow, violet, magenta and white), and began to move the paint around. I tried out some of my signature moves, turned the canvas upside down and waited for the magic to take hold. Any minute now…
DetailsGREETINGS! It was great to see how many of you enjoyed the Free Color Mixing video I posted a few weeks ago, so I thought I’d share a couple more videos with you today. These are two mini clips from the January edition of Studio Diaries. The first is from a Creative Exercise all about finding new tools and…
DetailsThis month’s Studio Diary is all about finding your own style (aka a super hot topic), and so many unique paintings are being born as a result!
Seriously ya’ll, good stuff is happening, and I couldn’t be more proud of all the folks who are really embracing this theme and discovering their own style along the way.
To get more of a feel for the videos, I’m happy to offer you a four clips from this month’s Creative Exercises. To watch the sample videos, simply click the images below and enjoy!
DetailsEver wonder how to find your creative community or what “creative community” actually looks like? If so, you’re definitely not alone. I think it’s safe to say that most creative folks crave community in one form or another. For me, community has always been super important. In fact, I’d go so far as to say surrounding myself…
DetailsWe’re exploring Collaboration over in Studio Diaries this month, and there are some seriously cool creations happening between parents, kids, partners, friends and pretty much anybody who is willing to play with paint.
It totally warms my heart to know so many people are connecting to their families and communities through the creative process — the world certainly needs more of this right now.
To give you a glimpse into this month’s Studio Diary, I’ve put together a really fun little video clip of one of the collaborations I did with fellow painter, Jennifer Mercede.
I hope it inspires some collaborative paint flinging of your own!
DetailsEver wonder how to get more dynamic POP in your paintings?
Well, you’re in luck!
In this month’s Studio Diary, I get all kinds of geeky over the many ways dynamic contrast can breathe life into a painting.
For example, playing with dynamic color, value, mark, texture, size, shape, mood, speed, materials, and scale (whew!) can all add a potent visual spark to make your paintings SING.
This month’s Diary is packed with fresh creative exercises, painting videos, an awesome interview with painter, Jeremy Szopinski, ideas for exploring contrast in everyday life, and so much more.
With an abundance of creative exercises, I’m happy to pass along one of the full-length videos for you to enjoy right now. This exercise offers some super easy and fun ways to explore Color Contrast.
I hope you enjoy it!
DetailsI’m embarking on a fun new offering called, Hey Flora: Weekly Tidbits for Your Creative Adventure, and I’m happy to share the very first episode with you today!
In each Hey Flora episode, I’ll answer one burning (or not so burning) question about my Brave Intuitive Painting process or creative entrepreneurship. I’ll share these short videos each Monday’s through my News, Art, Love newsletter.
DetailsIn this week’s Hey Flora: Weekly Tidbits for Your Creative Adventure, I offer some simple ways to keep your colors fresh, while staying in your creative flow.
If you’ve ever struggled with muddy colors or experienced creative block, this one’s for you!
DetailsIn this week’s Hey Flora: Weekly Tidbits for Your Creative Adventure, I’m sharing why two simple items from the hardware store are my favorite tools for blending colors.
If you’ve ever struggled with blending one area of color into another, this is for you!
DetailsIn this week’s Hey Flora: Weekly Tidbits for Your Creative Adventure, I’m sharing why two simple items from the hardware store are my favorite tools for blending colors.
If you’ve ever struggled with blending one area of color into another, this is for you!
DetailsI’ve got some BIG news for ya’ll today.
My second book, Creative Revolution: Personal Transformation through Brave Intuitive Painting, is now available for pre-order and will be a real life book you can hold in your hands this Fall.
{{WOOOOOOO – HOOOOOOOO!!!!}}
DetailsIn this week’s Hey Flora: Weekly Tidbits for Your Creative Adventure, I’m sharing a few insights into how I was able to make money from my art in the early days of my career.
If starting a business as an artist feels overwhelming or straight up impossible, this one’s for you!
For more in-depth conversations about art, biz and busting the starving artist myth, head on over to my Press Page, and scroll down to the bottom of the page for interviews. I recommend starting with The Creative Entrepreneur, Luna Jaffe, and the Abundant Artist!
DetailsHi everyone! In this week’s Hey Flora: Weekly Tidbits for Your Creative Adventure, I’m sharing my thoughts on how to manifest the dreamiest creative community you can imagine.
If you’ve ever dreamed of attending super inspiring art gatherings or longed for more connection with like-hearted creatives, check this one out.
It’s actually easier than you think!
DetailsWe’re Kinda Blown Away Over Here.
Thanks to you, my second book, Creative Revolution: Personal Transformation through Brave Intuitive Painting, has been sitting at the TOP of the “Hot New Releases in Acrylic Painting” list for the last two weeks!
Seriously you guys, what an honor. THANK YOU for trusting in this new vision and for pre-ordering the book months in advance. I cannot wait till you have it in your hot little hands.
As a tiny token of my appreciation, I’m happy to send love-packed boxes of Flora goodies to these three awesome Giveaway winners:
JACKIE WOOD + JOANNA PRICE + LOUISE WARD. CONGRATS TO YOU ALL!
DetailsHi everyone! In this week’s Hey Flora: Weekly Tidbits for Your Creative Adventure, I’m answering the question, “How do you title your paintings?” from Elias.
While there is certainly no formula for how to choose a title for a painting (in fact, titling your paintings is totally optional!), I’m happy to share a few of my own tricks for what can sometimes feel like tricky territory.
DetailsBesides, “What kind of dog is Pearl?” there are two questions I hear on a regular basis:
“Where do you find inspiration, and how do you stay inspired?”
I could happily riff on these gems for days, but I’ll keep it clear and to the point in this week’s Hey Flora Episode.
And by the way, Peal is a Maremma Sheepdog! 🙂
DetailsI love how this week’s Hey Flora question is disguised as a painting question, but can actually be applied to life in so many ways.
Our question comes from a Studio Diaries participant, and she writes:
“I have a hard time simplifying. The first layers are pretty chaotic, and then I feel like I just paint over them. How do I simplify without just painting over everything.”
This is a great question for anyone who paints in layers or anyone who struggles with simplification in life off the canvas! In this video I offer a few super simple tips about the magic of translucent paint, letting go of what you like, focusing on what you love, and working with what’s working.
DetailsI recently had the honor of meeting teacher, artist, poet and founder of Intentional Creativity, Shiloh Sophia. I’m guessing many of you already know Shiloh, but if not, I’m honored to make the introduction.
About a month ago, Shiloh was in Portland teaching a workshop in my studio, so of course I had to steal her away to record a couple of couch chats in my living room. As suspected, we hit it off like dear old friends.
DetailsIf you’ve ever thought, “I can’t paint, because I don’t have the space to paint,” it’s time to get creative with your creative space!
Consider where you might be able to carve out a little space for yourself?
Do you have an extra room, garage, patio, basement or attic? Perhaps you have a friend who could easily lend you a little extra space or happily go in on renting a shared space?
Even if you’re painting on a kitchen table, in the corner of your bedroom, or in your backyard, cultivating physical space in order to create is one of the most powerful things you can do to support your creative habit.
In this week’s Hey Flora episode, I’m sharing a few basic tips to help you get your painting space up and running. One of these tips took me YEARS to figure out, so I’m thrilled to pass it along and save you some time!
DetailsThe one regret I have in my career as an artist is that I didn’t professionally document my earlier paintings. In this week’s Hey Flora episode, I’m answering these questions, “When you’re documenting your work, how do you pay the photographer? Per photo, per session, per month? How does it all work?”
DetailsFriends. I’ve been keeping this excitement under wraps for awhile, but today is the day I finally get to share it with you!
A few months ago, I had the pleasure of filming a three-part Intuitive Painting class in my Portland studio with the fine folks from Creativebug, and my first class is launching today!
If you’re not already in the know, allow me to fill you in on the sweetest deal ever. This awesome site offers you access to hundreds of art classes for just $4.95/month…
DetailsI often hear people say that FINISHING their intuitive paintings is the hardest part of the process. And I totally get it. I would LOVE to help you all with this, so in this week’s Hey Flora episode, I’m offering up a few helpful tips about finishing intuitive paintings.
DetailsIf you’ve ever wondered how to move through your creative blocks, this “Hey Flora” is for you!
DetailsIn this week’s Hey Flora, I answer a question from Grace, who writes in about the delicate dynamic of receiving unsolicited feedback.
Has this ever happened to you?
Someone sees your painting and spontaneously begins to offer tips, critiques, and ideas. Sometimes this advice is absolutely welcome, and sometimes — not so much.
DetailsSeptember’s Diary is all about Creative Business with Heart. In this Diary, we’ll dive into my favorite practical and intuitive tools to support a soulful, sustainable and successful creative business.
Every Diary also includes a special Diving Deeper Podcast where I share my thoughts on questions from the Studio Diaries community. The podcast this month is SO full of great questions about creative business, I’m happy to share the entire recording with you right here. Enjoy!
DetailsFor years, when folks asked me the meaning behind my paintings (which they LOVE to do), I struggled to respond – feeling like I needed an intellectual answer to explain the meaning behind my work. I’ll dive into this hot topic in today’s video!
DetailsJoin Orly and I in the studio as we consider the topics of honesty, vulnerability, and bridging the gap between how we live and how we create.
DetailsThere’s something pretty magical about watching an intuitive painting come to life from start to finish. To offer you a front row seat to this mesmerizing experience, I’ve created a unique online offering called The Painting Sessions.
DetailsToday is the first day of The Painting Sessions, and I’m super excited to finally share this new offering with you! To give you a little glimpse of the very first episode, we put together this short video for you.
DetailsWho’s ready for a brand new year? I am. I am! I believe that strengthening our brave, intuitive muscles (both on and off the canvas) is more important than ever before, so to give you a little jumpstart of creative inspiration I’m happy to share some of my favorite videos with you.
DetailsI’m happy to let you all know that Episode Three of The Painting Sessions is ready to roll, and it’s a goooood one! Enjoy this sneak peek.
DetailsI gotta be honest with you, I haven’t felt super inspired to paint for the past few years. Yikes, I said it. However, I have been examining what kinds of shifts might get me back in the flow. I can’t wait to share my breakthroughs with you!
DetailsI believe shifting creative gears is an essential part of staying inspired and developing your own unique style. Discover a fun creative exercise in today’s video in my blog!
DetailsI’ve never been able to sit still for very long, and if you’ve ever watched me paint, you’ve probably noticed I like to dance my way across the canvas. I made a little video to offer you a Mini Movement Exercise to play with right now!
DetailsWith the constant tsunami of information coming at us these days, creating personal “sanctuaries” to refuel is essential. Learn more in today’s blog!
DetailsI’m happy to share a little sneak peek of Episode Four of The Painting Sessions. This painting was inspired by all the little paintings I’ve been doing at home lately. I started the first layer by using an exercise I call, Musical Lines, and it definitely provided a pretty exciting breakthrough for me!
DetailsIt’s one thing to paint, sing, or dance (an AMAZING thing, of course!), but it’s a whole different ball of wax to weave your creative spirit into every aspect of your life. Learn more inside!
DetailsToday, I’m sharing a little sneak peek inside my new Creative Revolution E-Course to give you an idea about what it looks and feels like.
DetailsIt’s time for a little show and tell. The first week of the Creative Revolution E-Course has been so fantastic! And today I’m excited to give you a little peek inside the revolution by sharing some of the words and creations of my students.
DetailsIn this session, I dive into my Brave Intuitive Painting Process. As always, there were many unexpected twists and turns along the way, and I’m happy to share it all with you in this month’s Painting Session.
DetailsThere comes a time when you need to share the goods. That’s what today’s blog is all about — my own little curated list of goodies that are invigorating, inspiring, and generally soothing my soul lately. Enjoy!
DetailsLast year, I was asked to give my first public speech. Since LOVE was the theme, I decided to share (for the first time publicly) my story of hitching a ride to New Orleans and doing six-months of disaster relief work on the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina — all while living in a makeshift tent. Listen to the whole story here.
DetailsThis episode of The Painting Sessions offers a fun departure from the past six episodes. The whole experience was one big playful experiment. I hope you enjoy this video sneak peek!
DetailsAs a creative guide, I often hear people express a deep desire to find their unique style of artistic expression, and I understand. To support you on this journey, I’ve put together a list of ten simple things you can do right now to unearth and nourish your one-of-a-kind creative expression.
DetailsFor the past seven years, I’ve been pouring my heart into the creation of four innovative online courses, and I’m truly so proud of each and every one of them. Each one is unique, and today I’ll guide you through choosing the perfect course for you!
DetailsWhy do we make art? How do we stay inspired? Today in my blog I share a series of prompts to dive deeper into these questions, and my personal reflections in the video inside.
DetailsToday I’ll share with you a way I’ve found to integrate simple acts of creative living into my everyday life called Visual Feast, and it’s all about seeing your world through a fresh lens. Enjoy!
DetailsDo you ever feel like you’re in a creative rut? As a person who’s been painting for twenty-five years, I know I’ve been in many a rut over the years, but I always seem to dig myself out, and here’s how. Today I share about how I’ve been getting the creative juices flowing again!
DetailsIf you’re seeking more freedom in your creative expression, you’re not alone. Today on my blog I share a downloadable PDF with my favorite tips to invite more freedom into your paintings!
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