Drawing dramatic cactus blooms in ballpoint pen. I’m making this composition into a drypoint intaglio print with plans to add watercolor. Here are some of the inspiring blooms from my cactus garden! #artist #drawing #printmaking #intaglio #cactus #cactuslover #artprofessor

Figure drawing from an hour and a half long pose, chalk pastel on drawing paper. For this class session I discussed and demoed mixing naturalistic skin tones from complimentary colors. I kind of love this drawing in its unfinished state. #figuredrawing #drawing #chalkpastel #art

My outfit today brought me soooo much joy. One of my printmaking students, Anthony Suggs, made this amazing banana peels shirt with shaped linoleum blocks. I’m obsessed. Paired it with yellow linen pants and my black chucks. 💛💛💛 Proud art professor moment! 💛💛💛 #printmaking #artprofessor #outfit #art

Ducky with Donut in progress. Just had a donut day with my painting class—painting donuts is not only fun, but a great exercise in mixing neutrals and painting textures. #art #oilpainting #stilllife #artprof #artprofessor

I’m working on subtractive chalk pastel landscapes with my intermediate drawing students. I began with a gradient tone with a plan to allow some of the initial gradient to come through. I am subtracting my lights with a combination of kneaded and hard erasers. #chalkpastel #drawing #cactus #artprof

Etching prickly pear flowers from our garden. Drypoint intaglio on plexiglass in progress. I’m excited to print a bunch of these little circular pieces. #art #printmaking #cactuslover #pricklypear #etching #drypointintaglio

Fun printmaking day. Desert Hills in Joshua Tree, 6 inch round etching on plexiglass. Print versus plate after printing. I’m excited to add watercolor to some of my prints from today. #printmaking #art #desertart #etching #cactuslover

Cactus flowers in color pencil and white charcoal on toned paper, inspired by the blooms in our Mojave garden. These cacti include the sun goddess, red hot chili poker cactus, and prickly pear. #sketchbook #artprofessor #drawing #colorpencil #cactus #desert #cactuslover

Figure drawing from a 50 minute long pose on toned paper with color pencil and white charcoal. I’m obsessed with the shadow shapes on the hip and thigh. This reclining pose makes me think of a landscape. #figuredrawing #art #artprofessor

Finished painting this page of dessert studies in gouache! Which little painting is your favorite AND what is your all time favorite dessert? ✨🍩🧁🎂💕✨ #art #gouache #painting #desserts #artist #gouachepainting

You only live once. Eat the damn treat. Memento mori! Gouache on watercolor paper. ✨ #gouache #painting #mementomori #dessert #art

Little gouache donut that is part of a larger page of dessert studies. Hoping to finish the whole page later today! I’m also painting pretty cake slices, ice cream cones, a tower of donuts, and a banana split. 🍦🍨🍰🎂🍩🧁 #gouache #painting #art #donuts #donutpainting

Color demos for my oil painting course! The the middle painting is a grisaille that was subsequently glazed, the ducky and dino are direct painting studies made to show my students how to mix value scales for red and yellow. #artprofessor #oilpainting #dinosaurart #rubberducky

Little painting demo for my Introduction to Painting class in oils. This week we focused on painting yellow objects and mixing shadows from complimentary color combinations. My students are obsessed with the rubber duckies in our still life cabinet! #oilpainting #artprofessor #stilllife #art

I made this drawing in a pronto plate with ball point pen, sharpie, and a tushe. I was so excited to see it print…but it failed! The oil ink did not want to stick to the pen at all, but became oversaturated in the areas where I used the tushe. Back to the drawing board! #printmaking #artfail #litho

“Medusa Lives On”. Printmaking-intaglio-nerd-out: I inked this version with some remnants of black from the previous print and re-inked the plate with a Rubine Red. In wiping the intaglio plate I deliberately left atmosphere and wiped out bright highlights with a q-tip.

Medusa Lives, drypoint intaglio. I pulled this print yesterday and am SOOOO happy with how it came out. Seeing my students stippling inspired me to stipple; I really enjoy how the different mark-making methods layer together and create richness. #printmaking #art #medusa #surreal #surrealart

Raven in Joshua Tree, oil on canvas, sold at a solo show in 2023. I love how the grays and blacks of the Raven turned out—I mixed them from Alizarin Crimson and Phalo Green. #oilpainting #desertart #landscape #raven

I love coffee and I love sipping coffee out of colorful ceramic cups. I made these five mini ballpoint pen and gouache paintings for the “Sip Show” at Mazamar Pottery in Pioneer Town. I bought the turquoise cup shown here from Mazamar, it is one of my very favorite cups. 💕 #gouache #art #coffee

Sometimes you just have to paint rhinos and unicorns. Acrylic paint on canvas. I’ve explored allot of heavy themes in my work. Art is an incredible tool to work through complex emotions—but I’ve found it is also important for myself to seek out levity and humor. Thus—unicorns! #painting #stilllife

I’m adding watercolor to this 20” x 24” drypoint intaglio print and I am excited. The portraits are of me and my mom, who passed away in October of 2022. #grief #griefjourney #printmaking #intaglio #etching #art

Finished this page of gouache paintings from Hawaii. Most of the paintings, save the egret and goat, were done plein air. I love plein air painting and don’t particularly like being in the ocean; while my family paddle boarded or swam, I would paint beach side. #gouache #art #landscapepainting

What began as a page of notes on what I want to explore for my next series turned into a full page gouache study. I began drawing out mountains and thinking of a mythic and monumental figure acting as a bringer of rain. Should I turn this into a larger painting? #art #gouache #painting #surrealart

“Dreaming through the Apocalypse”, acrylic on canvas, 20” x 26”, 2021. From my series of dreamscapes exploring big emotions through surrealist imagery. #surrealist #painting #portraitpainting #acrlyic #art

“Steph and V in Love”, oil on canvas, 36” x 36”. This is one of my favorite paintings that I’ve made. Making it taught me to be receptive to change, to adapt to what a painting calls for. I changed the face position for the figure in purple midway through. #art #oilpainting #figurativepainting

My New Year’s resolutions are to make more time for coziness, reading, and to make more figure paintings. I want to savor quiet moments where the to-do list has been abandoned. #newyears #figurepainting #oilpainting

Goat and butterflies by the breadfruit tree, gouache on watercolor paper. We have just a few more days on our Hawaii trip, I’m hoping to get a few more paintings done! #gouache #art #painting #hawaiiart

Plein air painting at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park in Hawaii. Loved being able to paint the traditional hale in the distance! Painting lava rock is a challenge, but so fun. Gouache on watercolor paper. #pleinair #gouache #painting #landscapepainting #art

Happy holidays from Kona! Our Hawaii Christmas time has been filled with eating fresh papaya and oranges, along with plein air beach painting. Here’s my finished page of gouache plein air landscapes and mini fruit still lifes. #gouache #pleinairpainting #sketchbook #art #painting #hawaii

Gouache plein air at Kahaluu Beach. I tone my painting area first, in this case with a red undertone. I’ve been experimenting with going back to the tone in areas by adding water with a clean brush, cleaning the brush, and removing back to the tone; I did that in parts of the sky. #art #gouache

Tropical Flowers still life, gouache on watercolor paper. I saw this bouquet of gorgeous flowers at a market in Kona and had to paint them. My favorites are the birds of paradise—to me they look like yawning colorful dinosaurs. #gouache #painting #art #artist #hawaiiart

We’re visiting family out of state for the holidays and I’m really missing my kitties today. Here is a painting I’ve made of Wednesday, and one I’ve made of Findlay. ❤️ #art #oilpainting #petportrait #catlady

Finished a page of gouache figure studies. I adapted all of these figures from my figure drawing sessions. It’s been a fun challenge to make up skin tones, lighting, and backgrounds. #gouachepainting #figurativeart #figurepainting #figuredrawing

Little plein air with gouache at Dog Beach in Kona. We’re in Hawaii for the holidays and I’m excited for beach painting! My favorite moments of this plein air were seeing little birds taking bird baths in puddles and seeing this big boat cruise through. #pleinair #gouache #painting #hawaiiart

Twilight Contemplation, oil on canvas. I just finished this oil painting and am really happy with it. I created the painting based off of a figure drawing session; in the painting I invented the skin tones, blankets, and pillows. #figuredrawing #figurepainting #painting #oilpaint #art #femaleartist

Earth Goddess, gouache on watercolor paper. I adapted this figure from a 3 minute gesture drawing from a figure drawing session. #figuredrawing #art #gouache #painting #figurepainting

I feel like Bluesky will just hide this because it is a figure painting. Oh no, art that has nudity! Figurative work does not = sexually suggestive. Freaking take a figure drawing class and educate yourself. #figurativeart #figurepainting #figuredrawing #art #gouache #painting

“Rooted through shifting seasons”. Drypoint intaglio print with added watercolor. Just finished adding the watercolor layers here. I love bringing together my love for watercolor with printmaking. #printmaking #figurativeart #figuredrawing #studioart #etching

Flying Dreams. Drypoint intaglio print on cream Stonehenge paper with added watercolor. I added the watercolor last night and am so happy with the result! I have a whole series of figurative prints that I now want to add watercolor to. #printmaking #etching #art #figurativeart #watercolor

Just framed this piece on the top and soooo happy with how it turned out. A collector is picking up the piece tomorrow, but I get to live with it beautifully framed on our wall for tonight! #art #oilpainting #framingart #tondo #desertlandscape #landscapepainter

I created this Cosmic Wreath for CMC’s upcoming Festival of Wreaths benefit. I wanted to capture the feeling of a new year and went for a golden palette. This piece is a combination of acrylic paint and screen print and has a UV protective gloss varnish. wl.donorperfect.net/weblink/webl... #art #cmc

“Ashley” acrylic on canvas, dreamscape series. I’m revisiting some of my older work with a new lens, with greater softness and appreciation. I had such bad imposter syndrome when I made this, now I look back and love it. #art #painting #surreal

Van Gogh Vanitas, chalk pastel, 18” x 24”. Just finished this chalk pastel drawing! I was thinking of Van Gogh’s color palettes of rich blues and orange, along with the sunflowers. I had allot of fun with this. #drawing #chalkpastel #pastelpainting #vangogh #art

Love seeing a litho from Grant Wood. I love his shapes and values here, so beautiful.

This drypoint intaglio is a dreamscape dive into my grief following my mom's death and a contemplation on our complicated relationship. Our heart is joined in a tangle and descends into a spiked cholla cactus. My memories feel like spider webs, like a thing I could get caught in. #printmaking #art

Printmaking life: inking and printing this 20” x 24” drypoint intaglio felt like an athletic effort. My Fitbit thought I was using a rowing machine! 😂 Print reveal coming later this week, I’m incredibly pleased with how it turned out! #printmaking #printmaker #drypoint #etching #intaglio #art

Self-portrait as a Medusa Sunflower in ballpoint pen. In the process of turning this into a drypoint intaglio print. ✨ #art #drawing #ballpointpen #artprocess #printmaking

My favorite wand is a brush. Got to spend a lovely Halloween teaching figure drawing and painting. #artprofessor #halloween #paintingmagic

Metal object demo for my oil painting course! When painting reflective objects value structure and contrast is essential. #artprofessor #oilpainting

Sold this 24” round painting at a recent art tour! Feeling proud, feeling excited for this big piece to go into someone’s home that loves it. This piece required a lot of patience and taught me many things. #artist #reddot #painting #oilpainting #desert #landscape