tips, tricks, and techniques

Jessica

Mar 20, 20241 min read

copying a master

A great exercise for beginner and intermediate painters is to try to copy a master. Challenging and fun!

Jessica

Oct 19, 20221 min read

painting in black and white

My weekly art class started back up this week and what a relief! We started with an exercise to paint in black and white and it's such a...

Jessica

Nov 15, 20211 min read

sketchbook

Artist confession: I have always been terrible at keeping a sketchbook. I have a very hard time not making a finished product - letting...

Jessica

Oct 14, 20212 min read

painting evolution

Have you ever wondered about the evolution of a painting? Sometimes it takes months and lots of layers to complete a painting. Here's an...

Jessica

Mar 18, 20211 min read

titles and lyrics

I have never enjoyed naming my paintings. Until this year! I had the idea to use small snippets of song lyrics in my painting titles....

Jessica

Feb 4, 20212 min read

painting breakthrough

This one is called She’s Lived Every Life But Her Own and it’s one of my all time favorite paintings! That's because it's responsible for...

Jessica

Feb 1, 20211 min read

painting process

During my 30 day painting challenge I took some videos for my instagram stories showing my painting process. I talked my way from...

Jessica

Oct 19, 20201 min read

editing magic

Here's a guide to editing photographs of artwork. Color correcting is key!

Jessica

Dec 11, 20182 min read

painting in layers

Here's a peek at my painting process. I begin by painting in layers. If I get stuck, feel nervous, or don't want to mess anything up, I...

Jessica

Sep 13, 20182 min read

painting challenge tips

Here are 5 tips and tricks to survive a painting challenge. I am nearly halfway through my latest 30-paintings-in-30-days challenge and...

Jessica

Aug 17, 20182 min read

finding your artistic style

As artists, we feel that we are supposed to have a cohesive style. But how do you find your own style? It can feel overwhelming! I have...

Jessica

Apr 5, 20181 min read

Abstractify

I started a course in March called Abstractify by Tara Leaver. I've made my way through the first week and I am having a blast. I can...

Jessica

Jan 4, 20182 min read

painting process

Happy New Year! I started my 15-in-30 painting challenge on New Years Day and finished the first painting this morning, January 4th. Some...

Jessica

Nov 17, 20171 min read

palette knife painting

In my painting class this fall I have been pushed to start painting with my palette knife. It has been such a great experience! It's so...

Jessica

Mar 29, 20171 min read

under-painting

When I first started painting I really hated the idea of under-paintings. Why on earth would I want to paint the same thing more than...

Jessica

Mar 27, 20171 min read

why JPL?

Let me explain why I sign my paintings JPL. There are so many options when signing a painting, and I find the whole thing to be strange...