HOW THE HECK DO YOU TITLE A PAINTING?

Hi 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.

CREATIVE REVOLUTION PRE-ORDER GIVEAWAY WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

We’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!

BUSTING THE STARVING ARTIST MYTH

In 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!

INTRODUCING HEY FLORA: WEEKLY TIDBITS FOR YOUR CREATIVE ADVENTURE!

I’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.

ADDING POP TO YOUR PAINTINGS!

Ever 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!

NEW COLLABORATIVE PAINTING VIDEO

We’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!

FINDING YOUR OWN STYLE – SAMPLE VIDEO!

This 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!

JANUARY STUDIO DIARY + FREE COLOR MIXING VIDEO

One of my favorite ways to explore new territory and keep things interesting is to mix up my own new colors.

In one of this month’s videos, I share a few super easy tips on how to mix your own colors. Mixing colors is such an awesome way to keep the spark of inspiration alive in your work. It’s also a powerful way to set your paintings apart with colors that are all your own.

I’m happy to give you an idea of what you will find in each Studio Diary by offering you a free peek at this month’s Color Mixing video.

LESSONS IN LOVE + A CAREGIVERS GIVEAWAY (WINNERS ANNOUNCED!)

I RECENTLY CAME ACROSS THIS QUOTE, AND IT REALLY HIT HOME.

I thought, “This is it. This is what it means to really love. It is art of the highest order.”

If you have been following along with me on Facebook and Instagram recently, you know I have been sharing a deeply personal story — a story of love. My dear friend and professional photographer, Tara Morris, also documented my journey in this beautiful and intimate blog post.

CENTERED EXPANSION + PORTLAND STUDIO TOUR!

AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, I’M MAKING SOME PRETTY MASSIVE SHIFTS IN MY LIFE RIGHT NOW.

After four years of fairly intense globe-trotting to spread the Bloom True love, I’m shifting gears and rooting down in my hometown of Portland, OR.

In support of this grand shift, I moved out of my little backyard studio into a large and lovely (like woah) studio nestled in a groovy creative industrial area about ten minutes from my house. I feel beyond blessed to have found such a magical space that is EXACTLY what I envisioned, hoped and prayed to find.

STEPPING OUT BRAVE

SIX DAYS AGO, I ARRIVED AT SQUAM ART WORKSHOPS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.

The woodsy scene there is all kinds of gorgeous — quaint cabins, an unbelievable lake, awesome women everywhere — but there I was with knots in my stomach.

I was there to teach a totally new class — one that involved more movement than painting and more watercolor, ink and pastels than acrylic. Most of my security blankets, comfort zones and feelings of “I got this,” had left the room.