Tandem For Two Blog

What Scotland Taught Me About Loosening Up

We're home from Scotland, and I've had a few days to sit with what I actually made versus what I planned to make. I finished a full travel spread and...

Purple thistle flowers by the water, header image for the September Scotland blog post

Packing My Paints for a Trip to Scotland

I'm headed to Scotland for the first time next week, a family trip with our young adult kids, and I'm bringing my sketchbook and paints along for the ride. I'm...

Everything I Pack When My Studio Comes Along for the Ride

For a long time, when I traveled, my art kit was just my iPad. Simple, contained, nothing to forget. But last year I made the leap into analog, adding sketchbooks,...

The Upper Peninsula Through a Painter's Eyes

Some places you go to. Some places you go back to. The Upper Peninsula is the second kind. I've been making this trip since high school, my mother's family has...

Evenings I Look Forward To

We tend to remember the bigger moments, but it is the regular evenings that build the overall feeling of it. For me, that is what summer brings. Not a complete change,...

Change Your Morning Routine

There is a point every year when I move my work outside. Not because I planned to, but because one morning it finally feels right. What I like about this...

A Taste of Spring

Spring takes its time here. Just when you think it has arrived, the temperature drops again. The trees stay bare longer than you expect. The grass starts to turn, but not...

Finishing Something You Started

There is a quiet kind of satisfaction in finishing something you once weren’t sure you would stick with. At the beginning of the year, I set out to paint every...

The Power of Looking Forward

Anticipation can change how we move through ordinary weeks. A reflective post on creative momentum, seasonal planning, and the quiet energy of having something on the horizon.

Building in the Ordinary Weeks

The middle of a long project teaches more than the beginning. Reflections on daily painting, creative habits, and growing confidence through consistent work. Encouragement for artists and small creative businesses.

The Art of Just Noticing

Creative trips do not have to become content machines. A thoughtful reflection on noticing color, texture, and environment without turning every idea into a product. Inspiration for artists and everyday...

Leaving Winter Light Behind

Winter light can feel heavy and muted. Here’s how a change in environment, warmer coastal light, and travel to Orange County shifted my creative perspective and color palette. A reflective...