After teaching an Art2Life Destination Workshop in Morocco, I’m now wandering through the souks of Marrakech. These renowned marketplaces are full of incredible colors, smells, spices, fabrics, carpets, pottery, chickens — about anything you can think of! It’s a stimulation overload, which gives rise to a challenge related to art making.

Here’s what I mean…

There’s so much in the marketplace that it’s hard to know what to focus on. This same challenge can come up in your art. When you have too much going on — too many shapes, colors, marks — it’s time to choose what’s most essential and adjust accordingly. Absorbing the richness of such an amazing place as Marrakech, and thoughtfully bringing it into your work, makes for great art!

How do you bring the abundance of the outside world in and choose what to share in your art? Let me know in the comments.

In this week’s podcast, I’m interviewing Magdalena Segui Cerda, who I’ve known for ten years. Her intangible gifts are hard to describe. She’s a body worker and spiritual advisor who can help us see our essence. Opening others to their intuition to bring forth awareness, clarity and inner growth is her super power. I’ve been fortunate to have Magdalena as a guide in my art and life. I hope you’ll join me for our enlightening conversation coming this Wednesday. Listen to and subscribe to the Art2Life Podcast here.

Have a great day Sunday!
Nicholas

PS: Are you looking for a way to be part of the Art2Life Community? Join our free Art2Life Artists Facebook Group!

I’m in Morocco teaching an Art2Life Destination Workshop and we’re working outside! It’s so fun but also really hot. Luckily, we have a cold pool nearby for a refreshing difference to wake us up! And that’s exactly what I’m teaching. Differences bring us alive. If your paintings have all big shapes, small shapes will add contrast. If color is muted, saturated color will add life. Differences are powerful and teaching this idea is always my focus early in the workshop. But after a few days, I can feel it becoming a roadblock for some.

Let me explain…

When you’re learning new things, it’s easy to be stuck in your head and overthink every move you make. But when it comes to art, that’s the last place you want to be! You need the information, but at some point, you want to let go and play. Try new tools, experiment with colors, and follow what feels good instead of trying to make something. When you play, you don’t have a plan. When you don’t have a plan, your intuition kicks in, and more often than not, the moves are right! We need this balance of knowing and letting go, and bringing play into your work is the fastest way to get you out of your head.

When in your process do you play and feel most like you? Let me know in the comments.

On this week’s podcast, I have a conversation with artist Vanessa Marsh, whose work looks like photography, but it’s not. Her subject matter is light. She works with natural sunlight and also in the darkroom to create incredible work reflecting her highly intuitive process. The results are amazing! I hope you’ll join me on Wednesday for an all-new episode of the Art2Life Podcast.

These workshops are so fun. There is nothing better than making art with friends! To find some of the materials shown and mentioned in today’s vlog, head to our Art2Life Store. Hope you have an awesome Sunday!

Nicholas

PS: Are you looking for a way to be part of the Art2Life Community? Join our free Art2Life Artists Facebook Group!

I want to share with you a peek into an Art2Life Destination Workshop I’m teaching in Mallorca, Spain. One of the best things that’s different than making art on your own, is the experience of making art together. So much learning happens at an accelerated pace! Making art together is fun, comforting, and challenging. At the workshop today, I posed a question which led to a powerful discussion: what’s hard in your art-making?

Listen here…

In searching for our “style,” or comparing ourselves to others. we often become our own inner critics. But when you pose the question of what’s hard, these common struggles are normalized and we realize that making art is equally possible for all. It’s a way to keep your art moving forward. Give it a try…

What’s hard about making your art? Let me know in the comments.

Speaking of inner critics, on this week’s podcast I’m interviewing Pulitzer Prize-winning author and art critic, Jerry Saltz. Jerry understands first-hand what it means to feel vulnerable in art-making as he started as an artist himself. Ironically, he was so consumed by his own inner critic, that he quit art-making completely. Now he talks about the work of others. On this podcast, he shares art-making tips and ideas from his new book, “Art is Life.” Leave a comment for a chance to receive a free signed copy! Jerry will be selecting two of his favorite comments. I hope you’ll join us for this episode coming out on Wednesday.

Click here to listen to and subscribe to the Art2Life Podcast.

And click here to pre-order Jerry’s new book.

Have an amazing Sunday!
Nicholas

PS: Are you looking for more ways to stay in touch with Art2Life? Click here!

My daughter Hannah and I have been building this “tiny house“ together. It’s been a long project, but now we’re at the fun part – choosing colors for the house! We’re using an amazing resource called Color-aid paper, which makes it fun and easy!

Let me show you…

The Color-aid box includes hundreds of colored sheets that can be helpful in the studio too. If you’re considering new palettes, studying saturation, or want to feast your eyes on color — this cool collection is endlessly fun to fan through!

Have you ever worked with Color-aid paper in or outside the studio? Let me know in the comments.

This week’s podcast is my warm and lively conversation with artist James Kennedy, based in upstate New York. James shares openly, with humor and humility, about his process and describes his work as an unplanned “series of events.” It is so surprising given the subtlety and structure in his work, and it’s interesting to hear his approach. I hope you’ll join us for this one this Wednesday.
Click here to listen to and subscribe to the Art2Life Podcast.

Have a blast making your art today!

Nicholas

PS Here is a link to the Color-aid paper I mentioned today: https://coloraid.com/

PPS Check out the Free Art2Life Artists Facebook Group. Every day, artists from all over the world are creating amazing art, and you are invited!

There’s a common struggle in art-making involving opposites. There’s the controlled approach — working precisely with intention, and the loose approach — when emotions and spontaneity take over. It’s a matter of engaging both sides of yourself — your intellect and your intuition. How do you do both at the same time? You can’t! Simultaneously thinking precisely and working emotionally doesn’t work because that comes from two different sides of your brain but, allowing for both makes more powerful art.

Let me show you…

It’s so interesting how some of us are more comfortable with one side over the other. Keeping both in mind invites you to switch over and explore beyond your comfort zone. The work looks so good when these two opposites are at play!

Which side do you spend more time with? Let me know in the comments.

This week’s podcast is my conversation with a fascinating artist, Emilio Villalba. Emilio’s work is so original, that it surprised me to learn he’s a student of all kinds of artists. I hope you’ll join me on Wednesday for this next episode. Click here to listen to and subscribe to the Art2Life Podcast.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Nicholas

PS Check out the Free Art2Life Artists Facebook Group!

Every day, artists from all over the world are creating amazing art, and you are invited!

I want to share a helpful tip for when you want to work large. I like to work on unprimed canvas (found at any big online art store) wrapped over hardwood panels so I can push the paint into the canvas. To do this, I’ve built some very large forms of various sizes. What’s cool is that I can combine these forms with others to make oversized works. Simple hardware makes it possible.

Take a look here…

With these connecting forms, I have more size options to play with. Once the painting is done, the canvas gets removed and rolled. And if I ever need to take a form out that’s bigger than my 7-foot door, I can just disconnect them and get them through.

What works for you when you want to scale up? Let me know in the comments.

This week’s podcast is my conversation with an amazing artist, Bill Armstrong, who creates striking imagery. It’s photography, it’s painting, it’s found imagery, blurred imagery. In truth, it’s incredible work that’s hard to categorize! Join me for our interesting conversation this Wednesday.

Click here to listen to and subscribe to the Art2Life Podcast.

Have an awesome Sunday!

Nicholas

PS Check out the Free Art2Life Artists Facebook Group! Every day, artists from all over the world are creating amazing art and you are invited!

Many years ago, I fantasized about being in a prestigious gallery in San Francisco. The art shown there was incredible. I often went to the openings and remembered being awed by the work of one artist in particular. The work was so amazing and his level of imagination felt so beyond what I could come up with, I just had to find out more about it. Of course, I didn’t dare speak to the artist himself, but I found the gallerist that night and asked, “how does he do this?” To my surprise, she said, “he just makes this stuff up!” That’s it I thought? I couldn’t believe her comment but suddenly, it felt like anything was possible. If this artist was just doing what he wants, so can I, and more importantly, so can you!

Let me show you…

This is what SPARK is all about— art-making that is accessible to all. Everyone is eligible, and anything goes! All that matters is what you care about. SPARK is open only for a couple more days — enrollment closes on Sep. 20th at 11:59 pm PDT.

Click here to learn more and to sign up for SPARK!

I’ll be live today at noon on the Art2Life Youtube Channel and the Creative Breadcrumbs Facebook group to demonstrate how to get your art going easier, as well as answering questions about SPARK. Plus I’ll be giving away some cool prizes!

What are you excited about in your work? Let me know in the comments.

Have a great Sunday!Nicholas

PS This week’s podcast is my interview with an incredible artist, José Delhart Gonzalez, who takes this accessible approach to creativity, making it easy for all to connect with his work. Some of his most elaborate paintings start on pizza boxes! The work shows introspection and clarity about what matters to him most and it’s powerful. I hope you’ll join me.

Click here to listen to and subscribe to the Art2Life Podcast.