Blog

I have a confession to make about Hockney…
I have a confession to make about Hockney…
I am an artist. Likely, you already know this about me. I am also a photographer. Less likely that you already know this about me, but it’s true. And in... Read more...
Flat lay of essential art supplies including watercolor palettes, Golden acrylics, pens, markers, brushes, and rulers — artist's toolkit for moving abroad.
I Moved Across the World With Just One Box of Art Supplies: Here’s What Made the Cut
f You Had to Start Over as an Artist, What Supplies Would You Choose First? When I moved to England, I couldn’t bring my entire studio with me… not even... Read more...
Why I Paint the Full Moon and Rainbows: What My Late Husband Taught Me About Beauty After Loss
Why I Paint the Full Moon and Rainbows: What My Late Husband Taught Me About Beauty After Loss
It’s my late husband’s birthday today… And even though it’s been 13 years since he died, I never know how to deal with this day. Sometimes I want to just... Read more...
New Country, New Moon, New Me: Why I’m Creating With Reckless Honesty
New Country, New Moon, New Me: Why I’m Creating With Reckless Honesty
A Full Moon. A Fresh Start. A Whole New Me. I can’t believe I’m writing this from the UK (!!). If you've been following me across the pond—thank you. Truly.... Read more...
Text reads "Transform your Art Journal with these 7 Collage Ideas" over a red tape. The background has lots of ephemera and stamps, and there is a moon sticker on top of the red as well as a goose sticker.
Transform Your Art Journal with These 7 Collage Ideas
  Here’s the thing, when you’re dedicated to your creative practice and you’re making art every single day, some days you just don’t really feel that creative.  Those are the... Read more...
Art Journaling: The Supplies You Need to Get Started
Art Journaling: The Supplies You Need to Get Started
When it comes to mindfulness, if you ask me, it’s hard to beat a daily art journaling practice. Taking time to paint and draw daily (even if it’s just a... Read more...
Art Supplies and Mindful Mandalas
Art Supplies and Mindful Mandalas
This post contains affiliate links. That means that I may earn a commission if you make a purchase through one of these links. I don’t know about you, but I’m... Read more...
Holiday Ornament Collection
Holiday Ornament Collection
I’ve had so much fun creating this year’s holiday ornament collection! They are full of vibrant, dreamy colors, shimmer and glitter and all the things that make you want to... Read more...
How Can Friends Effect Your Creativity? 5 Ways My Friendships Improve my Art
Sometimes I think people get this romantic image of artists, all alone, in their studios and think that that’s how people like me live. And while I AM a total introvert, the truth of the matter is that I couldn’t do it with out my friends! Here are five ways that my friendships improve my art: They challenge me to think outside of the box of my normal day-to-day routines. have a weekly standing creative date with my pals Amanda and Amber, where we share what the week has had... Read more...
Beacon Hill Art Walk 2022
Beacon Hill Art Walk 2022
Sunday was the Beacon Hill Art Walk, and it was a delightful time. I love this show—it’s familiar and the show organizers tend to put the artists in the same... Read more...
The Aquarium Collection: Art Inspired by Our Blue Planet
The Aquarium Collection: Art Inspired by Our Blue Planet
I’ve always loved painting with watercolor, I grew up playing in the pond behind my parents house and painting watercolors with my Grandma Linda at our kitchen table. Now, I... Read more...
Just happy to be here.
Just happy to be here.
Welcome to 2022. We made it. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been in this pandemic world for so long, and there are truly no words to describe how rough... Read more...
How to Make “Good” Collages with Paper Magazines
How to Make “Good” Collages with Paper Magazines
How do I make a good collage with paper magazines? As a professional mixed-media artist, I’ve tried countless different techniques when it comes to making collages! From messy wet glue... Read more...
About the Art: Love Perseveres & WandaVision
About the Art: Love Perseveres & WandaVision
You know that voice in your head that sometimes tells you not to do something? But you know, you really, really want to do it? Here’s a little proof that... Read more...
What Grief Looks Like
What Grief Looks Like
I'm taking a moment today to be vulnerable with you. I am working on a new art collection that deals with grief and growth and loss and beauty, and it... Read more...
Texas, I love you.
Texas, I love you.
Mar 28, 2021 TEXAS, I LOVE YOU. Last month, Texas, the state where I was born and raised was hit with devastating, unprecedented winter storms.  Folks across the state were... Read more...
Powerful Beauty: Interior Design
Powerful Beauty: Interior Design
POWERFUL BEAUTY. Read on to see my original painting, Powerful Beauty, styled for three different interiors, including bohemian, glam, and eclectic. Powerful Beauty in your home. It's February and love... Read more...
Are We in Outer Space? How to Style a Surreal Collage Four Different Ways
Are We in Outer Space? How to Style a Surreal Collage Four Different Ways
ARE WE IN OUTER SPACE: Styling original art can be difficult. There's a difference between the licensed artwork you pick up at Target or Bed Bath and Beyond and the... Read more...
Collage as Decor: Freedom in the Wings
Collage as Decor: Freedom in the Wings
Let's face it: Collages aren't maybe your go-to when it comes to styling your home.  A cross between a painting and a photo, a collage can capture meaningful emotions and... Read more...
One Abstract Painting Four Ways
Read on to see my original painting, Luna II, styled for four different interiors. How to style one painting four different ways. You know the feeling. When you're scrolling through an online gallery of paintings, and you see it: THE painting.  Your heart jumps. A smile warms your face. Your pulse quickens. You just know that this is the one.  But then you look around where you're sitting and think, "How the heck is that gonna fit in with my decor style?" Abstract paintings can be tricky to match with... Read more...
How to Create an Intuitive Vision Board
Today, I'm teaching you how to learn more about yourself and get inspired for the new year through creating an intuitive vision board with collage What is a vision board and how do I make one? It’s a new day, a new year, and there is hope and excitement in the air.  You’ve got big plans for growth, to dive deep into your passion, and make the world a better place with your creativity.  One of my favorite New Year traditions is making vision boards, and I’ve been doing it... Read more...
Lovely Day
It has been one of those weeks…you know…the kind where there was a definite soundtrack. Between crazy rainstorms in Houston, a trip to ATX to see my sister and about a million art-type ideas running through my head, the main theme has been rest and inspiration. Keep reading to: Hear about some new ideas coming to AG Fine Art See some of the artists I want to spend my #artistsupportpledge money on A few songs on my playlist this week inspiration My mind has been running about 300 million miles... Read more...
Art Journal Process Video
I get so nerdy about work-in-progress photos—really they’re important to my process because I’ll usually go back and look through my process photos as I’m making permanent decisions about my artwork. But! This is just a little process video from my art journal. It may almost be summer, but apparently, I’m really still feeling the New England Fall vibes! Read more...
A Glimpse into my Art Journal
Hi. Hello, and Happy Day! Last week I shared a behind the scenes look into my portfolio application for grad school, and I’m happy to report that since then, I was invited to a group interview! Hooray! Hooray! I promise to continue to keep you updated as I go along this process, and I’m thrilled for all you amazing cheerleaders out there who have lent me support on this journey.   I decided it would be fun to show you more about my art process today. I’ve been pretty all... Read more...
January Inspiration: Sea Pictures
The opportunity to move to the greater Boston area AND live on the beach is one of the greatest gifts of my life. For someone who’s art has often featured sailboats and waves and ships, the ability to walk the beach whenever I want will always blow my mind. I grew up going on vacations with my family to the Texas Gulf, so being able to connect with such happy memories daily is a huge blessing to me. With my pups, a friend or all alone, it doesn’t matter. I’m... Read more...
Vision Boards 2020
It’s 2020 and the world is all abuzz about one of my favorite art activities: Vision Boards. A few years ago I lead some vision board workshops with my friend Sheila and about the role they can play in Christian spirituality, and we had a lot of fun praying and hanging out together with some incredible people. It was a really special time to learn from each other. I highly recommend making vision boards with people that you can share with. That way you can also encourage each other in... Read more...
Cast Your Vote: Guest Blogger Jen Jackett on Fashion and Impact
Today, I’m excited to introduce you to a pretty awesome lady and friend of mine: Jen Jackett. We met a few years back at church and she is someone that I really admire and look up to. Jen tells me she’s a three on the Enneagram, but I would have guessed her as a nine if she hadn’t let me know—she is a graceful and peaceful presence, a lady full of empathy and understanding, and a good friend to have. Today, Jen writes to us about her experiences as a... Read more...
Renegade Boston: A Few of My Favorite Things
Last weekend my husband and I had a blast hanging at Renegade Boston!  We saw so many incredible makers and artists display their work and craft--it was the perfect place to start shopping for holiday gifts!   If you haven’t heard of Renegade Craft before, it is a traveling “curated marketplace of makers, designers, doers, and dreamers,” and one of the most beautiful and pleasant shopping experiences I have ever had.  Here in Boston, Renegade was held at the Cyclorama at the Boston Center for the Arts. Even the bathroom... Read more...
Artist Process: Tiny Houses
When I sat down to create the tin house collection. I had ever intention of putting together a cute village of Christmas Houses for the upcoming holiday season. If you’ve read anything about my process before, you might know that this is NOT how my process usually works. Typically speaking, I sit down with no expectations, and I’ll even change how big my paper or canvas is sometimes as I go. Every single piece comes together unexpectedly, and when it’s finished, tells its own story. It was no surprise that... Read more...
Eight Artists Who Inspire Me
Hello Everyone! I thought it would be fun to introduce you to some of my favorite living artists! I’ve got my eyes on these incredibly gifted people all living and working here in the US. From landscapes and patterns, to mixed media and large installations, there are many different art forms represented in this group of folks. Read on to see a little more about these talented artists and their work! PHILIP DEANGELO Philip DeAngelo creates minimalist landscape paintings that are full of color and joy. I had the honor... Read more...
Podcast Feature: The Artist Supply Guide
This last June I shared some thoughts on my personal Facebook page: So....I was just a guest on a podcast for the first time! It's called Artist's Corner on http://artsupplyguide.com/ It will come out later this fall! I really like being thirty y'all. I feel like I'm relearning that childhood courage to just be my weird and wonderful self. I was pretty nervous before, but I'm rejecting the temptation to pick apart every answer I gave. I'm not going to sit and wonder if I sounded dumb, or will I be perceived... Read more...
Inspiration Places: Thoughts on the Old Junk Drawer & My Dad's Fan Collection
My dad is the handiest man I have ever known.  Growing up, it seemed that nothing could ever be permanently broken.  From intricate Christmas ornaments to our golden oak dining chairs, Dad could always find a solution that meant brokenness was temporary.  And last week, as I returned home to Texas from my Massachusetts beach, this is still one hundred percent true. Whatever tool or piece or part that is needed to fix the problem, Dad has this uncanny ability to locate it on the eight-acre farm in one of... Read more...
Expectations: A Different Kind of Magic
Expectations are tricky things. They come in all shapes and sizes and are very difficult to balance.  Some people attempt to wrangle their expectations by keeping them low or zero, and decide that if they are able to do so, they will be able to find joy in pleasant surprise when good things actually do happen.  I know that we don’t start out that way.  Also, it’s easy to test this: Just ask any human under the age of eight what they want to be when they grow up and... Read more...
The Art of Autumn: My Fall Bucket List
I have always been a lover of fall. This Texas girl is also a December baby, so any hint that the scorching temperatures of summer would soon be swapped for less sweaty times was—and is—something to celebrate. Fall is brought to us by migrating butterflies (more on that next week) and leaves that tumble to the ground before crunching under our boots. And even though it is the end of much, it is also time for new sights and smells and sounds. (and flavors—yum!) There are a hundred aspects of... Read more...
Gallery Opening hosted by Emma Taryn
It has been a whirlwind of a weekend, and I am very excited that this week is starting out on a beautiful, and now also delicious note: The Private Gallery Launch of my Debut Art Collection. If you've been reading along, you know that art and community and hospitality are so tightly woven together. This makes it even more thrilling that my very dear friend Emma Taryn of the travel and lifestyle blog Taryn into Travel is putting on her hostess hat to take over the blog and throw the... Read more...
Tiny Canvas: An Experiment in Being Brave
It is time to really pull back the curtain here. None of my pieces were finished for a very long time.  Like, until a week ago. Don’t get me wrong, they were complete.  There were no more flowers or wings to add, no more portals to secure or little paper bottles to place.  Each tiny scrap of paper had found its home. However, the larger forms have simply been floating inside of my giant watercolor paper pad. Each element was adhered to another...this butterfly to that window, this flower against... Read more...
Art Space
Creating space is important to more than just the creative process. There are multiple careers that revolve totally around this concept. The obvious, such as architecture or interior design creating space in which to live and work, acoustic engineers that create space for sound, and the less obvious like therapists who create space to heal, and even teachers who craft spaces for learning .  As a music therapy student, I spent the majority of my undergraduate studies learning about how to create space and presence in community with others to... Read more...
Painting Space for Common Ground
We’ve been living in Boston for a little over a month, and suffice it to say that my contact list has not grown that much.  Not that quantity and quality are of equal value, but I’ll leave it that I may or may not be constantly filling the pup’s water bowl in hopes that more frequent trips outside will beget more human interaction.  This was a good choice, because puppies are a great way to make new friends.   They really are good at it and set a great example.... Read more...
Messy Hospitality and You Can Too
Last week, I came clean about my issues with perfectionism. This morning I come to you in my bumpy, messy bun ready to talk about a gift that self imposed high standards almost robbed me of: Hospitality. I did not come by perfectionism in hospitality honestly. My Mom and Dad always did a fantastic job of gathering all of us to pitch in to make our home reasonably clean before company came over, and yes—that did mean sometimes shoving things in closets. (Sorry, Mom, that secret’s out.) Somewhere along the... Read more...
Overcoming Perfection or How this Website Never Happened
I have always had very high expectations. Of myself, of everyone around me, of my circumstances.  When I was a little girl, I remember crying the whole way to school one time because my ponytail had a few bumps in it--(Sorry about that one, Dad.)  But it has always led me to do my best. Actually, that’s a lie. Sometimes this perfectionism has led me to not do anything. It has also led me to skip piano class if I felt like I didn’t practice enough, clean my house if... Read more...
Flower House and Family Vacation
Where do they all come from? They don’t seem like real places, or maybe they are real, just remembered and better because of it? These are questions and comments that have come up about the collages since I started sharing them. The truth of it is, they just come. There is no intention or emotion set before I begin, but come they do. And then they tell their own stories. That’s stories, plural, because the story I hear is almost always different from the ones you have all shared about... Read more...
The Paper Song Awakening
I have always been an artist. My childhood days were spent in rural North Texas making homes for bugs out of flowers, crafting artisan salads for my pet bunny rabbits from wildflowers and grass, and painting with my grandmothers at their respective kitchen tables. Mom and Dad insured that art supplies of every kind were under the island in our kitchen for my siblings and me, and I relished every opportunity to pull out those big containers full of half peeled crayons, colored pencils and well-loved markers. Drawing was never... Read more...