Inspiration overflow

A few weeks ago my husband and I visited the tulip fields. I was so inspired by the colours, textures and lines of blooms, that I came home and immediately created a huge stack of printed papers. (I wrote a blog post about this a few weeks back; go and see the Petite Paper Paintings […]

abstract artist trading cards

The beauty of small art

Recently, a friend introduced me to the idea of Artist Trading Cards and asked me if I’d like to swap some. ATCs (as they’re known), are original bits of artwork that measure precisely 2.5 by 3.5 inches and are widely traded amongst artists in the know (one of whom I now am, and you are […]

abstract paintings in square formats

Why my favourite abstract painting format is a square

As I’ve been working on my “Petite Paper Paintings” project, I’ve been thinking a lot about how the format of a piece of art influences its creation. It’s no secret that I prefer square panels to rectangles (and when I do paint on a rectangular surface, it’s always in the ‘portrait’ orientation, rather than ‘landscape’). […]

How to tell if a painting is finished

A work is finished when an artist realizes his [or her] intentions When something is finished, that means it’s dead, doesn’t it? I never finish anything. I just stop working on it for awhile. One of the most frequently asked questions in the artist support groups I belong to is “is this painting finished?”. While […]

The challenges of scaling up

There is a voice that doesn’t use words: listen! Rumi For me, painting is primarily an intuitive process. The colours I choose and the marks I make seem to come from somewhere deep inside. The less intentional I am when I’m creating, the more energetic and satisfying the experience is. (And hopefully the more appealing […]