This post is for all you artists who are hoping to gain some traction on Instagram, and to offer an explanation for any artist who feels like their own growth has stalled. Last year, I felt pretty confident on Instagram. I understood what elements were required for a good reel, and typically had strong engagement on my posts. I felt like I had it all figured out. Until I didn’t anymore. In Spring 2024, Meta announced that they were changing their Instagram algorithm to be more similar to that of TikTok. The changes immediately slashed engagement on larger accounts, and boosted engagement on smaller. How the Instagram algorithm works (the ultra simplified version): The old algorithm would show your reel to 7-10%...
Ahhh, summer. The longer, hotter days invite us to slow down, relax, and spend some time taking care of ourselves before the busyness of fall. And if you're anything like me, that means tending to your neglected reading list. I currently have an embarrassingly tall pile of unread books staring woefully at me from beside my bed. If you're looking for a new summer read, I've put together my top five art-related book picks for summer 2024 in this blog post. Some of them are classics that I've had for years, and others are new favourites. But each one comes with a wholehearted recommendation and stamp of approval from my studio. Also…it was really hard to choose just five. So...
They look like photos! This is often what I hear when people flip through my landscape acrylic painting sketchbook, but that's usually because they're not looking too closely. If you were to take a careful look, the paintings have a loose, impressionist quality, focused on capturing the spirit of the landscape through colour and form. They're not so worried about the details, and instead hone in on a general impression of place. This is why I love sketchbooks; not only do they give me the opportunity to practice different techniques and strategies, but they force me into paring back detail and concentrate on what's really important. After all, how many hours have we as artists wasted fussing over details that, in the...
Today, I'm excited to share the journey of creating a painting that's super close to the heart: it's all about bringing a client's beloved childhood memory to life. Her grandparents' cottage had undergone many changes throughout the years, and throughout the process of creating this oil painting, we worked together to make custom adjustments to honour those memories.
Happy Holidays! If you're overwhelmed by the excitement of art supplies going on sale this week for Black Friday, don't worry! You're not alone. To help simplify your shopping, here is a comprehensive list of all of the supplies I am currently using in my own studio, with links to find them on Amazon (but please shop local if you can). An important note: I'm really not a fan of acrylic or oil gift sets if you're planning to continue with your art in the long run. I'm talking about those paint sets that come with a million tiny tubes of paint in all colours of the rainbow. Predictably, you will quickly use up all of the anchor colours,...
