Yupo for watercolor is the surface I’ve been working on since Christmas. I started making Christmas cards with it and had so much fun I decided to try a larger painting. If you want to catapult yourself out of your comfort zone, Yupo takes “happy little accident” to a whole new level. Its smooth, water resistant surface is quite the challenge. The water doesn’t soak in, it has to evaporate, and taking dry paint back to the white of the paper is so easy it’s hard to avoid doing it. Camellia on Yupo, 14 x 11.

Personal expression, not the ability to copy a photograph, should be the goal of all visual artists. Do my paintings have spirit, emotion, a narrative? I think these are better questions to ask myself. If someone says of my work, “I like that, it looks just like a photograph”, while I appreciate the intended compliment, I feel I’ve missed my mark. 

Three classes at Auburn University this summer; two watercolor, one drawing, and they are all one day classes. Check out my Schedule of Classes from the above menu and read a description of each class.

MyScape #2

Wise words. If taken to heart you will see countless things to draw and paint, and while you draw or paint, you will develop a reverence for the ordinary.

Drawing is an essential skill for most visual artists. It doesn’t matter what medium you ultimately choose to work in; oil, watercolor, pastel….your painting has to have good bones to be successful. My Drawing Fundamentals class will put you on the right path.
Starts February 21 at Columbus State University.

Watercolor Crash Course! is your opportunity to experiment with the medium without making a big commitment of time or spending a lot on supplies. All of the tools and materials are included in the class fee, painting demonstrations walk the class step-by-step through the entire painting process and you will receive plenty of personal, one-on-one instruction, too. Come to Auburn University on February 18 for my four hour class. We will be painting the Viceroy Butterfly.

Subject: Viceroy Butterfly

Every new year brings a bevy of intentions to the table. My birthday is New Year’s day so I’ve always associated my birthday with a time of renewal and reflection. I consider Old Lang Syne to be my birthday song. This year I want to spend more time in my studio, painting, drawing, writing, all the things that fill me up with hope and contentment and help me bring my best self to every situation.

My husband, Kenny Gray, shot this video with his iPhone and edited it in Photoshop. I wrote my dialog and voice over. We love collaborating and think you will enjoy watching this video about my watercolor and drawing classes at Columbus State University.

This is a photograph of Spider Lilies on Flat Shoals Creek. I’m inspired by their story, a story of the interdependent web of all existence. Their survival depends on rushing water. They die in still water. When the dams at Columbus were torn out and the water began rushing over the rocks again, they came back.