“Do you think you’re getting better?” my husband asked about the painting class. I said “yes”meekly because that’s like someone asking me if I’m fluent in Spanish. 

I have so much to paint and say but I’m like an infant stammering. Trying, failing, improving, inch by inch, moving forward.

The trick is to only compare yourself to where you were in the past. How was it last year at this time? Don’t  compare yourself to others and don’t compare to the future of where you wish to be.

In my day- to -day life, mixing paints and brushing them onto paper I’m aware that I just need to chill a little because life is full of grays.

Painting can feel scary. Doing anything new can be scary but isn’t there a part of us that loves that? October 31 wouldn’t be the holiday it is if there weren’t skeletons, witches, zombies, monsters, and Freddy Kruger outfits. Some people seek out scary movies while others tour theme park roller coaster rides to pump fear through their veins. I paint. What do you do?

Women have endured worse insults than “childless cat ladies”.

What I find is… to change my actions and habits I have to also let go of negative thinking and reframe my thoughts. So the process of change is simple but not necessarily easy. Just like painting!

Autumn is fully upon us. I know this, not just because coffee shops have pumpkin lattes...The summer’s shimmering heat that hovers over our city sidewalks and plazas has given way to cloudy mornings, cool afternoon breezes and some needed evening rainfall. For me, Autumn has always been a time to turn inward, check in with what matters and begin to shed the unnecessary the way trees shed their leaves...

Although I’ve dabbled in many arts and crafts, I now enjoy going deeper with painting and am able to enjoy the process of stepping into its’ challenges. I grow from the daily ups and downs of practice. The constant? My love of storytelling, color, and creative process. Here’s some of what I’ve learned as a Jill of All Trades. I hope it inspires you by showing the value of trying out what you are curious or passionate about.

Multidisciplinarian artists, pursuing a variety of arts and crafts.The original version, "a jack of all trades", has often been used as a description of a person who is good at fixing things and has a good level of broad knowledge.But maybe women are often unnoticed “Jills of All Trades.” Usually juggling kids, jobs, household chores, errands and extended family care. Our creativity is channeled but often not in a singular or focused way. Being a "Jill of all trades" can enrich and inform your current art pursuits.

Read about collecting items from nature each day while walking the dog and creating art from them. Art can be made from the tiniest of treasures and reminds us to pay attention to the natural world

Art inspires and heals us. Read about how painting a series of birds, listening to music, and laughter help soothe and give hope during a difficult time.

You don’t have to be an artist to have fun sketching self-portraits. Here are five reasons to make self-portraits and some suggestions to have fun as a beginner. Being creative is a process of learning and self-portraits are like a visual diary of yourself.

Take a peek at my process of repeatedly painting blackbirds. Learn from painting the same subject multiple times.

Balancing solitude and community is part of the discovery of a an artist’s life and daily practice. In this blog I examine the difference between loneliness and solitude and how art-making transforms our feelings.

Learn about my inspiration and reflections of painting flowers. I see the process as creating portraits in nature and honoring the change of seasons.

I’m so excited and grateful to Jardin Botanico in Valencia for exhibiting some of my watercolor paintings that feature florals, animals, and landscapes…

As a recent survivor of cancer have painted these small watercolors which show colorful healthy cells in the body. These little works have turned into painting meditations for me where I can focus on gratitude and attention to health.

Peek at my Spring routine where I paint flowers. Learn about the challenges of painting outside using different materials.

Blog post #1, Labor of Love by Marti Lay