Blog
My blog is a reflection of my artistic process and my love of the natural world. I write about my inspiration, challenges, and successes. I also share tips and techniques for artists of all levels.
Hello, Maria
I open my email and find the following inbox note from a mysterious, almost friend, who came to my student show a gazillion years ago and saw a painting that she liked and bought…
Finding Hope with van Gogh
Over the course of his life, Vincent van Gogh wrote approximately 900 letters of which several hundreds were to his brother Theo. Here he is writing to Theo from The Hague in early August 1883.
What I Would Say About Oakland
I love the way Calvino’s beautiful novel Invisible Cities starts. Marco Polo telling the great Khan of the cities he visited, sharing the objects he collected from the conquered empire, and of hearing languages unknown to him.
You Can’t Lie About Trees
Having found John F. Carlson and his Carlson’s Guide to Landscape Painting, I thought to apply my own understanding of what this very storied artist and teacher has advised.
Making Time to See
I started slow drawing per the suggestion of my coach and counselor, both of us seeing the potential as a next-step addition to my morning journal practice. Instead of reaching for my writing notebook, I reach for my sketchbook and head out to my tiny “cottage garden” that I’ve nurtured since we moved to Richmond, CA last year.