Here’s a great technique to add exciting and subtle marks to your work! I think of it as backwards painting, since I first apply paint and then cover it up using thick paint and painter’s masking paper.

Take a look…

What I love about this method is that I could never make these same marks intentionally, yet they fit right in and bring a freshness to the painting. It’s an easy way to keep surprise and wonder alive in your process.

Do you ever use this backwards painting trick in your process? Let me know in the comments.

In this week’s Art2Life Podcast, I interviewed an incredible artist – Katherine Mann. Mann’s explosive work encompasses many art-making techniques in one piece, yet the work feels completely cohesive and is super exciting! She explains her process and articulates her vision beautifully. Join me for this soulful conversation. Click here to listen to and subscribe to the Art2Life Podcast.

Have a fantastic Sunday!

Nicholas

PS Mark your calendars for our free online Opening Reception of the 2022 Art2Life International Juried Art Exhibition website on Monday, August 29, 2022, at 12pm PDT. There will be live interviews with some of the artists from the exhibition and our Juror, Jack Fischer of the Jack Fischer Gallery, and we will announce the awards!

Click here to sign up to attend. You will receive reminders and instructions on how to attend live once we get closer to the event.

Hope to see you there!

Do you ever get to your studio so excited and ready to paint only to find that what you’ve been working on isn’t that great? We’ve all been there, and it can be a letdown. So I want to share with you a fun solution that quickly gets me engaged with the work again. It could help you too.

Take a look…

Playing with contrasts, painting lights over darks and darks over lights, is an easy way to get going again without thinking or judgment. As you go, visible remnants of the early layers emerge, creating a rich history of your process and adding so much to your story. It’s a cool trick to get out of the way of yourself and bring the work back to life!

Do you ever do this with your work? Let me know in the comments.

In this week’s Art2Life Podcast, I have an awesome conversation with brilliant entrepreneur and artist Chad Little. Chad is so accomplished in many areas and his realistic/stylized paintings are next level and yet, he keeps pushing his boundaries. It’s inspiring to hear how he does it and what he’s searching for. I hope you’ll join me on Wednesday!

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

Have a blast art-making today

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!

As I’ve been working on these two paintings, I noticed that half the time I make a mark, it’s wrong – even when I’m trying. I wondered what would happen if I didn’t try at all? I had to find out. So without even thinking about design or color harmony, and even using colors I don’t like, I just applied paint, made marks and I’m surprised by what I learned…

See what happened…

Though the painting’s not working as a whole, new and surprising color combinations and marks showed up that feel just right. Now I have many cool areas to work with and refine. Why not try this? Let go entirely and see what happens. It helps break routines, keeps the work fresh and it’s so fun!

Do you ever let go entirely in your process? Let me know in the comments.

This week’s Art2Life Podcast features Art2Life Team members Susan Melrath and Ferris Martinez. In their candid conversation, they question the nature of art from a historical context to the present day, and the creative process relative to other mediums such as music. I’m excited for you to hear this lively discussion coming on Wednesday. You don’t want to miss it!

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

Have a great week!!
Nicholas

PS We are in the final days to submit your work for our ONLINE 2022 ART2LIFE INTERNATIONAL JURIED ART EXHIBITION! Our Call for Entry is only open for submissions through July 26th!
Please click here to see the eligibility and guidelines, a list of answers to frequently asked questions, and to enter the online exhibition.

There’s so much I love about all my work with Art2Life and as a painter but the one thing that always gets me fired up is the workshops I teach. Artists of various levels meet at special locations to make art! You never know who will be there but the vibe is always full of life and possibilities. We learn from each other, inspire, improvise—it’s super fun! By the end we’ve made real connections. Incredible energy and a special bond emerge when we come together to create. Artist Kiel Johnson thrives on this idea. Words cannot describe his incredible work and process. Today I want to share with you a really cool excerpt from a conversation I had recently with Kiel, all about collaboration. He just does such an amazing job with that.

See for yourself here…

There’s nothing like the synergy of collaborative creativity!

How do you collaborate with others in your art? Let me know in the comments.

Hear more about Kiel’s amazing art journey, including his recent purchase of a church that he has converted into an art studio in this week’s Art2Life Podcast. He discusses the power of working with others as well as working on his own. I hope you’ll join us!

Click here to listen to and subscribe to the Art2Life Podcast.
Check out Kiel’s work.

Have a great Sunday in the studio!

Nicholas

PS Time is running out to submit your work for our ONLINE 2022 ART2LIFE INTERNATIONAL JURIED ART EXHIBITION! Our Call for Entry is only open for submissions through July 26th! Please click here to see the eligibility and guidelines, a list of answers to frequently asked questions, and to enter the online exhibition.

I’m currently traveling in Italy and have seen so many cool things. Lake Como, for one, is a beautiful town with a long history of speed boat racing. A museum there features exquisite old boats and I was so taken with everything about them. The painted surface colors are especially rich and unique and look so good when combined with the soft warm golden tones of varnished wood so often used on these boats. The numbers on the boats, and the interiors are slick and beautiful too. I cannot wait to return to the studio with these new color combinations in mind. It’s so good to get out into the world, away from the studio. You never know what you’ll find inspiring!

What’s inspired you lately that you’ve seen out in the world?

Let me know in the comments.

In this week’s Art2Life Podcast, I have an amazing conversation with artist Daniel Wurtzel, who noticed something long ago that no one else did. It ended up leading him to a new kind of art. It is called air sculpture and frankly, I’ve never seen anything like it. I can’t wait to share this with you. Have a listen to our conversation coming out this Wednesday on the Art2Life Podcast.

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

Have a great Sunday!

Nicholas

PS The ONLINE 2022 ART2LIFE INTERNATIONAL JURIED ART EXHIBITION is open for submissions through July 26th! This exhibition is a wonderful opportunity for your work to be seen by prominent gallery owner, Jack Fischer, our curator and juror for this exhibition. Also, we have created a new Art2Life online gallery and will be promoting the work chosen to our large social media following!

To see the eligibility and guidelines, a list of answers to frequently asked questions, and to enter the online exhibition, please CLICK HERE. I can’t wait to see all of the submissions!

I started a garden recently in a large barren area. The tiny plants looked pathetic in this stretch of drab dirt, but they grew, and new things started to happen. Seeds drifted in the air and new habitats thrived in the shade of taller plants. I could have never planned how lush and vibrant it became! This magical process relates so beautifully to art-making.

Listen here…

The idea of growing your art rather than planning it takes so much pressure off. It’s a process of allowing the painting to take on a life of its own. Think about cultivating a regular practice over time and growing into your art with all that turns up. What shows up may surprise you!

What happens when you approach your art without a plan? Let me know in the comments.

In this week’s Art2Life Podcast I have an amazing conversation with artist Josh Goldberg, whose work is so fresh, that he appears to have no plan! He has so many cool things to say on this subject. I hope you’ll join us!

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

Have a blast making art today!

Nicholas

PS The ONLINE 2022 ART2LIFE INTERNATIONAL JURIED ART EXHIBITION is now open for submissions! This exhibition is a wonderful opportunity for your work to be seen by prominent gallery owner, Jack Fischer, our curator and juror for this exhibition. Also, we have created a new Art2Life online gallery and will be promoting the work chosen to our large social media following!

To see the eligibility and guidelines, a list of answers to frequently asked questions, and to enter the online exhibition, please CLICK HERE. I can’t wait to see all of the submissions!

Photo: Markus Spiske

Every part of our art practice relies on us. Getting ourselves to the studio, having the materials, staying motivated, getting our work out there— it can feel overwhelming, especially when it comes to the business side of things. So, I want to share two practical tips to help you to get going with your art-making. When your art is made better and more easily, then this frees up energy that can be used for getting your art out into the world.

Here they are.

“Iteration” is the first tip. When we iterate, we allow ourselves the benefits of repeating ourselves. Doing something several times will enable us to tweak things to improve things more easily.

The second tip is called “Stacking.” This is simply paying attention to what is working and carrying this aspect over into the next iteration. There are always some benefits or good parts of any effort, so the further we go along, the larger the pile of benefits becomes.

These are two of my favorite tips on making strong personal art.

What tips do you rely on in your art practice? Let us know in the comments.

In this week’s Art2Life Podcast, I have a conversation with Maria Brito, a high-level art advisor who has just published a book called, “How Creativity Rules the World.” She discusses ideas on optimizing creativity we can all act on. I think you are going to love this helpful conversation!

Have a blast making your art today!
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!

-Painting by Susan Melrath-

Something came up on a backpacking trip I took with friends. The lesson I learned perfectly relates to art-making.

Here is what happened.

It is always hard to know exactly how our future art will turn out. But the past can provide clues on how to move it forward. We’re on this creative path to improve our work, and while we may not like past work, there’s usually something to uncover that still lights us up. So look back and find what still excites you. Then, bring it forward with renewed clarity and momentum into your new work.

What’s behind you in your past work that still lights you up? Let us know in the comments.

Determining what excites you relates directly to finding your style, one of the most common questions I receive from artists. In this week’s Art2Life Podcast, I’ll share some cool ways to answer this question. I hope you’ll join me.

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

Have a blast making your art today!

Nicholas

PS It’s happening again! I’m excited to announce that the online 2022 Art2Life International Juried Art Exhibition is COMING SOON! To be sent the official Call for Entry on June 27th, you MUST add your name to the list here. To see the 2021 exhibition, click here.

Have you ever experienced a coincidence that seems almost planned? It’s as if these moments of synchronicity are meant to teach us something. I notice this happens when I’m more engaged with my art. Here is one that happened to me recently.

Check this out.

I love these synchronicities for the thought-provoking insights and reminders they reveal. These seemingly casual signs show up just when we need them — it’s amazing!

What synchronicities have happened along your art journey?

Let us know in the comments.

In this week’s Art2Life Podcast I interview Kim Krans, a fascinating artist, author, and musician, who studies life’s energy and the hidden wisdom in the everyday. I hope you’ll join us.

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

Have a great day in the studio!

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!

Photo: Elena Koycheva