Mississippi Evening Glow: Acrylic Painting In Progress

There’s something magical about walking near the water at dusk—especially along the backwaters of the Mississippi River. On a recent walk down a quiet biking trail, I was struck by the warm, hazy atmosphere. The evening light had a glowing quality, thanks in part to the haze drifting down from the Canadian wildfires. The soft golden tones and the stillness of the landscape stayed with me—and that’s where the inspiration for my latest painting began.

I’m working on a 22 x 28-inch canvas in acrylic, a size that gives me enough space to play with depth and light. To start, I laid down a yellow-orange underpainting to capture the warmth I felt that evening. This base gives a gentle glow to everything that follows, almost like the light behind the memory.

Next, I blocked in the darker shapes of the trees and lower foliage. For that, I mixed blues with touches of orange—leaning on the contrast to build some early structure in the composition. The shadowy areas started to take form, grounding the piece.

The sky, of course, had to be something special. I created a blend using cerulean blue and Prussian blue with white, then added just a dash of dioxazine purple to echo the moodiness of the haze. It’s subtle, but it gives the sky a dreamy, almost surreal quality that matches the evening I remember.

This is just the beginning—there’s still much to refine, layer, and bring to life. Stay tuned as I share more progress in the coming days. I’m excited to see where this painting takes me—and I hope you’ll follow along.

Remembering Through Art: A Portrait of a Beloved Companion

My next painting is a commissioned piece—a portrait of a client’s beloved pet who has passed away. She only had one photo to share, which makes the process more challenging. With just a single image, I lose the benefit of multiple perspectives and the chance to truly capture the pet’s personality. To make it more difficult, the photo is quite dark and lacks fine detail. Still, I’ll work with what I have and do my best to bring this cherished companion to life on canvas.

Stay tuned to see how this sweet fur baby emerges, one brushstroke at a time.

Gift Of A Portrait

Portrait painting is always a challenge. Capturing someone’s likeness from a single photograph often comes with its own set of hurdles—colors can feel off, and lighting isn’t always ideal. I’ve yet to try painting from life, as my sketching skills are still a work in progress. For now, I rely on printing the reference photo and using tracing paper to emboss the basic outline onto the canvas. It’s a method that helps me place the eyes, nose, and mouth proportionally, giving the portrait a solid foundation.

This particular piece was painted in acrylics on an 11x14 canvas and is a graduation gift for my niece. While I see areas that could use further refinement, I made the decision to stop before I risked overworking it and dulling the vibrancy. Working under a time constraint definitely has its drawbacks, but at least this piece will be delivered—rather than joining the stack of my many “misfit” paintings waiting in the wings.

The Cost Of Creativity: Investing In Yourself

Just as a painting needs pigment, a passion needs investment.

How true this is.

Much like the saying “better late than never,” this speaks volumes about investing in yourself. Many struggling artists aren’t just battling finances—they’re battling hesitation. Sometimes the biggest hurdle isn’t buying materials, but believing it’s worth the effort to try.

Art has been my way of figuring things out. It’s taught me patience, discipline, and the value of showing up—even when it’s messy.

This blog is my personal journal—a space to share the real moments of my creative journey. I’m not here to sell or impress, just to be honest about what I’ve learned. If my path helps someone else feel less alone in theirs, then it’s worth sharing.

The Art of Quality: Why Materials Matter

For over 20 years, I’ve painted with student-grade off brands and Liquitex acrylics, prioritizing affordability over professional brands like Winsor & Newton, Golden, or Grumbacher. While cost was my main concern, I never really questioned whether higher-quality materials could enhance my work.  

As a dedicated artist striving to improve, I’ve experimented with various mediums—charcoal, watercolor pencils, oils, and most recently, watercolors. Learning has always been my driving force, and I’ve spent countless hours reading books and watching YouTube tutorials. One recurring theme, especially in watercolor discussions, stood out: the crucial role of quality supplies.

Curious but not ready to invest in professional-grade products, I upgraded to a mid-tier watercolor set—Koi Watercolors—along with 100% cotton paper. The difference was immediate. The colors were richer, the application smoother, and the overall experience more enjoyable. It left me wondering: Why hadn’t I upgraded my other mediums sooner?  

Does better quality really matter? Absolutely. Professional-grade paints, paper, and brushes respond more effectively, allowing for greater control and improved results. While skill develops with practice, using the right materials can elevate an artist’s potential in ways budget options simply can’t.

 

Watercolor Greeting Cards

This year I have made several varieties of greeting cards. Recently, I have been practicing with watercolor paints. Below are several examples I have made. Instead of buying expensive store bought cards. I decided to make my grandson’s each a card based on a theme or characters they like.

Get creative and personalize each card.
*Grandma, would move icebergs for you*

This one is for my Titanic obsessed grandson 

Painting Christmas Cards

When it is cold and blustery outside and you’re looking for a fun Christmas activity to do with the kids? Paint seasonal greeting cards. 

For this project, I used 5.5 x 8.5-inch cold-pressed watercolor paper. I started by folding the paper in half and then painted my subject horizontally. Although I typically use watercolor paints, I decided to use acrylics for this piece to achieve a more vibrant, textured effect. While you can choose any theme for your greeting cards, I opted to paint a snowman, inspired by the winter season and my love for capturing the charm of snowy landscapes.

Balancing Inspiration and Originality in Art

When starting a new project, I seek out inspiration photos of the subject I want to capture. If I don’t have the right images in my personal collection, I search online to find the perfect composition and perspective. For this particular project, I was looking for reference photos such as an octopus, sharks, sea grass and starfish which I will incorporate into my work.

People often ask me, “Isn’t that copyright infringement?” While it can be, I usually alter the image to make it my own. I’m reminded of a quote often attributed to Picasso: *“Good artists copy; great artists steal.”* I’m not suggesting this is inherently right or wrong, but it’s how I’ve learned to paint a variety of subjects. Without a photographic memory, this approach helps me refine my artistic process.

Look out for my next blog post when I merge my subjects. 

Experimenting With AI

Lately, I've been experimenting with Artificial Intelligence (AI) to see how it can assist when I'm stuck or struggling to find inspiration for my artwork. In the past, when I needed ideas for a painting, I would google descriptions and sift through the images that appeared, using them as a tool to spark my creativity. However, I've discovered that AI is much faster and more precise. Here is the beginning stage of my latest painting on a 24 x 36 canvas. Will post more later when complete.

Apps like Playground can do the heavy lifting for you. All you need to do is write a descriptive narrative of what you’re looking for, and within seconds, an image is generated. While it may not be exactly what you envisioned, it often comes very close. This new approach to generating imagery is incredibly efficient.

Update: I recently added my star of this painting; Dragon and Knight. Eventually, I will add more detail and characters later to share with you as I progress. 

One of my favorite parts of a painting is the planning stage. Generally, I stockpile several photos found online and use as inspiration. Now using AI; gathering photos couldn’t be easier. 

 Many artist use a thumbnail pre-sketch before placing on canvas. Personally, I like to wing it or in other words not plan it out on paper first but see what transforms in real-time on canvas. 

Stay tune, more to come…

 

Tranquil Reflections

I recently began this painting, set in the charming tourist town of Fontana, WI, located north of Illinois. It's progressing well but isn't finished yet; I'm still working on the tones. When I paint, I get into a zone where inspiration flows effortlessly. However, if I take a break from art and then return to it, I notice some rustiness, and it takes longer to get back into that creative zone.

The inspiration photo, with its bright tones of lemon green grass and an emerald-colored pond, presented a harmonious contrast against the dark brick-brown bark of the trees and the azure-lavender blue backdrop. I wanted to capture this stunning combination in my painting. The challenge is creating depth which I am still trying to figure out. 

 

Eye Of The Dragon

I began painting rocks in 2021 during the pandemic. When the world went on lock-down and people were going stir crazy sitting at home; I was painting rocks. These small paintings actually were fast and fun. My young grandson’s thought they were cool too. So I was doing something right to keep their attention while having fun. After finishing our painting project; we took those rocks and placed them in playgrounds around the area.

Rock art is a fun craft to do outdoors or indoors. It also is a fantastic medium tool for those looking to practice painting in a crafty way. Great for gift giving, hiding in parks or along a hiking path to a passersby. 

Sometimes hiding rocks can be rough.
“Do I have to give up this rock, grams?”

 

Cloud Canvas

When driving through the countryside, a vast cloud cover stretched endlessly across the horizon, offering expansive views as far as the eye could see. The setting sun cast a golden glow that emerged from the depths of the cerulean blue sky, painting the road ahead with an enchanting aura that seemed to vanish into the infinite expanse.

In the cerulean sky so vast and wide,

Where cotton clouds like dreams do glide,

Their billowed shapes, a painter's delight,

Drifting softly in the sun's golden light.

Each cloud a story, ever-changing art,

Whispering secrets to the dreaming heart,

On wings of azure, they dance and play,

In the canvas of the endless day.

Oh, cerulean sky, with clouds so fair,

Reflecting moods in the open air,

Mysteries hidden in your depths so high,

Infinite tales written across your sky.

 

A Mother’s Whisper Echoes

This small painting was created for my mom as a Mother’s Day gift before her death in 2019. 

Before learning to paint; going to the store to shop for a gift seem more like a chore than a giving notion. Especially, when I did not have a lot of indispensable income to spend on a gift no matter who the recipient.

However, creating a gift seemed more traditional and practical. Although, years ago you could say some of my family was not thrilled with receiving one of my homemade paintings. As a matter of fact, those paintings either ended up in a circle file or tucked deep in the back of a closet. 

Like anything the more one continues to experiment and practice the more growth and potential one grows at improving their skill. Especially paired with passion and determination.

As a result, my mom and other family member's became a fan of my art and eventually looked forward to receiving a painting as a gift.

When you lose a loved one, such as a parent. Their spirit lives on within the heart of the one who carries forth their memory. My mom continues to shine bright like the sun!

 

Mother & Daughter celebrate Mother’s Day
before mom passed in 2019

In the stillness of dawn's gentle light,  

Where memories dance in softest flight,  

I feel your spirit, calm and near,  

In whispered winds that dry my tears.

Though your voice has left this earthly stage,  

In echoes, it lingers, age to age.  

Through mirrored eyes and shared embrace,  

I glimpse your love, a timeless grace.

Grief's shadow, faithful yet to fade,  

Guides me through this quiet glade.  

With each sunrise, I am learning to heal,  

Embracing whispers that time reveals.

And in the cardinal's vibrant hue,  

I find solace, a hint of you.  

A symbol of hope, in every wing,  

A melody of love, forever to sing.

An angel dressed in red,  

Sent from above to keep watch.  

Days turn into years, returning with each season,  

Until our spirits embrace everlastingly.