Paintings With Soul

  robin’s egg blue I have completed some major projects recently - hung a solo show in the fall, filmed and launched an online intuitive painting workshop ( available for purchase, with lifetime access, through Kara Bullock Art School ), completed a community art project for the Detroit Society of Women Painters & Sculptors, launched   on demand art lessons , opened a group show a couple weeks back, created an entirely new body of work for   a two person show   in Denver next month, and am varnishing and readying to ship 4 new, large bear paintings to Whiteside Art Gallery (Cashiers, NC) in early July. It’s no wonder I’ve not released a new art journaling lesson in a bit! Earlier this week I had an afternoon to sit with one of my books and just play. It felt great, to get to make marks with abandon, no worries about anything having to turn out any particular way. That’s my favorite kind of arting, the rudderless sort. Out of that afternoon came this lesson, ...

"Rudy & Riley," 11"x14"x1, acrylics on cradled panel, commissioned portrait. HOWEVER, if you recognize these two, please please please keep it on the down low, as the portrait has not been yet gifted (the recipient is not on Facebook). inquiries can always come  to me . For years I have been asked to teach pet portraiture online. I mean years - probably a decade or so. You have been more than patient with me. Which is why I am so thrilled to finally announce that I am doing so! May 18th at 7pm eastern I will begin Part 1 of a live demonstration of a pet portrait. I'm starting from the very beginning, building a composition that will look and feel like our subject, using   the wonderful goofball Bean   as our model. I plan to talk about reference photo curation, composition and design, then go into surface choice and preparation, blocking the painting in, and carry the mark-making until the piece is completed (or close enough that you all get the point). We w...

A couple weeks ago I taught   my first zoom workshop , mono printing in our journals, and it was a wonderful experience. Zoom allows me to demonstrate my process, simultaneously share my journal and my palette, and interact with participants in real time. Additionally, the class video becomes available afterwards for direct download for any students wishing to try the lesson on their own time after the fact. If you haven't yet tried journaling, what's holding you back? There's no need for previous arting experience (I promise you that - as complex as my pages may look, they are simple exercises that can be completed by anyone), no specialized art materials or equipment. And no expectation that what you make will hang on a wall or even ever have to be shared. All you need is the desire to make some marks and play with the tools. So please consider joining us - either in a zoom session, or one of the free   #journalthroughit classes. If you are an avid journaler, you w...

I am so excited to finally be able to share I am one of the 26 instructors in this year's   Make Create Express 2020 . Make Create Express is an online journey of creativity, a collection of 26 artists, each having created 2 exclusive lessons outlining their unique approach for this adventure. The video lessons and other content are delivered weekly via email right to your inbox, so there is no need to scroll through feeds or remember to retrieve/download a thing. And wait - it gets better. Because there's FREE stuff!!  The kickoff to the Make Create Express year is a   FREE Creative Retreat Weekend . During this weekend, which falls on July 11 and 12, a free lesson from each instructor is unlocked. So clear your calendar for two intense days of artmaking! The Creative Retreat Weekend is a great way to check out new-to-you instructors and processes, f ind inspiration in the workshops and the community, and d etermine if the yearlong Make Create Express...

If you watched   today's #journalthroughit lesson , you saw me create this page live. While it looks complex, ir's really just a number of layers of marks, all done with simple materials you probably already have around your house. Collage papers and glue, a pen, and colored pencils or crayons. Also, if you are sadly quarantining without a spirograph, I showed a doodle substitution that was equally meditative and visually satisfying. And if you now cannot live another minute without a spirograph,   here's the one   that I used in class.   #journalthroughit continues to go strong, with   Ardith   Goodwin teaching Mondays (her class times can fluctuate), and then I chime in on Thursdays at 11:30 eastern. A   complete listing of the   37 classes to date   is on my website , along with direct links to the video lessons. Yup, you read that right - thirty seven lessons!! And we're still making more. Videos will be up for one year after air dat...