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Thank you for visiting my site! Because you are here either means you saw me at a show, in an exhibit or heard about me through the grapevine. Any way you put it means you have at least a small interest in what I am doing and where I am going. I thank you for that interest and your patronage.

I LOVE ART! That should be everything said in a nutshell. I quasi-detailed my process below so you can get a feel for how I create each piece, start to finish. (Pictures will be added soon.)

My Steps as an Artist

Step One
Each painting I create involves an extended research process. It starts onsite with photographs, sketches, and whatever else I can take with me about the subject matter. Luckily, my husband, Joseph Held, is a photographer and he helps me get a variety of perspectives.

Step Two
Once the photos are taken, it is time to start getting my supports ready. I use Arches 140 lb cold press watercolor paper. I purchase the full sheets and tear them down to the size I want to make the painting.

Everyone handles their paper differently at this step. I find, for myself, it is easiest to tape the paper onto a sheet of gator board with 3M blue painters tape and then staple it. It keeps sharp edges around the painting and keeps the paper from warping while I am working.

Step Three
Now on to the outline! After going through all of my photographs, manipulating and creating the compositions I want I lay down the outlines on my paper. I need to make sure I get a good representational outline on the paper before I dive in. I typically use any mechanical pencil that I can get my hands on. If the outline is to dark, I go over the outline with a mouldable eraser to lighten the pencil marks.
Step Four
Start Painting! I have a certain palette of colors that I love to use. A set for the backgrounds and different sets for the flowers I am painting. I only use Artist tube watercolors. You get the best color and luminosity from tube paints. I always start my washes on the main subject first. I work from light to dark. I layer and layer color on until I get the tones and values that I want on the subject matter. I use a glazing method, wet onto dry, to build my color layers. Some parts of the painting can take anywhere from 3 to 15 layers of paint.
I layer and layer color on until I get the tones and values that I want on the subject matter. I use a glazing method, wet onto dry, to build my color layers. Some parts of the painting can take anywhere from 3 to 15 layers of paint.

Watercolors aren't a very forgiving medium, but you can modify or "fix" some mistakes if you are using non-staining paints. I fix any mistakes by adding water to my brush and washing out or "digging out" certain areas. Then I go back over those areas layer by layer. That usually does the trick if I have any bleeds that I do not like.

Step Five
After the subject I am painting is complete, I start working on my background. I use a wet into wet wash method to do my backgrounds. I usually have a set of 4 or 5 colors I use in this method. I  worked hard to pick my background palette so the colors don't muddy when they touch. Once my first wash is done, I go back over the painting and create outlines and paint negatively to create nice knock out design elements in the painting.
Step Six
Tweaking. I try to evaluate the painting through each of my steps to add a little here or there. There is always some tweaking in the end. I usually add more layers to the background or the subject matter to make sure the piece as a whole works in harmony.

This work is titled "Paradise Punch." It is a piece I created for the Indianapolis Zoo Artist Paint Out. I love this event because I get to paint on-site with the subject matter and love hanging out answering questions of the people visiting the zoo.

Mission

By natural influences, create affordable original artwork that people can enjoy and bring into their homes or work space.

"A Good artist has less time than ideas. "
~Martin Kippenberger
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