Learn to Paint Podcast

Today I’m talking with mixed media artist Andrea Lopez about how she makes room for play, experimentation, and surprise in her painting process.

In the conversation you’ll learn how to balance spontaneity with thoughtful decisions about composition, value, and color. You’ll explore options for when you get stuck in the middle of a painting, why you might want to have several paintings going at once, and how learning to trust your process can help you work with more freedom.

Learn more about Andrea Lopez:

Website | Instagram | Facebook:

BONUS EPISODE (Patreon)

In today's bonus conversation, mixed media artist Andrea Lopez shares how a 30-day sketchbook challenge completely changed the way she uses her sketchbooks.

We'll talk about giving yourself permission to make pages you don't love, setting up your studio to make experimentation easier, and how your sketchbooks can become a kind of dictionary of your own artistic vocabulary.

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Welcome to the conversation with Catherine Freshly. In the interview, you’ll learn how to give yourself permission to explore even when what you're already doing is working, what can stay consistent as your work changes, and why putting in the hours at the easel can lead you somewhere you could never have planned in advance.

Bonus Conversation [Art Club]

For landscape painter Catherine Freshley, light is a huge part of what gives a place its feeling.

In thisbonus episode, Freshley talks about what she looks for when painting light, from identifying the light source to noticing how the color of light changes throughout the day. She also walks us through how she builds her skies and clouds in acrylic, and why sometimes capturing the light means moving away from what you see in your reference photo.

Learn more about Catherine Freshley:

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK

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Over the past six months, Louise Fletcher (Ep.48) has stepped away from a successful teaching business to devote herself entirely to developing a new body of work.

But this conversation isn't really about making a career change.

It's about something every artist faces sooner or later: what do you do when an instinct about a new direction won’t go away.

In our conversation, you'll learn why artistic clarity doesn't come from thinking—it comes from making the work, discover how to balance exploration without constantly chasing the next new thing, and explore why trusting the next step often means letting go of the certainty you wish you had.

Learn more about Fletcher here:

WEBSITE / INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK / YOUTUBE

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Watercolorist Steve Griggs is back on the show to talk about painting large. But not just large, super super large in what he calls grand. In the conversation you’ll learn how you might need to adjust your materials, how you'll want to rethink your space, and how to work yourself up to paint large or grand.

Past Episodes with Steve Griggs:

The Artistic Power of Sketchbooks with Steve Griggs (Ep.113, Mini)

Episode 59: Feature

Learn more about Steve Griggs here:

WEBSITE / WORKSHOPS / YOUTUBE / INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK

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Past guest (Ep.79) Allison Moir-Smith is back to talk about a project that encourages us all to use the time we do have, to paint. The project: 20 minute portraits from life. That’s start and finish, 20 minutes. And even if you don't paint portraits or want to work in this particular way, I think you’ll find the conversation has great ideas to pull into your own practice especially if you have limited time.

In the conversation you'll learn why Moir-Smith believes "sets and reps" are one of the fastest ways to build your skills, discover how she designed her portrait project around her own personality instead of someone else's expectations, and explore how limitations like a 20-minute timer can actually lead to more joyful, expressive paintings.

Learn more about Moir-Smith here:

INSTAGRAM | WORKSHOPS

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The podcast has been on hiatus... but it's back!

Today I'm talking with artist JaFang Lu.

In the conversation you’ll learn how to adjust your paintings based on your light source, how to build up to form, and you’ll explore a process you can try immediately on any subject.

Process is such a big part of what it means to be a painter. And we spend a lot of this episode talking about both the process Lu teachers her students but then also how she changes that process for her own work. And while we’re talking about figures, you can translate this approach to any subject.

Learn more about Lu here:

WEBSITE / WORKSHOPS / INSTAGRAM

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Welcome to the conversation with watercolorist, Brienne M Brown.

In the conversation, you’ll discover Brown’s pigment strategy, how to use opaques even if you are primarily a transparent painter and why sometimes the goal needs to be an ALMOST finished painting.

Podcast Art Club:

Your bonus conversation is here! In it, Brown talks composition and why you absolutely don’t need to be faithful to your reference photo.

Learn more about Brienne M Brown here:

WEBSITE / WORKSHOPS / INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK

Recommended books by Brown:

"Mastering Composition" by Ian Roberts

"Picture This" by Molly Banks

Here is a link to the videos about framing without glass on my

For Brown’s videos on framing without glass and making her watercolor panels, head here.

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The “I don’t have time to paint” problem is one all of us face. But in today's episode, we explore all the benefits of starting small.

You’re going to learn how to shift your success metrics, get some ideas for what you can do in 20 minutes and how just a small amount of daily practice helps you and those you love get ready for a larger art practice.

Today we’re going to discover the mighty power of 20 minutes.

So if you don’t paint consistently but want to or are struggling with finding time in your schedule, this is the show for you.

Learn more about the #20for20ArtChallenge here.

Article: 20 Ideas for 20 Minute Art Sessions

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Welcome to the conversation with Aida Smith!

Learn more about Aida Smith:

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM

Many artists assume that building serious skills requires huge blocks of free time.

Aida Smith proves otherwise.

With a full-time career, a long commute, and a firmly established professional identity outside the art world, she has built a meaningful and increasingly confident painting practice over the past five years.

In this conversation, we talk about what it really takes to grow as a painter while working full-time, the color mixing breakthrough that changed everything for her, and how rethinking failure allowed her to keep showing up.

If you’ve ever said, “I just don’t have enough time,” this episode will challenge that belief in a practical way.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• How Smith structured her painting practice around a full-time job
• Why commute time and lunch breaks can meaningfully build skill
• The color mixing shift that transformed her confidence
• A simple way to adjust color using red, yellow, or blue
• How to think about failure in a way that keeps you showing up
• Why simplifying shapes strengthens a painting
• How she decides whether to keep a painting or wipe it down
• Why she paints with solvent-free oils and questions traditional rules

Building Skill in Real Life

Smith did not grow up identifying as an artist. Painting was not her childhood identity.

Her entry point was photography. Painting returned later, first as a stress reliever during a demanding job, and eventually as something she chose to take seriously.

She paints and draws at night. On weekends. During commutes. During lunch breaks.

And she is clear about something many artists resist hearing:

Skill takes longer than you hope.

Growth happened over years of sketchbooks. Years of mixing colors poorly before it clicked. Years of showing up even when the work felt frustrating.

This is not a story about finding more time. It is about using the time that already exists.

Extended Cut Bonus [Patreon]

In this bonus episode, Smith explains how shifting to a very limited palette transformed her color mixing and brought instant harmony to her work. She shares the exact colors she relies on, why she prioritizes value over perfect color matches, and how a simple “mother color” keeps everything cohesive.

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Many artists quietly believe there is a deadline on creativity. If you did not start young, it can feel like you missed your chance.

In episode 121, Suzanne Allard about where that belief comes from and why it does not hold up.

Suzanne shares her story of beginning to draw and paint in her early 50s, along with the fear, pressure, and self talk that shaped her early creative experience. Allard shares what actually helps artists move forward. Gentle entry points, low pressure practice, and learning how to stay with discomfort all play a role.

This conversation is for artists who feel behind, overwhelmed, or unsure whether it is worth starting or continuing at all.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why starting late is more story than reality
• How low pressure prompts help build momentum and confidence
• The difference between fear of judgment and fear of how you feel about your own work
• How to lower pressure when your art practice starts to feel stressful
• Why creative growth requires patience, pauses, and trust

Allard also shares insights into her acrylic landscape process, how she chooses references, why she works in phases, and how she balances focused learning with play.

Whether you are picking up a brush for the first time or trying to reconnect with your practice, this episode offers a grounded and encouraging perspective on what it means to keep going.

Art Club: Find your ad free version here.

Bonus Episode (Podcast Art Club)

In the bonus conversation, Allard goes deeper into how she actually works in the studio and how looseness, confidence, and expressive color are built through intentional choices rather than talent or speed.

Allard shares why setting constraints, like limiting the number of shapes or colors in a painting, can make it easier to simplify and stop overworking. You’ll learn how she uses reference photos as a jumping-off point rather than a rulebook, and how shifting from object-based thinking to value- and shape-based thinking changes the way you approach landscapes.

The conversation also explores how color confidence develops through play and repetition, why avoiding straight-from-the-tube color helps build a personal color language, and how reducing friction in your setup makes it easier to paint more often without overthinking materials or wasting supplies.

This bonus episode is especially helpful if you are trying to loosen up, simplify complex scenes, or feel more confident making color decisions in your own work.

In this bonus, we cover:

• Why constraints are one of the fastest ways to loosen up your work
• How to think in shapes and values instead of objects
• Using reference photos as inspiration rather than instructions
• Building color confidence through experimentation and repetition
• Simplifying landscapes without losing interest or depth
• Making it easier to paint more often by reducing setup friction

Learn more about Suzanne Allard:

WEBSITE / CLASSES / INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK / YOUTUBE / PINTEREST

Freebie: Color Mixing Success FREE ebook and 7 module class

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Welcome to the conversation with Michele Usibelli!

In the feature conversation you’ll discover a process that helps you create bold and loose work, explore a strategy for choosing what to paint next and you’ll learn how to build goals into your work so that every painting is a chance to improve.

Extended Cut Bonus

In the bonus conversation, we’ll walk through a few examples of how Usibelli makes color choices so that you can see how to make beautiful paintings without getting totally overwhelmed on the color front.

Learn more about Michele Usibelli:

WEBSITE / WORKSHOPS / MEMBERSHIP / INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK

Join the Membership that helps self-taught artists learn how to show up, build consistent skills, and confidently create work without always having to rely on tutorials.

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When you think of building an art practice, your mind might go to all of your favorite artists. You think of their social media feeds and the gallery shows they promote. You dream about having one of their pieces in your home some day… and maybe you can. Because they SELL their work.

But building an art practice is not the same as building an art business. And while the benefits of an art business are many… we don’t talk enough about the costs. Because if you do decide to sell your work, there ARE costs.

Let’s explore the physical, time, and physiological costs to selling your work. And then armed with this knowledge, you can make a more intentional decision about whether selling now, selling later, or selling never is right for you and your goals learning to paint.

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Welcome to the conversation with William A. Schneider.

FEATURE

In the conversation you'll learn the general proportions of the face and how to adjust them for the specific face you're painting, you’ll discover a bunch of great exercises to improve your skills, plus you’ll explore the 5 buckets of knowledge that every painter needs to learn to be able to tackle, well, kind of everything. Plus a whole lot more.

In the interview Schneider mentions a free ebook download called, “Mastering Proportions of the Face.” You can find that here.

EXTENDED CUT BONUS [Art Club]

In the extended cut bonus conversation you’ll discover what you need to get correct so that you can push your color, and we talk about why your negative self talk is hurting you more than you think and what to do about it. Find it here.

Art Club: Ad free feature here.

Learn more about Schneider here:

WEBSITE / WORKSHOPS/ INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK / BLOG

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There are so many reasons why you might want to pack up a bunch of supplies and carry them off to a family trip or exotic local.

There are great reasons to try just this.

But there are also reasons to leave your supplies at home.

So in today's mini, let's talk about why you might want to keep working while traveling, why you might NOT want to, and then if yes, how do you set yourself up for success.

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Welcome to the conversation with Sterling Edwards. Inside you’ll learn why your next go-to watercolor brush might actually be one designed for oil painters. You’ll discover a smart way to prep your paints so your colors stay clean and travel with ease. Plus you’ll find out what to look for in a photo reference that leads to a stronger design.

See his painting, Entwined here.

Extended Cut Bonus [Art Club]

The conversation with Edwards continues in the Art Club. You’ll get a simple trick to make sure your center of interest feels integrated, not pasted on, and how using the power of opposites can instantly strengthen your paintings. Find it here.

Learn more about Sterling Edwards:

WEBSITE / WORKSHOPS / FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM

Join the Membership that helps self-taught artists learn how to show up, build consistent skills, and confidently create work without always having to rely on tutorials.

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If you love it...it should be easy, right? RIGHT?!

But it turns out there are some challenging parts of learning to paint. Even before you can figure out technique or styles or concepts... you actually have to start.

In today's mini episode, let's talk about the different places you'll be starting, why starting is so hard and what you can do about it.

Guests mentioned in the episode:

Mark Mehaffey, Ep.5

Sterling Edwards, Ep.116 (coming soon)

Lisa Daria Kennedy, Ep.14

Kimberly Kelly Santini, Ep.97

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In the conversation with Sandi Hester, you’ll discover how to tackle a new medium, what to do if you want to paint plein air but can’t seem to find the right spots, and why it’s so so so important to create protected spaces in your art practice just for the creating part, plus a whole lot more.

Extended Cut Bonus [Podcast Art Club]

In the Extended Cut Bonus, we talk about focal points and why you may or may not need one and Hester explains how she thinks through what she sees and how she translates that to actual layers of paint. Join the Podcast Art Club here.

Videos Mentioned in the Show:

Hester’s Favorite Supplies

Trip with Hester's Mom and Husband

Painting Husband at Pool

Learn more about Sandi Hester here:

WEBSITE / INSTAGRAM / YOUTUBE / SUBSTACK / WORKSHOPS

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In the conversation with Melanie Morris you’ll discover the benefits of painting a reference photo multiple times, how your first steps don’t start with paint, and why a timer may be your key to staying present while you work. Plus a whole lot more.

Ad Free Podcast Art Club Version here.

Extended Cut Bonus [Podcast Art Club]

Morris talks about how to create sky holes in your trees and a really inventive idea for how to get great references when you travel. Available now in the Podcast Art Club.

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Artist Wayne Jiang works in three distinct styles including one pulled directly from the studios of the Old Dutch Masters. And the reason you might find this especially surprising is because the artist works in acrylics. He takes advantage of acrylics fast drying times and extreme flexibility of the medium to create modern paintings with historical underpinnings.

In the conversation, you’ll explore how to control the absorbency of your surface—and why that actually matters. You’ll discover how to match your brush to the type of acrylics you’re using, and learn a way to make color choices that support the story you’re trying to tell in your work. Plus a whole lot more.

Extended Cut Bonus [Art Club]
We talk finding your style, and Jiang gives great advice for how to keep subjects fresh, especially when you’ve been painting them a long time.

Learn more about artist Wayne Jiang:

WEBSITE/ WORKSHOPS / INSTAGRAM

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When I say sketchbook, you might be thinking of a book with thin paper where you’d use a graphite pencil to draw.

And that absolutely IS a sketchbook. But when guest Steve Griggs talks about sketchbooks he means a book filled with watercolor paper, which he uses for everything, drawing, painting, thinking and maybe most importantly developing ideas.

In this mini episode, you’ll get practical tips for different ways to use a sketchbook. You’ll learn how to walk through the development of an idea to go deeper and you’ll explore how to push past that blank page with a NEW sketchbook.

Learn more about Steve Griggs here:

WEBSITE / WORKSHOPS / YOUTUBE / INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK

Join the Membership that helps self-taught artists learn how to show up, build consistent skills, and confidently create work without always having to rely on tutorials.

Join the Art Habit Membership today.

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