Below, you can see a couple of progression shots of my latest painting, “Keeping Up with the Cosmos”. This painting is 24x24” on cradled wood panel. I started out with the intention of making a glowing, blue painting. (Read more under the image.)

“Keeping Up with the Cosmos”, 24x24. Tap the image to purchase.

I think a lot of people may not know how difficult it is to make a painting like this. I also think a lot of people create a painting as shown in the very top image and then get stuck and they don’t know how to finish it. I wanted to speak a little on the topic today..

When I make a painting like the top image, I feel like a failure. I feel that nothing is working and it is extremely difficult for me to process the next steps I should take. Thankfully, the years of experience I have in painting tell me that I WILL be able to pull a painting out of that top mess…and that creating and covering layers is indeed part of the process…and that I can’t get frustrated with the speed at which I am able to complete things. We do not cover layers because they are errors. We cover layers to create depth. Without the “covering”, the primarily blue area of this piece would be one solid tone and flat in color. Can you spot all the ghost shapes under the blue?

Large pieces of art on my instagram feed generate the most engagement. Most users DM asking me which online workshop they should take to make painting x, y, z. Take the painting below for example:

Julie Prichard in her art studio. Tap the image to learn more about the painting.

If you look closely at the painting below, and at the paintings on the wall behind me, you can see similar technique. You can see similar technique in the “Keeping Up With the Cosmos” painting as well. In order to paint glowing layers, you need a comprehensive understanding on how to best use the pigments on your paint shelf. You need to know how to properly mix them and how to layer translucent and opaque pigments- the when and the why. I teach all of this in my “Expanding on Color” online workshop.

But here is the thing: that workshop is going to give you everything I know about layering paint. It’s going to walk you through two paintings start to finish and if you apply the techniques as demonstrated, you too can paint those paintings. The thing that is going to put you to the head of the class is how much you repeat and PRACTICE those techniques. To get ahead, you should watch the workshop, then paint the workshop and then continue to paint the workshop, each time venturing slightly into your own creative path. I would LOVE to help you with this. I stand by every day waiting for students to post or email me pictures of their art so that we can talk about where they are and where they want to be.

I like to think that my workshops are not for plowing through in one weekend.. I know that is how a lot of artists take workshops- after all, that is how all this started..people like to take a weekend worth of workshops. On the other hand, I like to hope that these painting workshops become a constant '“go to” in your library that you will refer to time and time again. What do you think? Let me know below.