News — tips

Are you a morning bird looking to get some painting done in the early hours of the day? Perhaps you’re like me, a night owl that is curious about what those sunrises look like after years of blackout curtains and late nights. Maybe you are just trying to do this annoying challenge that I posted and aiming to get a sunrise painting completed before the 2024 new year. Whatever it is, I’ve been painting sunrises for the past few months and have completed more than 50 paintings to prove it. These paintings have taught me so much, and are a...

Have you ever spent hours on a painting, hunched over with crazed eyes, face inches away from the canvas only to step back and realize that it’s over-rendered, stiff and lifeless? ME TOO. The good news is that there are ways to learn to let go and loosen up, no matter how rigid, cold, controlling or uptight you tend to be. (KIDDING of course...) Set A Time Limit One of the quickest ways to loosen up is to set a time limit. No, I’m not talking about trimming your 8 hour session down to 7.5 hours. This limit should have you sweating...

Have you always wanted to go plein-air painting, but are overwhelmed by all of the things you need or maybe are shy about painting in public? You’re not alone! Today I'll address some of the most common concerns and help make those initial paintings a little less scary and a little more enjoyable. What if I Don’t Finish in Time?  Start Small - Leave that giant canvas and ego at home. I suggest a postcard sized canvas or smaller. Working on these little pieces will allow you to finish more than one, and is also lighter to pack. Use Big...

FULL DISCLOSURE: I am definitely no expert, and there’s a sea of other articles that might be more helpful out there. This is just my own personal experience summed up in a single blog post. “HOW did you get so many followers on Instagram?” It's a frequent question that feels weirdly taboo and is usually said in a shy whisper. Maybe you're not supposed to care, and it's supposed to be something that just magically happens because you're just THAT good. Real artists don't care about those petty things....right? But it's a valid question for anyone that knows how important business and marketing is, and...

If you’ve been a plein-air painter for a while, you’ve probably experienced this. The sun is scorching, your sweat and sunscreen is dripping fire into your eyes, your paints are dried to tiny crusty bits, and you want to finish but literally just...can’t. While I’m no pro at managing the heat, here are a few tricks I have up my sleeve to make it slightly more tolerable. Simply avoiding the heat isn’t an option for me, living in the “deep east bay” of California. Temps easily get over 105 in the summer, and boy the summers are LONG. Before I...