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I post tips about abstract painting, techniques, professional advice for artists, and travel tips for creative travel in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

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Variety in artwork is a crucial principle of design that artists and designers utilize to infuse their creations with diverse elements. This principle, closely tied to contrast, contributes significantly to the visual interest in any piece. If you’re wondering how to get better at art, understanding and incorporating variety can make a huge difference. In this blog post, we’ll explore how to create variety in your artwork, examine an exemplary piece by Jean-Michel Basquiat, and offer practical tips to enhance your artistic skills.

Painting Tips

Make Better Paintings by Using Variety

Every artist has faced the frustrating moment when a paint tube cap refuses to budge. When you need that perfect color immediately, a stuck cap can be infuriating. However, with the right techniques, you can open that stubborn paint bottle in no time and prevent future mishaps. Let’s explore effective methods to fix and prevent stuck paint caps!

Painting Tips

How to Fix a Stuck Paint Cap

Learn to Use Color Better by Studying Van Gogh Not many people could deny the fact that Van Gogh was an amazing colorist. He was a master of creating contrast with color and texture, and also used color symbolically, which we know from his letters to his brother Theo. My background in Art History has […]

Painting Tips

Van Gogh and Color

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"My son and I had an amazing weekend in Santa Fe and the best ending to it was taking our abstract painting class with Andrea. From the minute we walked in, we were in a warm and welcoming environment. Its clear Andrea loves what she does and that she was born for teaching art. I had no experience and felt a little inhibited, but with her guidance and support it was an extremely positive experience and I certainly learned a lot."

"It is clear Andrea loves what she does and was born for teaching."

"I was looking for an experience beyond the typical tree painting class and Andrea’s class was perfect! I’ve taken many art classes and am a relatively experienced painter, but my mother was more nervous about being “let loose” to paint whatever she wanted to. During our class, Andrea handled both our desires wonderfully. Giving us mediums, techniques and suggestions whenever we needed them. We could have brought in reference photos, (or wine lol) but being surrounded by Andrea’s work was inspiration enough. We both walked away really feeling like we created something memorable and unique in just two hours. 

"Different (BETTER) than
just a ‘Wine & Paint’ class!

what people are saying...

"Andrea is an accomplished artist, and her teaching style is appropriate for all levels of artists. Our granddaughter is very proud of her finished painting. We had a wonderful time, and we created some great family memories, along with some interesting paintings. We all agreed that we can’t wait to do it again. It was a great family activity."

"We created some great family memories, along with interesting paintings."

"Andrea Cermanski has all the skills of a good teacher. She's knowledgeable, patient, encouraging, and gives precise and helpful instruction to each individual student, allowing him or her to discover their hidden artistic talents."

"Good Teacher, Knowledgeable, Patient & Encouraging."

"I did a private class with Andrea and it was so wonderful!! Andrea is an amazing artist and she is also a great teacher!! Thorough, patient and just a fun person to be around! I really wanted a basic introduction to how to use the paints, mediums, brushes, palettes, etc. I got that and so much more!! She even helped me with the anxieties I was having around painting. I left feeling inspired, and way more confident! Ready to go home and explore. I look forward to another class after I have played some on my own. Highly recommend!"

"I left feeling inspired, and way more confident!"