I just thought I’d share a tip about my painting process. I’m working on this painting, and the top isn’t working, so I need to make a change. When this happens, I look for clues in other parts of the painting where there is a feeling and energy I like. In this case, the bottom area has that feeling—a freshness I want to see elsewhere. I don’t want to repeat it exactly, but now I understand how to move forward with that feeling in mind.

Take a look…

This is how I problem-solve! The answer to your next move is usually somewhere in the painting. Look for the parts that are working and bring that same quality to other areas in the work.

Does this problem-solving method resonate with you? Let me know in the comments.

On this week’s podcast, I answer some of YOUR questions that you recorded on our podcast page. This is a new feature and it’s great to hear your voices! (Please note that this feature is only available on art2lifepodcast.com.) Many of you had similar questions about flow, and how to finish a painting. Those are two of the four I’ll be talking about this week. I hope you’ll join me for our next episode coming out on Wednesday! Click here to listen to and subscribe to the Art2Life Podcast.

Have a great Sunday!

Nick

PS: Many of you are working larger than 12” x 12”, so I wanted to let you know we have new 18” x 18” panels and frames in the Art2Life store. (Shipping available within the US only.)

PPS: If you’re looking for more ways to stay in touch with Art2Life, click here!

Glazing is a great way to unify a painting. By covering areas of a painting with a thin glaze of color, areas instantly feel related since they have the glaze in common. I’m at that stage in this painting, so let me show you how I do it.

Take a look.

A little color, combined with a medium, makes a thin glaze that I can apply quickly over a large area. This feels so good because it differs from building layers and applying thick paint! After rubbing in the glaze, the whole picture feels unified. But as with anything, you can go too far with glazes. A painting can feel too cohesive and lifeless. That’s when I work back on top of the glaze. Finding the right blend of thick, thin, glazed, and unglazed is a dance! Give it a try.

How do you use glazes in your work? Let me know in the comments.

On this weeks’ podcast, I’ll share my thoughts about flow state and how to work more efficiently. We think it’s about being at the studio more and working harder. But really, it’s about practicing the thinking behind your art-making. I hope you’ll join me this Wednesday for the next episode! Click here to subscribe to the Art2Life Podcast and catch up on past episodes, too!

Have a great Sunday!
Nick

PS: Here are links to the products I mentioned today:

Steel Wool
Liquin
Odorless Mineral Spirits

PPS: If you’re looking for more ways to stay in touch with Art2Life, click here!

I wanted to talk about transitions—where one thing ends and something else begins, like where the ocean meets the beach. There’s energy in transitions because that’s where the contrast is. It’s exciting to see a smooth field of red budding up with a plane of white. Transitions also relate to arrivals and departures. I use this idea when I’m tinkering with a painting but I’m not getting anywhere, and I’m ready to leave the studio.

Here’s what I do.

Forcing myself to make a bold, overstated move before leaving the studio sets up my transition back into the work. It doesn’t even matter if it might be a mistake. It makes it easy and faster to enter into the process because there’s something bold to respond to. More often than not, it ends up being something I keep!

What do you do to move your work along? Let me know in the comments.

This Wednesday on our next episode of the Art2Life Podcast, I’ll be talking about objectivity. We tend to get so close to our work that we don’t see it anymore and lose track. Gaining objectivity is key. I’ll share my ideas on how to do it. Join me! Click here to find the Art2Life Podcast.

Have a great Sunday!

Nicholas

PS: Have you joined our Art2Life Artists Facebook Group yet? It’s an amazing community of artists from all over the world! I pop in and share what I’m working on from time-to-time, and I’d love to see what you are creating too! If you’re on Facebook, click here to join the group.

A common concern I hear from people about art relates to confidence. Questions like, “Am I good enough? Can I do this?,” come up often. Especially in the middle of the process, you can start feeling like what you’re doing is not that meaningful. I heard something I wanted to share because it radically changed that perspective.

Listen here…

Art is culture, and we’re making it! As a result, we’re connecting to others through our art and creating community, and our community contributes to our humanity. What we’re doing does matter. Creativity has the power to save the world! So let’s keep the momentum going; we need everyone!

How do you think your work contributes to the world? I’d love to hear what you think in the comments.

I read this powerful perspective in an amazing book called, “Your Brain on Art” by Ivy Ross and Susan Magsamen, who I’ve interviewed for this week’s podcast. There’s so much we sense as artists and it turns out now there is scientific proof! Join me this Wednesday for our next episode as they explain how art has the power to transform the world positively.

I’ll give a signed copy of the book to one person who records a voice message with our new feature on the Art2Life Podcast page on our website, art2lifepodcast.com. Look for the yellow tab on the right-hand side of the screen and then follow the prompts to record a question. I love hearing your voices and thoughts! *Please note that this feature is ONLY available on our Podcast website, and not any other podcast streaming service.

Hope you’re having a great Sunday and I look forward to hearing from you!

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.

When I start a painting, I feel free and go bold! It’s easier to cut loose in the beginning, and it gets the painting going faster. I know this is a big step for some and it can take time, but beginning bold triggers impressive possibilities. But here’s the thing: you can go too far.

Here’s what I mean…

The work plateaus, because you can only have so much boldness. Once you hit this stage, the real work starts. It’s time to bring in nuance and subtlety. Subtlety in combination with boldness is tricky to achieve but being mindful of this balance takes your work to the next level and right out of that plateau.

Do you think of the balance of boldness and subtlety this way? Let me know in the comments!

This week’s podcast is about igniting your art and life. I focus on identifying the feelings you want in your art before you start to make it. It’s an effective reverse-engineering approach to creativity. I hope you’ll join me this Wednesday for our next episode. Click here to subscribe to the Art2Life Podcast and catch up on past episodes, too!

Hope you’re having a great Sunday!

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.

Does this mannequin scare you? Me too! We call him Alfred. He’s so scary that we have to keep him covered with a garbage bag! Why do we have him?

Listen here to find out…

After making your art, you want to share it. There can be resistance around this — blaming a bad camera, or poor lighting. However, if you get good lighting, have your tech needs set up, and create a devoted space, then shooting photos or reels is easy. Good lighting is not expensive, and when you see the difference, you’ll want to share your work! With any established space, it can take as little as five minutes to get your work out there.

What tips do you have for getting your art out there? Share them in the comments!

This week’s podcast is my conversation with confidence coach, Susie Moore. Susie defines confidence as the ability to be uncomfortable for a short period of time. Tune in to be fired up and take that fire to your art-making! She’s a dynamo! Click here to subscribe to the Art2Life Podcast and catch up on past episodes, too!

Hope you’re having a great Sunday!

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.

PPS: Here is a link to the lights I showed in today’s video.

We get so many questions from people in the Art2Life community asking what products we use to seal, protect and finish our paintings. I had that question when I was first starting out, too! I quickly learned that while you can ask that question, and follow the instructions others give you, over time you start to understand your own art and how you want your finished piece to look and feel.

I worked for many years primarily on wood and my finishing process changed over time. It took many iterations until I finally reached a finished surface that I felt matched how I wanted my art to be viewed. Now I’ve recently started working on canvas, and I quickly realized the same technique I used on wood was not going to work. So, I came up with a very simple hack to test out products to see what would protect my painting and create a professional finish.

Watch here!

Also, you won’t want to miss the next episode of the Art2Life Podcast coming out this Wednesday. Nick will be talking about selling your work. Click here to subscribe to the Art2Life Podcast and catch up on past episodes, too!

Don’t forget to share your ideas and tips in the comments section. Have fun in the studio today!

Terri
www.instagram.com/terri_froelich_art/
terrifroelich.com/

PS: Click here to download our Free Color Tips PDF. Check it out, it’s loaded with useful ideas.

And here are the materials I mentioned in today’s vlog:
Liquitex® Soluvar® Matte Varnish
Liquitex® Matte Medium
Golden Self Leveling Clear Gel
Golden Soft Gel Semi-Gloss Medium
Dorlands Wax Medium

The Art2Life Creative Visionary Program 2023 is starting in a couple of days, and I can’t wait! Enrollment has just opened up, so click here to learn more and sign up to join us: www.artlifecvp.com

In the Creative Visionary Program, I talk about differences. You can see what I mean in this painting. There is bold contrast that makes it exciting, but when differences are too big, they can feel unrelated. I need to refine the work so that all parts of the picture are related.

Take a look…

This is about discernment and sensitivity. It’s what makes good work great work and moves people emotionally. Let me know if this idea of subtlety and refinement rings true for you in the comments.

Join me LIVE today, at 12 pm PST, for another special demonstration about Intuition and Intellect and how these two modes of being are needed to create strong art and a more art-centered life. Your future art and life are both beautifully optimized by learning how to flow easily between your intuition and intellect. Today I will explain how this works!

Join me live on Facebook or on YouTube at 12 pm PST for this conversation about living your best art and life.

I hope to see many of you later today on the live call and in CVP 2023 to move your art forward! And welcome to all of those who are new to our Sunday Vlog! I’m happy you’re here.

Nicholas

PS: Don’t miss our next episode of the podcast coming out this Wednesday with the incredible figurative painter, Philip Buller. He talks about curiosity being a driving force to overcome fear and how it keeps his work moving forward. This spirit of “what if…” and the mindset of play, is what the Creative Visionary Program is all about. Join us for this amazing conversation! Click here to subscribe to the Art2Life Podcast and catch up on past episodes!https://pod.link/1579122752

The Art2Life Free Online Workshop starts tomorrow, Monday, February 13th and I’m so excited! Click here to join us if you haven’t already.

I’ll be diving into our first principle — Design. The basic idea is that a painting is more interesting when there’s variety in the work. Take a look at this piece I’m working on. Something’s not quite right, but I have a hunch how to fix it.

Let me show you…

Understanding and applying the Art2Life principles can get you unstuck quickly and make your work stronger. I’ll go deeper into this tomorrow in the Free Workshop. I can’t wait to spend the week with you!

How do you think about Design in your work? I’d love to hear in the comments.

My guest for this week’s podcast is German artist Insa Hoffmann who came into the Art2Life community several years ago and her work took off. I love how she thinks and talks about the art/life dance we’re all in. Join us for this engaging conversation coming out this Wednesday! Click here to subscribe to the Art2Life Podcast and catch up on past episodes, too!

Hope to see you tomorrow for this year’s Free Workshop! It’s my favorite time of the year!

Nicholas

I’m going for it on this painting I started last week and thinking about the upcoming free workshop. If you haven’t signed up, we’d love for you to join us! Staying free and fearless in your art is what the workshop is all about! What makes fearlessness possible is knowing how to fix your work. In the workshop, I’ll go over the tools I use to correct and make work stronger. When you have the tools, you have absolute freedom, and cool things happen! Come along, it all starts on February 13th.

Click here to sign up for the 2023 Art2Life Free Online Workshop!

What are your thoughts around freedom in your work? Do you feel absolutely free in your process? Are you stuck? Let me know in the comments.

This week’s podcast expands on this idea of fearlessness and embracing the unknown. Check out the next episode of the Art2Life Podcast coming out on Wednesday.

Click here to subscribe to the Art2Life Podcast and catch up on past episodes, too!

Have a great day in the studio!

Nicholas