THE BLOG
Dear Wonderful, Creative You:
Welcome to MINDFUL ART STUDIO®. I am Amy and I’m here to show you how to paint from your heart and soul and play with art again.
Fine Line Flower Tutorial
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: Over the last six years, presenting roughly 40 different patterns and botanical drawings each year has taught me a lot about how to draw from nature. What initially sparked my interest most about nature's patterns is the way that they...
Developing Your Artistic Voice
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: This quarter in The Gathering, we are focused on developing your voice as an artist. So many of my students tell me that they love the slow drawing and botanicals we create, but they struggle to make their own patterns and drawings. They...
Poppies Art Journal Page
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: How long did that take you? It's one of the questions I get most often as an artist, but in a way, I think it's the wrong question. While students are often genuinely curious about the time the work takes, I think there's often an...
Lamy Safari Vs. Lumos Pro
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: Because I host a live slow drawing and slow painting workshop every week, one of the questions students ask most frequently is - What pen are you using? While the pen doesn't make me draw better or worse, when you draw a lot of fine line...
My #1 Trick to Overcome Creative Block
Dear Wonderful, Creative You, For me, one of the biggest secrets to overcome creative block is repetition. This might seem counter-intuitive, because I think a lot of people assume repetition feels boring. But I don't find repetition boring in art, on the contrary, I...
Self-Doubt and Taking Up Space As An Artist
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: I have a fabulous treat for you today. I've been chatting with artist Helen Wells (author of Expressive Sketchbooks) for some time, looking for an opportunity to collaborate because her art and sensibilities speak to my heart. We decided...
Guided Watercolor Meditation for Beginners
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: I'm excited to offer you this guided watercolor meditation for beginners. I think you are going to love it, and I can't wait to see what you create! https://youtu.be/dJEI0CtEGLg?si=lnDGMznH_QPqP4vH Meditating Through Art Have you ever...
7 TRICKS TO MAKE TIME FOR ART
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: One of the things I'm most passionate about as an artist and teacher is showing people that they do have time to create. Today I've got 7 tricks to make time for art in this short 3-minute video:...
Easy Flower Drawing
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: Let's dig right into this fun and easy flower drawing on a full-spread art journal page! I think you'll be amazed at what you can do when you relax, take your time, and enjoy these simple steps. https://youtu.be/0KRrQjKSmr8 Wasn't that...
Art Books That Will Inspire Your Work
These are a few of the art books that will inspire you work and help you to live more creatively.
How to Make a Tracing Paper Envelope
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: I've got a wonderful video tutorial for you today. It's one of my favorite techniques for making an art journal page interactive - a tracing paper envelope. I love the delicate, almost vulnerable feeling of tracing paper - it reminds me...
Botanical Watercolor for Beginners
Watch this step by step botanical watercolor for beginners tutorial. You’ll make a beautiful leaf pattern in your sketchbook. So easy and fun!
Basic Watercolor Supplies + Skills
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: I get a lot of questions about watercolor painting and supplies, so today I'm setting out to make a comprehensive guide to help you on your watercolor journey. Watercolor can be a very technical, precise art form, but lately I love to use...
Mark Making With Natural Materials
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: Making marks with natural brushes is one of the most fun and inventive ways to create. I'm excited to share some of what I've made and how it has supercharged my art practice. https://youtu.be/-SGXIaY0eLE?si=8u__FpUxQayxQ0XR It's been...
Trusting Your Ideas
Dear Wonderful Creative You, One of the most important questions you can ask yourself is why you're making art. What's your purpose? What goal are you trying to meet? Most of my students enjoy the practice of slow drawing and slow painting in my workshops each week....
Working Through Artistic Resistance
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: I know you might not share my opinion, but I love winter. I think it's an incredibly beautiful time. When we are lucky enough to have snow, everything is coated in a white peacefulness, a stillness. And when you bend down and look closely...
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