“The main thing is to be moved, to love, to hope, to tremble, to live.” – Auguste Rodin
More Than a Competition What My First Driggs Plein Air Event Taught Me There is something both exciting and intimidating about arriving at a plein air competition you've never attended before. Every event has its own personality, its own landscape, and its own traditions. Although I have participated in many plein air events over the years, this was my first time painting in Driggs, Idaho. As I drove into the valley beneath the magnificent Teton Range, I found myself asking the same questions every artist asks: Where should I paint? What should I expect? How can I make the most of this week? By [...]
Owning Your Voice: What Grandma Moses Taught Me About Art and Life Every artist reaches a crossroads at some point — that quiet moment when you wonder if you’ve started too late, if your work really matters, or if the world even needs another painting. I’ve had those moments, and I imagine you have too. That’s why the story of Grandma Moses has always moved me so deeply.She was seventy-eight years old when she began painting — a farmwife from upstate New York who picked up a brush simply because she couldn’t afford Christmas gifts [...]
Van Gogh’s Story: A Reflection of Struggle, Resilience, and Hope Van Gogh’s art has always captivated me with its vibrant energy and emotional depth. When I was invited to teach a workshop in Provence, France near St. Remy and Luberon in May 2025, the same region where Van Gogh created some of his most iconic works, I felt compelled to explore his story more deeply. A recent visit to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York reignited my admiration, especially for the resilience and tenacity evident in his work. Yet Van Gogh’s legacy is not just his art—it is also the [...]
In Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles' book "Ikigai," the Japanese concept Ikigai roughly translates as "the happiness of always being busy" - of finding your reason to be. The place where your passion, mission, profession and vocation meet. The discovery of being able to find your own uniqueness that you can bring to the world. Ikigai originates from the island of Okinawa, Japan, a blue zone where Garcia and Miralles interviewed some of the world's oldest people. Okinawa was a place of extreme suffering during World War II, with over 200,000 casualties but today it is known as a place where the [...]
I just got back from a week of painting for the Bird Dog Arts Invitational! It was a wonderful week painting the beautiful town of Bakersfield, visiting with my fellow artists, staying with a great host family and finding new collectors for my work. What I always find interesting are the conversations around my work as an artist and the perception of artists in general. For art enthusiasts and collectors, the behind the scenes of what goes into a work of art is a true mystery. Many people do not understand the process of creating art whether the work is done [...]
How do we differentiate between efficiency and effectiveness in our lives and why are they both important to reach our goals? To start, we should define what we mean by being efficient. Efficiency is the ability to produce an intended result with the least amount of wasted time and effort. Efficiency can be seen as our ability to quickly get through our "To Dos" lists and can be task oriented. Effectiveness, on the other hand, is our ability to produce a better result which adds more value and is a longer-term goal. An example might be a musician who regularly practices [...]
The Art of Resilience & Finding the Fight" "The obstacle in the path becomes the path. Never forget, within every obstacle is an opportunity to improve our condition." from old zen story Northern California experienced some pretty intense weather at the end of December/early January and as a result my studio in San Carlos was flooded. This was a pretty big blow for me - it seemed like losing my studio was yet another set back or challenging circumstance that I've had over the last couple of years. My studio was my sanctuary - it was the place that I could escape to [...]
How to Deal with Criticism as an Artist By Ellen Howard Criticism can hold us back from creating. As Ted Orland & David Bayles state in their book, “Art & Fear,” our inner critic prevents us from doing our best work and criticism from others prevents us from doing our own work. There is a saying, just focus on the things we can control and not focus on things we cannot control.” I believe this is especially true in dealing with criticism in art. Internal and external criticism can be difficult for every artist and it takes [...]
THE ART OF SERVICE My grandfather, Eddie Bauer, was an incredibly vibrant man who started working in service industries at sixteen as a Porter for cruise ships and in 1936 as a Purser for Eastern and TWA airlines. Even outside of work, my grandfather was the organizer of trips, tours and set up many programs in his community. He loved meeting new people, learning new customs and traveling. I realize now how much his incredible stories, acts of service and his charismatic nature greatly affected me as I was growing up. MY GRANDFATHER INSPIRED ME TO BECOME AN ARTIST My grandfather allowed me to [...]
The Art of being Mentally Strong & Finding Perspective! The author Amy Morin, in her book “13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do,” discusses developing mental strength by improving your ability to handle emotions, manage your thoughts, and behave positively despite external circumstances. As artists there are certain issues we face as creatives, but I also believe non-artists struggle with them also. I have considered Amy’s suggestions and formed them into my “Top Ten list” of how artists (and Non-artists) can have a more fulfilling life by taking these principles and applying them to their lives. 1. Don’t spend time feeling sorry for [...]
