I was thrilled to recently spend some time chatting with the fabulous alcohol ink artist, Jane Monteith.

Jane was born in England and immigrated to Canada in 1981. She is a self taught artist and has made a living as one for over a decade. Her art pieces are contemporary, vibrant and finished with resin. She currently has over 25,000 Instagram followers and sells her art worldwide.

​In our recorded Skype interview, Jane shares some tips on Instagram and selling art online. She also gives us a preview of the online art and art biz courses she will be offering very soon. The first one will launch the first of June this year. To find out more, please visit her wonderful Instagram feed at @janelovesdesign and click on the link in her profile for her contact information (or click here if you're not on Instagram yet.) The video follows below.

If you'd like to see more interviews (or anything else) on my blog, please let me know by commenting below. 

As always, thanks for reading ... and don't forget to enter my June 1st draw for a Goofin' with the Muses poster and join my mailing list by clicking here. (My mailing list gets first access to art collections, news and surprises.)

PS Oh, and you can follow me on Instagram at @donnamulhollandstudio. I'm currently at 5800 Instagram followers ... only 4200 more to go to reach my 2018 goal to reach the 10,000 mark! Thanks so much for your inspiration and support! XOX

Who is your favourite artist on Instagram? I'm a big fan of Instagram and am aiming to reach 10,000 followers this year. (Eek! I said it out loud!) So, for the love of Instagram, in today's post I'm serving up eye candy for you ... a list of ten of my current favourite artists on Instagram. I drew these from a long list of artists I have in the notes app on my iPhone. They are not in order of preference, as it's impossible to compare them. They're all about creativity, energy, colour, courage, joy and curiosity! It was no easy feat to narrow the list down to ten, but I managed by promising myself that I can share another ten favourites in a future blog post ... because there are many more I adore. 

​Click on each image in the slide show below to be linked to the artist's Instagram profile and feed. Note that the slideshow may not be clickable on your phone/mobile. So, here is a basic clickable list, too.

1) Dorothy Ganek 
2) Pat Butynski
3) Jane Montieth
4) Blu Smith Gallery
5) farbenbroh_art
6) dmocba
7) Elke Trittel 
8) Tansy Hargan
9) Grace Short
10)  Claire Desjardins

Happy browsing, please comment and let me know who your favourites are, and follow me on Instagram at @donnamulhollandstudio. I plan to offer an interview with a successful Instagram artist in my next blog post. Eek, I said that out loud, too!

As always, thanks for reading ... I wish you the happiest of springs ... whatever the weather!

PS If you'd like to enter my monthly draw for a Goofin' with the Muses poster and join my mailing list, click here. My mailing list gets first access to art collections, news and surprises. ​

​As I sit to write this post, a snowstorm that dropped about 20 cm overnight is still doing its thing outside. It’s not been the hardest of winters, but I’m looking forward to spring arriving. It likely won’t be here for a few weeks yet. In the interim, answering some of your recent questions is the order of this day. One disclaimer before I start … I answer these questions to share how I do things, but there is no right way to do things in art. So, try different things and then do it your way, eh? 

Question #1: “What kind of acrylics do you use?”

Using the best quality paint makes all the difference in a painting. My number one favourite brand is Nova Color, which I get from California. In comparison to what I pay here in Canada for Golden brand acrylics, it’s worth it. And yes, Golden fluid acrylics are my second favourite. I love using a splash of Golden high flow acrylic here and there, and I also use Golden heavy body acrylics, although less often than the fluid ones. I love both these brands because they are high quality and offer very vibrant colour. The reason that I slightly prefer Nova Color over Golden, is that I love the consistency of Nova Color acrylics. They’re not quite as fluid as Golden fluid acrylics but are much more fluid than a Golden heavy body acrylic. I’ve also been trying out a Canadian brand, Kroma, over the last year or two. I like them, they have vibrant colour and are reasonably priced. Consistency-wise, they are just a little less fluid than Nova.

Question #2: “What is your greatest challenge and what is your biggest dream?”

One of the biggest challenges I deal with as an artist is comparison - comparing my work, my success, my social media popularity, and my sales with (my perception of) others’ work, success, popularity and sales. I don’t think I’m alone in this struggle, eh?

I don’t scuffle every day with comparison, but it raises its ugly head often enough that I pay attention when it arises. It usually means I’m tired or bored … or that I need to use some of my tools to raise my vibe – one of my current favourite tools is listening to an uplifting Spotify or YouTube playlist. I really like 2Cellos now. Going to the gym, getting outside for a walk, doing a yoga practice … these all work for me. I also have a bag of tricks filled with things that remind me of who I am as a person and what I’m here to do in life and in art. If you’re wondering what that thing I’m here to do is, it’s about creating with freedom and doing my own thing. When I fully remember that, I know how valuable that is … and comparison no longer matters. We are all on our own paths, eh? I feel fortunate to have worked with coaches and other artists who have brought this truth home to me. Getting older also helps, I care a lot less about what others think than when I was younger.

My biggest dream as an artist is a trickier question to answer. Right now, my dream is to be a successful independent artist selling my work online. That dream is coming true … but I would like to be able to sell at least six paintings on canvas a month online. I’m not quite there yet, but putting it out there to the Universe is a good thing, right? Two ways I’m working to make that happen are to increase my followers on Instagram and to build my mailing list. You can help with both … see the second to last paragraph of this blog post.

Question #3: “Do you consider yourself part of a broad artistic movement? Who are your models?”

I can’t say that I identify with any particular artistic movement. My own art has progressed from initial loose, representational watercolour work of things I saw in the world to a more inward-focused, process oriented and intuitive style resulting in colourful, layered non-representational acrylic and mixed media work. I’m not 100 percent comfortable with the term “intuitive” … curious might be a better word. I follow my curiosity when I paint. I want to see what will happen next. Also, although I paint intuitively/curiously, the elements of design are important to me. I consciously strive to improve my work technically. 

So, it’s not that I’m not influenced by art movements and other artists, I definitely am, but I don’t consciously try to copy or re-interpret the work of other artists.

Question #4: “What time of day do you do your best work, and do you paint in fits and starts and let it evolve … or start and finish in one blast?”

My first inclination is to say that I paint best in the morning, because I am most productive at everything in the morning. However, at the moment, my family life is such that it’s difficult to paint in the morning. So, I’m more likely to spend a couple of hours in the afternoon and even after supper in the studio. My studio is now at home, which makes it much easier to grab a few minutes or hours here and there. I am loving it! At the same time, it was easier to be disciplined and have defined work hours when I had an external studio.
​
I create in focused bursts of activity, and I work in many layers …. so, my work tends to evolve rather than to be started and finished in one sitting. I really like the complexity, depth and vibrancy of layered acrylic work. I was more likely to start and finish work in one sitting when I worked solely in watercolour.

A few more things:

1. I’m aiming to reach 10,000 followers on Instagram this year. I’d love it if you’d help me reach that goal by following me on Instagram at @donnamulhollandstudio. Liking and commenting on my posts would rock! Thanks in advance.
2. Enter my monthly giveaway for a Goofin’ with the Muses poster and join my mailing list here. My subscribers get access to mailing list only art and discounts, receive first access to online art collections, and enjoy news and other surprises. Hint: I’m releasing a collection solely to my mailing list tomorrow.
3. I’m giving away a set of postcard-sized art prints. Comment below on or before Friday, March 23rd to enter. Make sure I have your email address, too. If you’re not comfortable typing it below, email it to me with the name you used in your comment on my blog at info@donnamulhollandstudio.com with the words “Blog Giveaway” in the subject line. I’ll contact the winner via email on Saturday, March 24th.
4. My next blog post is going to feature some of my favourite Instagram accounts ... yeehaw! Share the names of your favourite Instagram artists in the comments below! 

​Thanks for reading. I wish you the happiest of months ahead. Also, if you have a question you’d like me to answer or if there’s something you’d like to see in a future blog post, please comment below.

​Hello again! Thanks so much for all your comments on Three Questions from You to Me. Today, I offer you ten ways to loosen and free up your painting style and I’m also going to answer a question arising from the comments of my last blog post.

​I consider it a great blessing to be a loose and expressive painter. The looser and bolder my strokes, the more I’m freeing the intuition and creativity of my right brain. It’s a different way to paint than how most of us were taught. Most of us were basically taught to fill in inside outlined shapes, much like we did in the coloring books of our childhoods. Even if realistic work is your preference, you can enhance your style by doing some loosening up exercises.
 
So here goes … here are ten ways to loosen up your painting style:

Any questions? Feel free to ask a question in the comments below.

​On to today’s other order of business … in my last blog post, Vanessa asked “Which is your current favourite art supply?” Right now, I’m having fun painting on paper, rather than on canvas. (Come to think of it, painting on paper is another way to loosen up. It feels less precious than a canvas … more expendable.) I’ve been experimenting painting on different papers, including canvas sheets. watercolour paper, Bristol, mixed media paper and acrylic paper. My favourite at the moment is acrylic paper. I'm using Strathmore Acrylic paper, linen finish - acid free, heavy weight, 246 lb. What paper do you like to use acrylic paint on? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below. 

That's all for now. ​If you have a question that you'd like to see me answer here, comment below or email me here.

​Join my mailing list for first access to collections, news and mailing list only giveaways and surprises. Just click here. In fact, there will be a giveaway in my next newsletter coming out on Thursday, February 8th.

Don't forget to follow me on Instagram at @donnamulhollandstudio.

​Until next time. xox

​Welcome back to my blog. Yeehaw!
 
For 2018, I’m aiming to post at least once a month. My blog goals are to inspire, inform and uplift. To get going, I asked you, my Facebook and Instagram followers, what you’d like to hear about. I was bowled over by the response. (Thank you so much!) So, I said to myself … let’s make it easy and fun … why not start out answering three of your questions? It sounded like a plan to me, so here we go.

​Question #1: “I’d like to hear how you got started with your art?”
 
I was a creative kid. I was always doodling or drawing on a piece of paper, writing stories or running around pretending that I was a horse. I shared an excellent sense of colour with my grandmother. We would spot something that was dusty rose, and immediately be able to tell if it was the same shade of dusty rose that we had seen somewhere else the day before. Oh, and I worshipped Anne of Green Gables. Anne taught me to appreciate beauty, to look on the positive side of life, and to be yourself. In fact, I credit Anne for my general attitude in life and for where I’ve ended up. I even had red hair at one point, but I digress. I loved art in elementary school, but didn’t stand out as being particularly good at it. I even chose art as an elective in high school (because I thought it would be a bird course …  and it was.) Again, I did not stand out as a major … or even a minor talent.
 
Fast forward twenty plus years, to the day I noticed a sign for a watercolor class on the bulletin board at my sons’ elementary school. (I had had a secret stash of watercolours in my closet for a few years, that I hadn’t dared touch.) I started the class in January 2006, totally unaware how that one action was going to change my life. I soon began drawing and painting practically every day, and the darndest thing was that drawing and painting changed me … it opened me up in ways I had no idea were even possible. Within 3 years, I had left my government career to pursue creativity and painting further. Yep, I walked away from a steady and secure income in the Fall of 2008 … right when the economy was tanking … how’s about them apples? And may I say, I have not a single regret about that decision.
 
Question #2: “Tell us how and why you decided <it was> the right time to leave your government career?”
 
There were many signs it was time to go, but one I remember in particular, was staring at the provincial government department list on my computer screen one day and realizing there was no department I wanted to work in or job that I really wanted. I thought I was just tired or burnt out, but the truth was that I just no longer loved what I did. If you remember the earlier Anne of Green Gables reference in the previous question, you will understand that I am very much a “do what you love” and “do things with your whole heart” kind of gal ... and so it was inevitable that I would leave. It was a painful, scary and isolating realization at the time, but of course, it turned out to be a huge gift. 

​Question #3: “When did you give yourself permission to be an artist and what inspired that?”
 
It’s really strange how difficult it can be to say that you are an artist. I don’t know why this is exactly. There’s a lot of fear and not feeling good enough wrapped up in that. That subject could be a whole blog post in itself, but I’m not going there today. What stands out for me now is a memory, a day a few years after I had left government when I read that someone I had worked with had gotten a big promotion. For a few moments (okay … it was maybe two hours), I felt a bit jealous. But then the realization came to me that I didn’t need external validation anymore. I didn’t need someone else to grant me a promotion and a title. I could do that myself. So, that day I became Chief Creativity Officer of my then named business, Creativity Matters. So, since then I call myself whatever I want, including Artist and even Professional Artist, because I’m the boss of me ... and because I can.
 
So, that’s all for now. How did I do? If you have a question that you’d like me to answer in a future blog post, please comment below or email me at info@donnamulhollandstudio.com.

Oh, and news wise, my next online collection will be released on Tuesday, January 23rd in my website shop at www.donnamulhollandstudio.com. I’m thinking of calling it the LOVE COLLECTION. It’ll include a selection of the popular hand-embellished Goofin’ with the Muses canvas prints on wood panel and some new collage hearts … just in time to ward off the February blahs and for Valentine’s Day. Yeehaw!
 
Please join my email list to get first dibs on my online collections and other goodies … just click here.

Until next time ... remember that art is an adventure!

XOX

Donna

Welcome back to the blog!

It's been awhile, but this post has been percoloating in my mind and on my phone since last fall. It all started on Instagram with some posts with the hashtag #howdoesthiscolorfeel asking folks to tell me how a particular color made them feel. From that feedback, today's blog post invites you to temporarily throw out the colour theory, colour psychology and interior decorating books and instead, learn to listen to your own emotional reactions to specific colours. 

I'd love to hear how colours feel to you in the comments below!
 
Enjoy and xoxoxox,

Donna

Follow me on Instagram at www.instagram.com/donnamulhollandstudio

Hello everyone!

I have some wonderful & exciting news! I am going to be teaching on Life Book 2017 next year ... YEEHAW! I am tickled pink to be joining this wonderful community of creative explorers as a teacher.

And even MORE exciting news is that I can give away 1 space on this amazing year long art course! Keep reading if you want to find out more about Life Book 2017 and if you want to find out how you can win a spot.

First let me tell you a bit more about Life Book in case you haven't heard about it yet.

“Life Book, a celebration and honouring of YOU” is a year-long mixed media art class organised by Tamara Laporte from Willowing Arts.

Tam is joined by 22 incredible art teachers who are all gearing up to share their mixed media (and other) techniques, tips and tricks with YOU! Themed around self-development and healing, you’ll be creating several loose mixed media art journal pages per month which by the end of the year you will bind into a glorious journal (a Life Book)! You will have a wonderful keepsake that you can treasure for the rest of your life!

You can find out a lot more about this wildly popular course (it has been joined by over 12500+ people in the past!) by clicking HERE.
​
I haven't fully developed my class idea yet ... there are so many MAGICAL possibilities, but here are some examples of my acrylic work that I'm considering working into a journal adventure to take with you. These are all about colour, water, personal meaning and freedom of expression ... and I can hardly wait to share this class with you!

(If you'd like to see more of my journal style click here to see my 2012 journal, done mostly in watercolour.)

Registration opens on October 3rd 2016 and the class begins on January 1st 2017.

So if you want to start the year with a fabulous creative BANG and spend 2017 with a wonderful
creative community of like-minded souls, learning more about art and how to be kinder and more
loving towards yourself, be sure to join once registration opens! :) Keep this page bookmarked so that you can sign up the moment it goes on sale! :)

Now then, onto the give-away and blog hop! :) I can give away 1 space on Life Book 2017 to 1
lucky winner, yay! :) And if you follow the blog hop (see below for links and dates) you can up your
chances of winning a space by entering all the other give-aways also! :)

How to enter the give-away:

1.  Sign up to my newsletter click here, and
2. Leave a comment below letting me know why you would love to join Life Book 2017.

You must do BOTH these things to be eligible. Entries will close at midnight Atlantic Time on September 27th and I will announce the winner via a special email newsletter on September 28th.

Here is the list of the other amazing teachers who will be teaching on Life Book – they too will be
giving away a spot on Life Book so go check them out and enter their give-aways! :)

Date Artist/Teacher Date
5th September 2016 Tamara Laporte http://www.willowing.org/blog/
6th September 2016 Jodi Ohl http://sweetrepeats.blogspot.com
7th September 2016 Susana Tavares http://ateliersusanatavares.blogspot.com
8th September 2016 France Papillon http://www.france-papillon.com/blog
9th September 2016 Shelley Klammer http://intuitivecreativity.typepad.com/
10th September 2016 Amber Kuileimailani Bonnici http://www.theradiantmama.com/
11th September 2016 Donna Mulholland http://www.donnamulhollandstudio.com/blog
12th September 2016 Mandy van Goeije https://www.mandyvangoeije.com/blog/
13th September 2016 Jennifer Mercede http://www.jennifermercede.com/blog/
14th September 2016 Misty Mawn http://www.mistymawnart.com/blog/
15th September 2016 Gwenn Seemel http://www.gwennseemel.com/blog
16th September 2016 Melissa Dinwiddie http://melissadinwiddie.com/blog
17th September 2016 Vicky Papaioannou http://www.clips-n-cuts.com/
18th September 2016 Lindsay Weirich https://thefrugalcrafter.wordpress.com/
19th September 2016 Julie Fei-Fan Balzer http://balzerdesigns.typepad.com/balzer_designs/
20th September 2016 Effy Wild http://effybird.com/
21st September 2016 Wendy Brightbill https://agirlandherbrush.wordpress.com/
22nd September 2016 Jamie Dougherty http://jamiedoughertydesigns.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/bloghop-
post.html
23rd September 2016 Andrea Gomoll http://andrea-gomoll.de/blog/
24th September 2016 Whitney Freya http://www.whitneyfreya.com/blog
25th September 2016 Annie Hamman http://www.anniehamman.com/blog/
26th September 2016 Connie Solera http://www.dirtyfootprints-studio.com/blog
27th September 2016 Leilani Joy https://www.youtube.com/MissLeilaniJoy

Have a great time following the blog hop! :)
xoxo

Donna

​I used to be offended by folks who would come in to my studio and declare loudly “I just don’t get abstract art!” Then there were the people who would stand on the doorstep and peek their heads in, their eyes widening in confusion upon realizing there were no paintings of horses, traditional landscapes or barns (oh, the horror!), and then turn on their tails and get out of there as quickly as possible. Of course, the reality is that not everyone is going to love my art, the same as I have my own art preferences, and that is perfectly okay and as it should be.
 
But it does seem that there is a lot of unnecessary fear and confusion out there about abstract and non-objective art. It seems to make people feel uncomfortable. They feel like they are not “getting” something when they look at. That’s a yucky spot to be in, sort of like having to try on bathing suits in front of a mirror at a store; especially in a store where the sales lady keeps asking you questions and you’re afraid she’s going to barge in. Goodness knows, that is not my favourite situation. I only try on bathing suits when I really have to. I don’t want you to feel like that looking at my art ... or any art. So this week, I offer you a list of ten ways to look at abstract and non-objective art. I hope it will make looking at art easier and more fun for y’all.

If there's something else you'd add to the list, please comment below.
 
Have a great week!
 
PS There’s lots coming in September starting with a big announcement on Monday, September 5th! Watch my Facebook and Instagram for that.
 
PSS To stay up to date, sign up for my newsletter here.

​PSSS Need a long weekend treat? The online shop is open 24/7! Click here.

My studio is open today from 5:00 to 7:00 pm as part of the Downtown Culture Crawl. Folks who pop in for a visit can fill out a ballot for a draw for two paintings. Since so many (most, in fact) of my collectors are not from the Fredericton area, I'm also offering an online giveaway.

Here are the deets ...

The draw is for the two paintings shown above. This duo symbolizes a yearning for things to be in their place ...  in a playful and meditative way.

Order from Chaos #3 & #4
By Donna Mulholland
Each is an 8 x 8" acrylic on gallery-wrapped canvas with 1.5" depth
(Note that the edges are a pthalo-ish blue colour)

To enter:

1) Comment on this post below with a comment about the paintings and a contact email by 6:00 pm Eastern Time (ET) today. (If you would prefer not to publish your email online, please email your name and address to me at info@donnamulhollandstudio.com. However, you must comment on this blog post, as well.)
2) A winner will be randomly selected this evening and contacted via email.
3) If the winner does not respond to a notification of their win email within 24 hours another name will be drawn.
4) Folks living in Canada and the mainland US are eligible to enter. Canada Post parcel post shipping will be covered by me.
5) Please note there is a possibility of postal service interruption due to striking workers, in which case shipping time will be outside my control. 
6) Local folks are eligible to enter and can pick up their paintings at my studio at an arranged time.

Good luck everyone, yeehaw... and thank you for your friendship, support and inspiration!

​Donna

Today's post topic comes from the notes app on my phone. That's where I keep a lot of my ideas, reminders, to-do lists, things I want to save, and such. A draft list I'd jotted down called "ten ways to paint like yourself" caught my attention. I feel passionately that learning to paint like yourself is the most important thing you are to do. Great teachers can help you, but it's your job to develop your own style ... and not their styles. There is something better, deeper, truer waiting ... your style! 

Your style is not something you choose or pick out like a new coat at the store, it is who you are. It is who you are down deep. It is who you are aided by your self-awareness and imagination, enhanced by the skills you learn along the way. It can be extremely frustrating to develop your style, but rewarding, too. The best part is that it is a process that never ends, so you get to keep on painting!

The list of "ten ways to paint like yourself" is found below. As you would imagine, the list originally had more than ten ways, but I think ten is a good non-overwhelming place to start ... and take special note of #10, eh? There are some horror stories out there. 

I'd love to hear what you would add to the list. Please comment below and fill us in!

Until next week,

​Donna

PS Reminders

1) Thursday, August 25th my studio will be open from 5:00-7:00 pm as part of the City of Fredericton's Culture Crawl. I hope to be previewing pieces from my "What I Did This Summer" collection coming to the online shop soon!

2) Don't forget to check out the August Collection and other works available in my shop here.

​3) Exciting stuff is coming the first of September so hear it first by signing up for my newsletter here.

4) Contact me anytime via email here.