This year my children and I foraged the local park for greenery, berries, dried leaves, and pinecones. Using a grape vine wreath from an old wreath, we intertwined our clippings and used wire to hold the smaller pieces, like the pinecones, in place.

When I come to the door I'm filled with warmth as I remember the adventure, the creation, and the conversation. We are ready for autumn!

In this month's Aspiring Artist's class we practiced brush-holding techniques to achieve smooth, rounded edges.

The painting consisted of many circles and rounded shapes so participants had a chance to really practice within one setting. We used a smaller dry brush, methods of holding hands steady, and a breathing technique to calm any shaking. The colors are striking so participants could focus on holding and rotating the brush.

​Seeing the sparkle of the eye the moment they achieve the technique is truly something special to me.

I also recommend having a couple different sized round brushes for a different stroke and finer details.

You'll need a palette to store your paints and a flat area to mix new colors. The Meeden ceramic palette gives you both in one. This style of palette is easy to clean and gives plenty of space for mixing. In a pinch, you can use an old chipped dinner plate on the side.

Propping your canvas upright will help your posture while you sit for long periods of time. It can also help your limbs while using them around the canvas. You can also remove the canvas from the easel during the process of adding details or any such reason, but great to have on-hand.

I recommend an easel that allows for varying canvas sizes and can hold the canvas in place while you work. 

Whether you purchase access to instruction online, hire an instructor for the night, or become the instructor yourself, someone will need to lead the group through the painting steps and answer questions.

I'm excited to share my career as an artist in the upcoming 2025 Career Fair at our local elementary school.

The plan is to have a "studio" set-up so the kids can don the apron and explore a variety of materials. I'll explain my creative process and how I create a living, as well as hand out flyers for upcoming kid's painting events so they can learn more and have a bit of fun. I hope to inspire some young creatives to push their creative limits and reach for the stars!