I'm going to start posting more videos on my YouTube channel of me painting :)  Some of them will be in real time so can be a little lengthy, but I will also mix it up with time lapse video as well.  I think this will be a fun way for everyone to see what it takes to make a painting come alive!

​Here is my latest video in time lapse of a heart ACEO (collectable art trading card), to see the full real time version visit my ​YouTube Channel, thank you!

I found out about the Art Resin product on Instagram when other artists I follow started using it, and the results were so fabulous I had to give it a try myself!  I've played around with it a little on a couple of other Mini PoP paintings (6"x6" on mounted board), but the most recent pour on the "Kiss of Gold" Mini PoP is by far the best, because of the deep contrast between the black background and the metallic gold.  Art Resin does something amazing with gold, it makes it come alive and the texture and shine become more pronounced.  It adds a whole new element to the art that I never thought possible, so now all of my Mini PoPs are going to be finished with Art Resin :)

​There are several crucial steps to getting the perfect result with Art Resin.  The first step for me, because I am doing my Mini PoPs, is to tape off the sides so that none of the resin gets onto them, I do this because I need a perfectly flat service in order for these little beauties to be able to stand on their own, whether on a desk, shelf, etc.  The Art Resin creates a slight dome effect and would make the Mini PoPs not as stable to stand up.​  The next step is of utmost importance to get an even pour and that is to make sure that the surface of the artwork is perfectly level.  Next I mix the resin as instructed and pour onto the surface of the painting, I spread it out to cover the entire surface and then break out the torch!  Yes, a torch, it makes the biggest difference to heat the surface of the resin in order to remove any bubbles and get that perfect undisturbed glossy look.  Bubbles will create a foggy appearance and interfere with the feeling of depth that the perfectly clean pour creates.  Once all the bubbles are removed I cover the art with a cardboard box to keep the dust out.  I periodically check for a couple of hours while the resin is still in a liquid stage to make sure no new bubbles have risen up, and if so hit them again with the torch

I waited about 5 hours and let the resin settle enough that pulling the tape away wouldn't disturb the surface, but still flexible enough to be able to easily remove the tape that had drips of resin on it. And it worked out perfectly, the painting stands on it's own with no issues at all, gotta love it when something works out just the way you wanted :) 

If you are looking for a new and unique way to really make your art pop and stand out this is it!  I love it when I find new products that take my art to a whole new level and Art Resin definitely does that, give it a try!!

As many of you know I am a HUGE fan of the remarkably ingenious Genie Canvas.  It has revolutionized the way I, and so many other artists paint, it allows us to be able to create huge, oversized paintings and ship them for a fraction of what they would normally cost to ship, and since they ship rolled in a tube they are well protected.  And not only are they shipped in a tube, but you have everything ready to mount the art and have it hanging on the wall within literally minutes...genius!!

And they now come in an easy open tube!  This is such a great improvement versus using tape and having to securely re-tape the lid.  I love the fact that Genie Canvas is always coming up with ways to improve their product, to make it the most efficient and easiest large canvas for both artists and the art collectors.  To learn more about Genie Canvas visit their ​site.

Here is a quick little video demonstrating the new easy off lid, such a time saver and super easy to use.  Now I can't wait to get started painting on the canvas itself!

Shipping out my fun little Mini PoP "Kissable" today to a new collector.  I love these little paintings, they are my new obsession!  Lot's of new one's in the works, you can see the available one's here, and I will be listing more soon.

I like to personalize these little paintings when shipping and make it a memorable experience for the collector when opening up their package.  I know whenever I receive anything in the mail, even stuff I order (I'm an Amazon junkie, hahaha), it feels a little like my birthday or Christmas, so I want to extend that feeling to my collector's when they receive an original MADART painting in the mail.  I package the Mini PoP in a beautiful sheer organza bag and include one of my coloring cards and a business card, and then safely wrap it all up in bubble wrap and place it in a clean white box.  I even add little round MADART stickers to the outside of the clean white box and use a stickable mailing label.  Sometimes I just use plain paper and tape the label to a box, but for this size these label's are just perfect and complete the perfect presentation.  

I can't wait for my MADART collector to receive their new Mini PoP in the mail!!

When I was growing up all I ever wanted to be was an artist, that's what I told everyone, and spent much of my childhood, drawing, doodling and coloring.  But, the older I got the more reality set in, or what the reality was then, and I believed I wouldn't be able to make a decent living as an artist.  The "Starving Artist" myth certainly had left it's mark on me, and so I went off to college pursuing what I thought was going to provide me a more stable income throughout life.  

I ended up graduating from the University of Central Florida in 1999 with a Master's Degree in Political Science, initially to go to law school, and then later changed my career path to teaching.  I started out as a high school teacher, and VERY quickly realized this was NOT for me, it only took me four months and I was out, haha!  I ended up getting an editorial job in the Political Science department at UCF working with one of my former professor's on academic journals, which lasted about two years. During this time I also obtained a Florida Residential Contractor's license and helped my husband to build custom homes.  

Throughout all of these career changes I was always creating art, I started painting in acrylics and instantly fell in love with the medium and decorated our home with lot's of colorful art.  I even dabbled a little in the mural scene in the Orlando area just to be able to try something creative.  But, it didn't satisfy me artistically the same as being in my studio creating art that spoke to me and was less controlled.  In 2002 I had started to notice that some artists were beginning to have success selling their art on eBay, so I thought I would just list one of my paintings and see what happened, and what happened next changed my life forever! I listed the painting on a five day auction, and it received a little bit of interest, a couple of low ball bids, but in the last few minutes of the listing, the almighty eBay bidding war ensued and my painting sold for over $125.  I was in shock and elated that someone bought one of my original paintings, it was a rush that has propelled me ever since to continue to create and sell my art through the internet and have a more personable relationship with my collector's.  

I would list some paintings every now and then on eBay when I had the extra time, and they would always sell at auction, many times for much more than I expected.  I was Jonesing to see what would happen if I could do this full -time, but the home building business was booming and I couldn't fully devote myself to my art career, but I was finally starting to believe that it may really be possible to make a living as an artist, turn my passion and dreams into a reality.  It wasn't until late 2007, after we sold the construction business and moved to Alaska, that I was finally able to dive into a full time art career and it turned out to be everything I had hope it would be.  I was able to paint for most of the day and spent the rest of the time listing on eBay and packaging up original paintings and prints to ship around the world.  Truly a dream come true!

To this day, the majority of my art business is still centered around the internet where I sell my originals and limited edition prints and my licensing partners, numbering close to 30, sell on the internet and direct to retailers that sell on and offline. When used properly the internet can be a wonderful opportunity to advance your art career and connect one on one with art collector's.  There are so many different avenues to selling your art, but the key is visibility, I cannot emphasize that enough! The internet has millions of pieces of art for sale in one form or another, it takes a lot of work and effort to be found, but with consistency and hard work you can do it and be a successful artist making a very good living, I am proof positive, and will continue to look for opportunities and expand the reach of my artwork.  I will have to create a blog post soon about some of the ways you can create that visibility as an artist, so stay tuned!