100 Things about Me and my Art

1. How did you first fall in love with art? during lockdown it was my therapy and escape

2. What was the first piece you ever sold? in watercolor: carrots

3. What inspires you the most when creating? Challenging myself. I like to see how far I can push watercolor

4. Who are your biggest artistic influences? Bob Ross - everyone says how calming he is and that's what I aspire to do - help everyone find peace and calmness through art.

5. What’s your favorite subject to paint? Houses

6. What mediums do you enjoy besides watercolor? photography and pencil

7. How did you discover watercolor as your main medium? by accident. During lockdown it was the only thing that wasn't going to take forever to ship

8. What’s the hardest painting you’ve ever done? Any human portrait

9. Do you keep any of your own art, or do you always sell it? I have a few pieces I created specifically for myself that I keep

10. How has your style evolved over the years? No idea

11. What’s your daily creative routine? I don't have one. I like what I do because there's no routine.

12. Do you sketch before painting or dive right in? Usually dive right in if I can.

13. What tools or supplies can’t you live without? Besides the obvious paints, brushes, etc... true crime podcasts.

14. Do you listen to music or podcasts while painting? podcasts or audio books

15. How do you handle creative blocks? I don't. I just understand it happens sometimes and use that time to do other things I love or catch up with tasks

16. How long does a typical piece take you? About 2 hours on average

17. Do you work on multiple projects at once? most of the time yes

18. Do you plan colors ahead of time or experiment? Ahead of time

19. How do you know when a piece is “done”? When it's completed

20. What’s your clean-up ritual after a painting session? I have an art studio so everything pretty much stays where it is. I empty my water cup, put away brushes, throw away trash and tidy up.

21. What’s your studio setup like? It's half set up for me and all my needs and the other half is set up for my students

22. How do you stay organized with paints and supplies? I'm an organized geek so everything has a place.

23. What’s always on your art desk? paints, brushes, to-do list, all the things I need the most

24. Do you keep a sketchbook or art journal? no

25. How do you store finished pieces? In a bin

26. Do you prefer working in natural light or at night? Natural, 100%

27. Do you paint daily, or in bursts of inspiration? Daily

28. How do you balance admin tasks with painting time? I start my day with admin stuff to get it out of the way and off my mind so I can focus on painting

29. Do you have a pre-painting ritual? Get a drink and a podcast going

30. How do you manage deadlines? I have my calendar and an order list with target dates

31. Where do you go when you need inspiration? Pinterest

32. What’s your favorite season to paint in? Fall

33. Do you prefer painting indoors or plein air? 100% indoors

34. How does nature influence your art? everything influences my art

35. Do you travel for inspiration? No I travel to relax

36. Do you collect reference photos? Too many

37. What’s your favorite art book? I don't have one but would love recommendations

38. What’s your favorite non-art hobby? Photography, cooking, cleaning and organizing.

39. Who outside of the art world inspires you? A few YouTubers I follow

40. How do you recharge creatively? By taking a break from it

41. What’s the most unusual pet you’ve painted? A jumping spider

42. Do you prefer painting cats or dogs? Cats - but I prefer dogs in real life.

43. What’s your process for custom portraits? Once the order is taken I add their name to the queue - when they're next on the list I reach out and confirm details and questions. I don't like to review photos or orders until I'm getting ready to paint it

44. How do you capture personality in a painting? Make sure I get the eyes right

45. Do you paint people as well as pets? yes

46. What’s your favorite commission story? I like the ones where the pets meet their portraits

47. How do you handle tricky photo references? with a lot of anxiety and stress

48. Do you paint memorial portraits? Yes

49. What’s your turnaround time for commissions? 10-12 weeks on average

50. What advice do you give clients when choosing photos? Natural light, pick a photo that references your pet's personality, higher resolution, non-edited.

51. What inspired you to start Sip & Paint nights? I was asked to - it never occurred to me before that

52. What’s your most popular Sip & Paint subject? Usually things that have vivid skies, cute animal subjects, or locally inspired.

53. What’s your favorite Sip & Paint memory? I have a few - but it's always when people share how the sip and paints and classes have helped them through a difficult time.

54. How do you pick themes for your events? It's usually inspired by what people like or ask for

55. What’s in a typical class supply kit? Bob Ross flags, sash of shame, art confetti

56. How do you make nervous beginners feel comfortable? I usually tease my regulars - they get a kick out of that.

57. What’s the funniest thing that’s happened in a class? drinking paint water

58. How do you handle different skill levels in one class? I walk around and help people one on one

59. Do you prefer large events or intimate groups? I like intimate groups but larger events pay the bills

60. What’s your go-to “icebreaker” at events? Sharing the sash of shame, intro video that has trivia and fun facts, my "rules" that I pass out that helps set the mood. (the rules aren't serious)

61. What’s your favorite flower to paint? lilacs

62. Do you paint from real flowers or photos? photos

63. Which floral colors challenge you most? white

64. What’s your favorite season for floral inspiration? Spring

65. Do you ever press or dry flowers for reference? no - but that's a good idea

66. Do florals sell faster than other subjects? No it's my lowest seller

67. How do you create depth in botanical pieces? shadows

68. Do you combine botanicals with other subjects? yes

69. What’s the trickiest plant to capture in watercolor? Roses

70. What’s your most requested floral workshop theme? Petals and composition

71. How did you turn your art into a business? People just started paying me for what I do. lol

72. What’s the hardest part of being a creative entrepreneur? Scaling

73. What’s your favorite part of running your business? No bosses or employees

74. How do you market your events? Social media, word of mouth

75. What’s your social media strategy? Cross my fingers and pray

76. Do you prefer online or in-person sales? in person

77. How do you price your art fairly? I price my work how I think it's worth. People either pay it or don't.

78. How do you handle order delays or mistakes? being truthful and fixing my errors.

79. What’s your proudest business moment? It's always the heartfelt thank yous I get from people on how either my classes or art has brought them joy

80. Where do you see your brand in 5 years?

81. Coffee or tea while painting? Both but coffee is my favorite vice

82. Early bird or night owl artist? Perpetually tired pigeon

83. What’s your favorite color? Green and terracotta

84 .Do you prefer warm or cool tones? Warm

85. What’s your guilty pleasure snack while painting? Dark chocolate

86. What’s the weirdest place you’ve painted? A bar

87. Do you collect art from other artists? Yes

88. What’s a song that always puts you in a creative mood? coffee house music

89. Do you name your paintings? My sip and paint paintings I do so people can reference it

90. What’s one quirky habit in your process? having a drink with soft pebble ice that I can chew on

91. What’s your best tip for beginner watercolorists? Just keep going. Most people want to give up on their watercolor halfway through the painting because they can't see the process coming to fruition. My advice is to keep going - even if the results aren't what you wanted you get to practice the craft. If you hate the painting all the more reason to play and push the boundaries since you're wanting to give up anyway. Most people end up loving their art when they follow this advice.

92. What mistakes do you see new artists make most? Not trusting themselves

93. What do you wish you knew when you started? Nothing - ignorance was bliss and it worked for me.

94. How do you push through self-doubt? Focus on my kids. It's usually just a bad day and taking myself out of it and spending time with the most important things to me makes me forget the bad.

95. How do you measure success as an artist? Unfortunately, it's by what other people think. Fortunately, most people are supportive and kind.

96. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? If you're going to do something, there's no reason for you not to aim for being the best. - my dad.

97. What do you hope people feel when they see your art? Inspired. Happy. Awed.

98. What’s the biggest lesson art has taught you? it connects us in so many ways, regardless of our walks in life.

99. How do you stay motivated long-term? Setting goals.

100. What legacy do you want to leave with your art? That art doesn't need to be taken seriously. It just needs to bring you joy.