Thankful for the best studio assistant of all time. @tulathegreat ...

Feeling pretty exhausted after putting up two murals back to back. It could be from staying up painting til 1:30AM a few nights, or the overall hype and physical toll (I just had a birthday during all that, I’m 36 now 🎉 and my body is not springing back 😬).

But there’s also such an emotional release when the work is done. I always feels a little sad and lost afterwards. Being so immersed and attached, to suddenly removed entirely is a strange experience.

So, I’m taking it slower this week and launching my beginner mural course and getting my shop ready for the holidays. Stay tuned for those offerings this weekend! 🙌

On that note: PLEASE, please, pleeeeeeaaase remember all of your small business friends and ditch the big corporations when shopping this year! 😘

📸 Photo by the amazing @beaumondeoriginals ...

🌙 ...

When I installed this mural a few years ago there was metal bar top attached to the wall where that primed white stripe is. At the time, I made what I thought was the best decision: to lower the entire mural under the bar ... not realizing years later this space would go under major construction and I’d have to paint out that whole section 😂

This is the kind of problem solving I enjoy, and also why I’m so thankful most of this area was pattern I could make up.

Eyeballing that circle though, I felt like Claire in Six Feet Under with her art school homework where she had to draw a perfect circle. SHE WAS STRESSED (I was only stressed about the election) Who else LOVES that show?! It’s an all-time favorite of mine. Might be time for a re-watch. ...

Throwback to this mural install a couple years back. Just gave this mural a makeover for the space’s new renovations. Stay tuned for all the changes! 🦉 🌺 💎 ...

Revisiting this one 🌸 💎 ...

My favorite photos are “Tula for scale” photos. @tulathegreat ...

Maybe I’m less stressed because of the giant Amethyst I painted the other week. (Jk) I just took this off my studio wall for a mural install.

Sending some healing energy your way too - we could all use it right now.

💎 Amethyst benefits: relieves stress, soothes irritability, balances mood swings, dispels anger, rage, fear and anxiety. Alleviates sadness and grief, and dissolves negativity. Amethyst activates spiritual awareness, opens intuition and enhances psychic abilities.🔮

What’s been helping you cope and relieve stress? ...

Manuevering this ladder in a room with a Great Dane takes a lot of skill and prayers. I’m happy to report there were no injuries. And also, today I locked down an install date for next week. 🙌This thing is ready to go! #letsgetthis ...

She’s still committed to being a part of this project despite the long hours I make her put in ... 😴 @tulathegreat ...

Slacking on the Instagram updates 🌺

It’s fall outside, but tropical in here ...

Not a throwback although it feels awfully familiar 🤔 I’m revisiting one of my favorite past murals due to some exciting renovations. The install is creeping up soon!

Do you know which mural this is?? 😉 ...

Tula letting me know she wants to be a part of this new mural project. Mural deets soon! ...

Something I started doing a few months ago to heal my relationship with my personal art practice was to work on collages. I’m already essentially doing digital collage work when I design murals but I never thought about it that way before - plus, all of my mural work is for clients. This is something I wanted to do for myself without a plan, without expectations, and without sharing. (And without the added pressure of perfectionism) I needed a creative outlet outside of painting.

Tiny collages that I don’t share and keep to myself is the opposite of labor intensive giant murals on display for the public. So these feel really personal. And while I battled the idea of playing vs. making something for a purpose and profit, I’m gonna try to keep it going. 🤞

*Any other artists have deliberately private work you create knowing it’s for your eyes only??*

I planned to keep these totally private, but then an opportunity came up with @archenemyarts gallery, so I made one that echoed the mural I was working on at the time.

And I recently saw it sold 🙌 woo hoo!

You can still see all the artwork from the Pandemic Postcard Show on their website and in their gallery windows. Thanks again for the invite @archenemyarts 💓 ...

Alternative studio view ...

Proud lady for scale. We really want a cat ... hoping her dad sees this.

It’s always a difficult shift to jump from murals to small traditional paintings. ...