This week I have a tip for you that I regularly use to create cool marks and texture – some dark and some light.

Check it out…

I love the idea of working with these opposites. If I want a light painting for instance, my first layer will be very dark. Then I cover that underpainting with lights. Once I do this, I can go back in to bring out the dark marks by scratching through the light surface.

It seems counterintuitive to start a painting with the opposite value you want but the resulting marks and scratches have more energy! If you want a light painting, start dark and if you want a dark painting, start light. Give it a try!

Do you think about whether you want a dark or light painting when you are just starting a new piece? What tips do you have? Leave me a note in the comments. I’d love to hear!

Do you have questions about color? Check out our Color Tips Mini Course! This helpful mini course addresses the most important aspects of color and this foundational knowledge is a must for all artists. It could be a game changer for your art!

Hope you are having a great Sunday!

Nicholas

I learned a hard lesson this week! Read on so you can avoid making the same mistake I did.

I really like the direction my new paintings are taking, but unfortunately, the paint is peeling off on one! It’s an old acrylic painting I was working over and the acrylic paint is not sticking. I realized the previous version had a very thin layer of wax. Now this new painting is ruined.

Watch here…

The lesson is that acrylic does not adhere to anything oily or waxy – not even a thin coat. I’m going to attempt to take the paint and wax off and start again. I’m not sure how best to do that but I’ll start with a heat gun and alcohol to remove it. The new layer of paint needs to be secure since these paintings get rolled and shipped to the gallery. I hope this cautionary tale keeps you out of peeling paint trouble!

Has this ever happened to you? Let me know in the comments.

The Art2Life Podcast is back with an all-new episode this week! My guest is my friend and artist, Louise Fletcher. She came through the Creative Visionary Program several years ago not thinking she was an artist and has since exploded! She warmly shares her wonderful wisdom as we paint together.

While you can listen to it anywhere you stream podcasts, I want you to be sure to check out the video version on our YouTube Channel so you don’t miss out on the art-making! Bring along a piece of art to work on and join us this Wednesday for our next episode.

Have a great Sunday!

Nicholas

I’m back in the studio and using a lot of acrylic paint! The work is coming along at a nice pace because I have a time-saving tip.

Take a look.

I’ve used containers and palettes to mix color in the past, but now I’m using large buckets. What’s so cool is that after using the color I’ve mixed, a thin coat of acrylic dries in the bucket. Once dry, I can peel it out and have a clean bucket again! This is so helpful when mixing a new color. Plus these buckets are so big that if I haven’t used all my paint yet, I can keep my brush in the bucket and cover it. Not having to clean my brushes after each paint session is a huge time saver! I love having these larger containers around with mixed paint ready to go!

How do you manage and mix your paint? Let me know in the comments.

Hope you make some art today!

Nick

PS: Have you downloaded our Free Color Tips PDF yet? Click here to see the 5 key Color Principles I use in my own art. I hope you find them helpful.

It’s Sunday and I’m back to talk more about preparing for my show that is coming this summer! What I like to do in the beginning is gather all the shapes and sizes I want to paint on. I love having a variety!

When using canvas, I temporarily wrap and staple it to panels. This way, I can work into the canvas and scrape it like I would if working on a panel.

Check this out…

The paintings will all be in acrylic on canvas. I hope you are enjoying the behind-the-scenes look into the early stages of my show preparations! When you are preparing for a show, what helps you envision your collection? Let me know in the comments.

Make some art today!

Nicholas

PS: If you haven’t yet, subscribe to my YouTube Channel. We have hundreds of videos, including past vlogs and podcasts that can help you on your art journey.

Welcome back to the Sunday Vlog!

I love making art every day. Working even five or ten minutes in my journal is so fun! I usually don’t have a plan but here’s one way I get things going quickly. Since I use tracing paper as my palette paper, I have a collection of dried colorful sheets that I’ve saved.

Watch here to see how I use them in my journal…

Welcome back to the Sunday Vlog!

As artists, we are often not the best judge of our own work, and it turns out it doesn’t matter! A gallerist will have their own reasons for choosing one painting over another. I used to finish so many paintings (with a title, framing, photographing, etc.) before showing them to my gallerist, Julie Nester. After all that work, she’d end up choosing only a few. So now, I simply send her a video of options.

Watch here…

The point is to do the work you want to do. The selection process is so subjective. A gallerist, buyer, and even a viewer will have their reasons for liking one work over another.

I recently sent my gallerist a video showing eight paintings, and she chose four for her gallery. Can you guess which four? Make sure to watch the video above. The first person to write the correct four in our comments will be given one of our new Art2Life hats that are not available for purchase yet!

This week on the Art2Life Podcast my good friend and awesome storyteller, Noah Woods, is back! We have a conversation about clarity — finding clarity in our art and life. You will love this episode!

Be sure to listen wherever you stream podcasts. Remember that you can also watch the whole episode on our YouTube Channel!

I hope you make some art today!

Nicholas

I’m here making art with my friend and Art2Life Coach, Noah Woods. We talked a lot about finding clarity in our art and lives. It truly is a process of becoming yourself!

The Art of Your Life Workshop was an awesome beginning; what a fun week we had! The momentum continues with the Art2Life Creative Visionary Program. The Creative Visionary Program is a personal inquiry and discovery into what brings you alive in your art and life. We have an incredible group of teachers and coaches to lead us on this journey — it will be an amazing year!

Watch here…

Whether or not you join CVP, know that clarity comes with making art. The answers are within–and only come when you pick up a brush and get in motion. Even with 20 minutes a day, you discover what’s in and out, what you like and don’t like, and begin to unlock what matters to you. This pursuit of clarity is powerful. I cannot think of anything better to do for yourself!

Let me know in the comments if this resonates with you.

Coming this Wednesday on the Art2Life Podcast, we feature one of the teachers in the Creative Visionary Program, Chérie Healey. Chérie is an executive coach, brand strategist, and founder of SIREN, an imagination studio that supports women in finding their calling by helping them see themselves. Chérie understands that, at our core, we are all creative beings. Our discussion focuses on what it means to be truly alive. Our purpose is to know, cultivate, and express our fire and joy through art, music, or whatever work moves us.

Join us for this intimate conversation. Be sure to listen wherever you stream podcasts. Remember that you can also watch the whole episode on our YouTube Channel!

Thanks so much for being here and I hope to see many of you in CVP!

Nicholas

Again, I really hope to see you in this year’s Creative Visionary Program. We close doors to enrollment on Wednesday, March 13th at 11:59pm PDT.

Have questions about CVP? Bring them today to a special live call at 12pm PDT all about intuition and intellect. It is not just a little tip… It is THE way forward to making the Art of Your Life. If you’re reading this, it just might mean you need to learn this. Join me on our Facebook Page or YouTube Channel for this call.

I’m working late to prepare for The Art of Your Life Free Workshop that starts tomorrow! I’ve been thinking back on how this all started. I spent so much time working alone in my studio, but I remember my first social media post. It felt great just to put something out there and be seen, even if only by a few. Over time, people started connecting with suggestions or kind words, and those few voices kept me going! Watch here…

Watch here…

Eventually, this led me to teach workshops, build strong relationships and develop Art2Life. Connecting with others is so powerful! You can only get so far on your own. We need the reflection of each other to see ourselves more fully. Nothing is possible without community. Art2Life is our community, and it keeps growing!

I love pushing this out there because through community, we can open ourselves up to possibility and see ourselves in a new way. The Art of Your Life Free Workshop lessons are all new this year and the live trainings are going to be next-level! I’m so excited for all who are coming.

What part of your art-making is held by others? How do they keep you going? Let me know in the comments.

This week on the Art2Life Podcast, I’m joined by Artist and Art2Life Coach, Caroline Millar. Caroline shares her amazing journey, which illustrates beautifully how becoming yourself opens possibilities in art and life. Caroline dreamed about becoming part of the Art2Life team, and now she is! When you dream big, transformations can happen! Join us for this inspiring conversation this Wednesday. Be sure to listen wherever you stream podcasts. Don’t forget that you can also watch the whole episode on our YouTube Channel!

Hope to see you TOMORROW!

Nicholas

PS: Have a question about joining us for the Free Workshop? Click here for answers to your questions!

Happy Sunday! The Art of Your Life Free Workshop starts Monday, March 4th, and I can’t wait! I’ll be talking about ways of being — how to feel your best. I’m in Mexico now, and I am struck by how deeply I connect with the elements in a way I don’t experience at home. Fire, water, earth, air — we long for these elements, thrive with them, and it feels so good! THIS is how I want to feel in my art. These differences bring me alive and energized! So, how can you feel your fire and bring it into your art?

Watch here…

This is about moving towards what brings you alive. When you do, that energy comes into your art, and others feel it. I’ve never taught this idea in the free workshop, but it makes such a difference that I’m going for it this year!

In the Free Workshop, I’ll also teach the important principles of Design, Value, and Color, but this connection between our energy in life and our art is big. And so is this workshop! People are craving this connection, and I hope you’ll be there too. Click here to join me!!

Creating differences in your art starts with you and your way of being. It’s a big idea that’s not easy to share. If you have any tips about how to get the message across, I’d love to hear!

Let me know in the comments.

This week on the Art2Life Podcast, I’m joined by Artist and Sculptor, Austyn Taylor. She believes art holds a spiritual place in our lives. Every experience flows through her and influences her sculptures. The more Austyn makes, the more she refines her processes and ideas. She can’t open a bag of clay without seeing a thousand possibilities. She shares more about her creative process in this conversation. Be sure to listen this Wednesday wherever you stream podcasts. Don’t forget that you can also watch the whole episode on our YouTube Channel!

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

Nick

I’m so fired up about the upcoming FREE ART OF YOUR LIFE WORKSHOP starting March 4th! I’ve been developing this for months and it will be big! We’ll make art together, and I’ll talk about the Art2Life principles. Plus, I’ll share the idea that the ART of YOUR LIFE comes from YOU! When you feel alive and amazing, it shows in your art. How do we get there?

Here’s how I think about it.

Ask yourself what things in your life can shift to help you feel amazing. For me, one thing I did was to let go of worry. I used to worry about my art even when I wasn’t making it. Now, I only focus on it at the studio, and it’s right in front of me. Letting go of worry outside the studio was a huge game changer— when I return to the work, I feel fresh and energized.

Everything that gives you energy is a YES! If there are things in your life you’re not so sure about, consider saying no. You’ll gain confidence and clarity about what brings you alive. Leaning into who you are and who you’re becoming is what the workshop is all about. Click here to join me!!

What can you shift in your life to open possibilities and feel more alive? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks to everyone who submitted awesome comments last week. The winner of the journal giveaway is Stacey Stark. Congratulations!

This Wednesday on the Art2Life Podcast, I discuss the importance of finding balance between art and life. I’ll share strategies that have helped me find the balance I need to thrive. Delegating tasks, self-care, and learning to say no are some of the obvious things I touch upon that we can do for ourselves but often forget. I’ll expand on these and others that can help you align your art and life. Listen in from wherever you stream podcasts. Don’t forget that you can also watch the whole episode on our YouTube Channel!

Have the best Sunday!

Nick