Sketchbook blog

Another 2 week MoDeRn ArT workshop has come to an end.  My students enrich my artistic development and inspire me to do more.   The participants in my classes are hard working, dedicated, and accomplished. I feel that I owe each of them a debt of gratitude.  It is always difficult to choose winners for workshop prizes, but (drum roll, please), here goes... Nobby Davies is a designer living in England who produces fascinating work.  Check out his project here .  Nobby wins a year of free Skillshare membership .  (Nobby, Skillshare will reach out to you to update your account.) ------------------------------------ Jody Linn 's attention to detail and helpful interactions with other students make her an enormous asset to our class.  Jody really played with our understanding straight lines versus curves in her project.  You can learn more about her work here .  Jody wins They Draw and Cook , an illustrated compilation of ...

I am so excited to bring you a special interview with Salli Swindell of They Draw & Cook   (TDAC).  Together with her brother, Nate Padavick, Salli founded TDAC in 2010.  Today, TDAC is the internet's largest collection of illustrated recipes created by artists from around the world. This interview is timely because on Sunday, I will announce three winners from my Skillshare workshop , and one of those winners will receive TDAC's very first published cookbook  --  a hardback, eclectic collection of 107 richly illustrated recipes. In 2011, Salli and Nate founded They Draw & Travel   (TDAT), now the largest collection of illustrated maps on the internet.  The sister and brother duo form Studio SSS , an illustration and design team.  Art directors use TDAC and TDAT as their go-to to find talented illustrators and designers.  Salli and Nate's selfless dedication to promoting the the work of artists has catapulted ...

Three hardworking students will win giveaways in my workshop , the  2 Week MoDeRn ArT Challenge.   And the prizes are (drumroll, please)... One free year of Skillshare membership, A cookbook illustrated by outstanding artists from They Draw and Cook , and  A set of four handpainted watercolor paintings by artist Erik Davis.  Each painting is on archival Strathmore 500 series paper and designed with Da Vinci watercolors and PITT pens. Images from Erik's blog I will announce winners this Sunday, but in the meantime, I wanted to introduce you to contemporary artist, Erik Davis, and his color-infused work.  Special thanks to Erik for taking time away from his art and his garden to give us some insight into his work. Nicole:   What’s your favorite subject matter to draw or paint? Erik: My favorite subject matter for sketching is nature: anything nature-based or found outside including flowers, trees, treelines, an old tree stump ...

To continue to encourage and inspire my Skillshare students completing our   2 week MoDeRn ArT Challenge , I wanted to provide another outstanding class project example. Fie (short for Sofie) is a bioinformatics PhD student who creates things and takes classes on Skillshare to unwind in her free time.   Fie is enrolled in my   Kandinsky  course.  Students in the workshop come from either this or my  Mondrian   "Abstract Art with a Twist"  series of courses.   A Dabble in the Abstract: Fie's project Fie completed several small paintings for this class (pictured above). Fie researched several abstract artists, including Kandinsky.  She started her project with some pencil sketches (above).   Peace, Improvisation , and Spring were the motivational words behind her project. Next, Fie worked on moving from sketch to paintings on paper.  She eventually decided on a vertical format and a heavier paper for her final ...

Last Sunday, my Skillshare students began another awesome 2 week MoDeRn ArT Challenge .   Daily email prompts take them step-by-step through 14 days of learning to paint like a modern art master. Students enrolled in this workshop come from either my Kandinsky or Mondrian "Abstract Art with a Twist" series of courses.  Over the next few days, I will give you a behind-the-scenes glimpse into some outstanding projects from students who have taken this workshop with me in the past. You can look at these projects in more detail in the workshop project page on Skillshare.  Blooming beauty: Jamila's project An architect from Ecuador, Jamila gifted the class with a powerful floral interpretation of Kandinsky's Squares with Concentric Circles . Here is her reference photo: And here is another watercolor she completed for this workshop: Jamila's floral imagery (through geometric patterns) and soft and hard edge techniques brought to my mind anoth...

Join me for a 2 week workshop on Skillshare.  You will receive daily email prompts to help you make good progress toward your final project for either my Kandinsky or Mondrian course. As always, I will award prizes to 3 outstanding participants.  Here is a glimpse of the prizes below. One student will win a year of premium Skillshare membership (a $96 value).  Who wouldn't like a great reason to learn any time you want to, from the comfort and convenience of your home? A second student will win 4 original watercolor painting postcards by contemporary artist Erik Davis. Erik has a beautiful blog and a Facebook page sparkling with color.  His vibrant hues and exciting brushwork make him a favorite source of inspiration. A third student will win one of my favorite gifts of all time, a cookbook by talented illustrators called They Draw and Cook .  Brother and sister team dynamos Salli Swindell and Nate Padavick compile artwork from...

Sunday, May 8, is Mother's Day in the U.S.  I wanted to share with you some ways to make Mom happy this year.  Check out these gift ideas from outstanding artisans. Rachel O's Fabulous Whimsy Rachel O is a fellow Art-o-mat artist, and I'm a collector of her earrings.  She uses nickel-free posts -- great for those who have sensitive ears.  Check out these special finds, for an excellent price, by clicking on the images below. Mom cufflinks Forget-Me-Not earrings Silvana Sagan's Jewelry + Designs From moonstone to amethyst, necklace to bracelets, Silvana's shop has beautiful finds for Mom.  If you are looking for a minimalist + bohemian vibe, then you will have tons of options. P.S. Sweets Shop If your mother loves sweets as much as I do, then you can't go wrong with a gift box from P.S. Sweets .  Chef Gretchen whips up beautiful and delicious pastry art at great prices.  I love her latest "You're tea-riffic" set. ...