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Painting barns used to be something I swore I would never do again. The idea felt limiting, repetitive, and frankly, a bit uninspiring. Yet, recently I found myself drawn back to the subject, choosing to paint "Doc's Barn" during a live paint-along on YouTube. This shift surprised a friend who asked why I once said never and what made me change my mind. The answer is not about being elitist or dismissive. Instead, it reflects the natural path of artistic growth and the unique

Should We Artists Resist AI or Embrace it? Every artist I know is talking about AI. The debates are everywhere: fight it, use it, or ignore it and hope it disappears. You can't scroll through an artist forum, open social media, or sit down with a group of painters without the conversation turning to it. Even news podcasters weigh in — the disruptions ahead, the jobs at risk, the sense that society isn't prepared for what's coming. Here's what I keep coming back to: AI is not

I sure hope so, because this month I waded into unfamiliar waters. I signed up for a 11 hours and 35 online lessons — Portrait Drawing Fundamentals by Stan Prokopenko. It’s been 50 years since I studied portrait drawing and painting. My landscapes have been noted for their wildness and one Chicago Tribune art critic said my work leaves out the one thing that can “muck up” nature — humans. But since moving to the city in 2025, I find myself wanting to draw more and draw people