A book I recently read and loved is called “Piranesi” by Susanna Clarke. It’s a mystery with a magical setting—a labyrinth of halls with thousands of statues. I originally wanted to paint one of the statues (if you read the book you can guess which one).

I been doing small bird studies every day this month, thanks to the “20 for 20 Art Challenge.” I chose to draw and study birds and also play with a loose approach to watercolor.

I love being outside but when it comes to painting outside, I always made excuses not to do it—bugs in my paint, too windy, too cold, too hot, you name it. So my New Year’s resolution was to get outside and paint or draw weekly.

While I wouldn’t want to live in these time periods, I love imagining the era, my family history, and knowing it really wasn’t that long ago.

One way to get art in our life is to keep a small sketchbook. Besides practicing drawing, it helps me get centered and attentive to what’s in front of me. Even in the most mundane settings, there is always something to draw.

The dragonflies appeared around the creek in May. I fell in love with their flight and sparkling colors, and was inspired enough to start drawing them and include them in a painting.

I’ve wanted to make my art process more playful and imaginative. So, I’m exploring a new medium—acrylic and charcoal—because it’s easier to make changes in these media than in oil. I’m willing to make changes during the painting process and be surprised by the outcome.

After years of collecting art anatomy books and not reading them, I created my own study sketchbook. Anatomy study became a fun personal practice and something I looked forward to.

I’m a swimmer and a figurative painter. For years I have wanted to paint the transformative nature of swimming—not the meditative quality of water—but the sense of strength that comes from the physical practice of swimming