Have you ever spread out all your sketches, drawings, or paintings and then felt like a kid in a candy store? I painted over 500 flowers using all kinds of tools. What was my goal? My goal was to surrender to the process. No idea was too silly or complex. I just wanted to take the words of Corita Kent as a starting point to learn about myself and how to paint flowers.

Corita’s words:

Nothing is a mistake. There is no win and no fail. There is only make.

Here is what I have learned from working on a book project and painting 500 flowers.

• You don’t find your voice. It’s always been there. With all the noise out there, it is easy to forget.
• There are certain ideas that you gravitate to more. Pay attention to those!
• You have to make a lot of art to get to the stuff that moves your soul
• The way you paint is your business. Own up to that always.
• Use copy paper because you get 500 sheets in a ream, and that is pure freedom!
• Never mind what they think. What do I think? As you paint, you learn not to care. Every idea is a new thrill.

The last one is so important and resonates with me now more than ever.

You can’t sit around for someone to accept you or like what you do; you have to be a fan of your own work first.

I like it when Tabitha Brown says .”That’s my business. ” I am an artist. I paint my flowers the way I paint flowers. That is my business.

Here is some of the work featured in There is no right way to paint a flower. This is the work that lights me up. This is the work that makes me feel like I’m flying by the seat of my soul.

Painting flowers with my left hand. I am right-handed. Watercolor flowers? Yes!

Painting by stamping with a closed hand. Interesting texture!

Here is to spring and all the beautiful work that is to come. If you have an art resource or project idea that you would like to share, please comment below. By reading this post, I hope that you realize that your ideas are possible, that you are possible.

Thank you for being here.