Who am I as an artist?

Finding the answer to this is the secret every artists wants to figure out. After reading all kinds of books, spending a lot of time online and grilling all of my artist friends, I have come to only one conclusion. *You must do the work.* Only time spent creating will help you reveal the mystery. And this is one that will keep unfolding your whole art career. I am still asking myself who am I as an artist and I suspect in twenty years I will still be asking myself the s…

Yes, it's true, mix like a pro using just three colors plus white! 

Over the years I have found myself naturally limiting my palette as I mix my own colors more often.

Narrowing my palette to my few favorite colors like Quinacridone Magenta, Hansa Yellow medium, Green-Gold, Turquoise, Payne's Grey and Permanent Violet hue - all by Golden Acrylic Paints - I have found I simply just don't need every color. And with the growth of Color Crush Creative, I have been even more aware of color mixing a…

We are Artists. Art is meant to be shared. 

Let’s do it Right.

Being a successful Artist means mastering the art of telling your story. You are always telling your story when you are in the public eye, whether in the physical world or online. I’ve heard it called branding, marketing, public relations….it’s all the same. It’s all about you and your image and all that you are creating. What do you want to tell the world when you stand in front of them? There is no right answer.

This is …

I'm a hoarder of books. I believe that you can never have too many and continuing education, especially art education, is essential to staying current, growing and learning what you need to be successful at doing what you love. I average about one new book a week. Some really give me the kick I need and others are duds. I take what I can from all of them and then form my own opinions and plan of action for what I want to accomplish. Sometimes i need help with business and other times I'm s…

Some days I can’t believe that my job is to paint and make things for other people to enjoy. What a dream. What a huge undertaking! I may have a moment where I say, wow that painting only took 30 minutes! But then in a blink I realize all the work it took to get there and before I undersell myself I must realize my worth, even as I am so honored to be doing what I love for a profession.

Let’s put things in perspective: The plumber charged me $300 for an hour of work last week! Yeah, painting …

HELLO COLOR LOVER!

The science, history and art behind color is fascinating. It's a subject that never bores me, in fact I have dozens of books just on color alone. I could ramble for ages, but I'm going to assume that you just want the facts today. Color Theory is still an evolving idea of how we use, see and relate to color; even color can create controversy with its theories. For all intensive purposes we're going to stick with the basic color wheel originating from Sir Issac Newton with…

What Supplies Do I Need to Start Acrylic Painting?

I'm asked often about what supplies I use to create my artwork.
Here is a run-down of my favorite acrylic painting supplies!

I love Golden acrylic paints. I work fast and in thin layers, so usually I turn to Golden Fluid Paint the most. I often follow up with Golden Heavy Body for details or texture. All of these paints have a very high pigment load and can resist fading over time, an important thing if you want your painting to last.

Let's face it, if you want your Instagram feed to stand out, you need to take better photos.

You don't need a fancy camera or elaborate equipment.  You don't need to be a designer or a stylist. And you don't have to spend all day taking the perfect photo, but you do need bright, clear, and consistent photos if you want your work to be eye-catching.

First, since you're posting to Instagram, it makes sense to just use your phone camera. These days most smartphones have cameras that rival a d…

Break out your beach chair and let your oceanic adventure begin...

Seascape Escape is an easy step-by-step class that will have you diving into the art of acrylics, and creating coastal masterpieces with moody clouds and stunning seascapes. 

In this simple and easy-to-follow course, Kellee guides you through everything you need to know about acrylic materials, starting and finishing simple landscape paintings, and unleashing your creativity onto the canvas! Whether you're new to acrylics or yo…

Who are we as artists?

Finding this answer is the secret every artist wants to figure out. After reading all kinds of books, spending a lot of time online, and grilling artist friends, there has only been one common conclusion. *You must do the work.* Ask yourself this question today, and again in a year, then again in 20 years. Only time spent creating will help you reveal the mystery.

As artists, we hear these competing ideas over and over again - "Just pick one thing and you will be success…