Happy Little Blobs: An Easy Abstract Art Tutorial to Build Creative Confidence
They say boldness can’t be taught but I disagree. It’s a skill, and like all skills you get better with practice. In other words, what
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How to Film and Edit an Online Class: 3 Approaches (and What Works for Me)
I recently published my twelfth Skillshare class, and over the years I’ve experimented with different approaches to sequencing the filming and editing of a class.
How to Stop Hesitating and Start Making Art: 7 Courage-Building Prompts
Want to spend more time making art, and less time hesitating? Great, me too! So let’s practice boldness with low-stakes, high-fun art making over seven
Different approaches to record class narration
When I record my art classes I always provide narration, where I speak during the practical demonstrations in order to explain what I’m doing, as
How I Created An Installation
As part of my Gran’s exhibition, I created an installation, a ‘mise-en-scene’ if you will, with her art materials and a few of her works
Hanging Photos for my Exhibition
Hello friends, I thought it might be helpful to share how I went about hanging the photos for my exhibition, Doris Small: A Retrospective. As
Hosting an Exhibition Private Viewing
Hello friends, as you might have read earlier, I’m currently hosting a retrospective exhibition of my Gran’s artwork and I thought you might find it
How to Mount Exhibition Labels
Hello friends, I thought it might be helpful to share how to mount exhibition labels and photographs, based on what I just did for my
Making a Giclée Reproduction
As part of the preparations for the exhibition I’m putting on next week, I worked with a local printer to make a giclée (pronounced “zhee-clay”)
Organising An Exhibition
Hello friends, as you might have read earlier, I’m hosting a retrospective exhibition of my Gran’s artwork later this month and I thought you might
Artist Interview: Fatih Mıstaçoğlu aka Fab
In my 11th interview in this series I interview artist and teacher Fatih Mıstaçoğlu, better known as ‘Fab’. I collaborated with Fab for the first
Exhibition Announcement: “Doris Small | A Retrospective”
Hello friends, I wanted to let you know about an exhibition I am putting on called “Doris Small: A Retrospective”. This is a posthumous exhibition
The White Rose and The Red Rose
Last week I talked about an exercise where I made series of studies of ‘The White Rose and The Red Rose’ by Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh.
My Year in Learning: 2025
As well as teaching classes, I’m an eternal student and always taking classes. I’d like to share some of the gems that I learned from
Happy New Year and How I Reflect and Plan (aka Why I Love YearCompass)
Happy New Year my friends! For a long time in Scotland, New Year (or Hogmanay as we call it) was a much bigger celebration than
My Watercolour Self-Care Class Wins Skillshare Staff Pick, Grand Prize & More
Hello friends, I hope the season is treating you well. You might remember that a few weeks ago I shared the launch of my latest
Cute Festive Birds Christmas Cards!
My cute festive birds designs have flown into life! I just received samples of my 2025 Christmas card design – a series of five cute
Join me for a Leith Creative Trail Open Studios – Saturday 29th November
🗓️ Saturday 29th Nov | 🕚 11am–4pm | 📍105 Leith Walk, Edinburgh Hello friends! Looking for something fun and creative to do? I’ll be opening
Artist Interview: Lauren Smith
In my 10th interview in this series I interview my studio-buddy, the artist Lauren Smith. Lauren is a papermaker, printmaker and illustrator whose creative practice
The Creative Gift: Free Holiday Art Demos – Two Festive Days of Painting & Inspiration
Hello friends, Although it feels a little weird talking about festive things before Halloween (or the end of Mindfultober), I wanted to let you know
Mindful Watercolour Leaves Tutorial (Mindfultober 2025: Grow Prompt)
For the third Mindfultober 2025 prompt, Grow, we’re going to paint leaves with a single brush stroke, creating lovely loose botanical watercolours, while painting mindfully.
Loose Watercolor Painting for Self-Care: A Mindful Way to Unwind with Art
Hello friends, I hope October is treating you well. I have just published a new full-length Skillshare class: Loose Watercolor Painting for Self-Care: The Art
Mindful Watercolour Granulation Tutorial (Mindfultober 2025: Flowing Prompt)
I think that granulation, the texture you can see above where the colour separates leaving textured instead of flat colour – is one of the
Mindful Watercolour Gradient Tutorial (Mindfultober 2025: Sky Prompt)
Mindfultober 2025 is here! For our very first prompt, Sky, we’re slowing down and letting watercolour do its magic by creating soft, beautiful gradients. Sky
Free Mindful Art Resources
Here’s a list of free (and free-ish) mindful art resources to help you get in the mood for Mindfultober (and, also, you know, just for
Mindfultober 2025 – All The Details
It’s time to reveal the prompts and prizes for Mindfultober 2025: The Chill October Art Challenge! If you joined us in previous years, you’ll know
Process vs Outcome-Based Art: Creating Mindfully
With Mindfultober coming up, I’ve been talking to people about it quite a bit. One of the expressions I keep using is process-based art –
Mindfultober 2025
I’m so excited to share that we’re back with our mindful October Art Challenge: Mindfultober 2025! I’ve teamed up with three amazing artists and fellow
Arthur’s Seat, Gorse, and Zombie Fire
Did you know that gorse fires can spread underground through their root system?!? Gorse is a common shrub, at least in the UK, and Arthur’s
Free Miniature Bookbinding Guide – 5 Tiny Book Projects to Try
Hello friends, Happy Friday! Did you know I have a free miniature bookbinding guide that’s available to download? Probably not because I’ve not widely advertised
Running Our Own Family Holiday Club – And Why We Loved It
Earlier this summer my family and I ran our own holiday club at home – and it was 🤩✨AMAZING ✨🤩. We did a mix of
Your Tiny Book Questions Answered
Hello friends, It was AMAZING to see so many of you at my Create Your Own Tiny Book: Simple No-Sew Bookbinding for Beginners workshop on
Make Your Own Tiny Books! Free Online Workshop This Weekend
Hello friends – Happy August! I just wanted to pop in with a reminder about tomorrow’s free online workshop on making tiny books: “Create Your
How to Make a Simple Bound Mini Book (No Experience Needed!)
If you’ve ever wanted to try bookbinding but weren’t sure where to start, a simple bound mini book is a perfect first step. It’s quick,
Make a Tiny Book with Me This Summer – For Free!
Hello friends! I’m delighted to share that I’ll be teaching “Create Your Own Tiny Book: Simple No-Sew Bookbinding for Beginners” as part of this year’s
How We Created Our Own Family Holiday Club
I don’t know about you, but when I was a kid growing up in Glasgow, we didn’t have summer camps. School holidays meant being at
TRAILER: Mini-Mindful Art Practice
Hello friends! Earlier in the year I told you about my latest Skillshare class, Mini-Mindful Art Practice: Quick Guide to Intuitive Composition, but I hadn’t
DIY saddle stitch bookbinding adventure
Or, How a Printing Crisis Turned Into a Binding Adventure This year, as my daughter’s birthday approached, I had the usual plan in place: illustrate
Whirlwinds and Weather: A Creative June
One of the things I’ve been doing lately is making little voice notes or videos about my creative practice (if you want to call it
A Quick Friday Update: Trains, Colour Games, and Creative Community
Life has been incredibly busy lately. June always seems to be a whirlwind for me – it’s my daughter’s birthday month, there’s Father’s Day to
Join me for a Leith Open Studios Father’s Day event – Saturday 14th June
🗓️ Saturday 14th June | 🕚 11am–4pm | 📍105 Leith Walk, Edinburgh Hello friends! Looking for something fun and creative to do this Father’s Day
Dreamscapes out in the wild
Last month I took a little leap and added a small selection of my Edinburgh Dreamscapes fine art prints to the lovely Leith Makers shop
Mini-Mindful Art Practice Giveaway
Hello friends! In case you missed it I released a new, mini-class at the start of April, which received a Staff Pick from the folks
🌿The Guardian of Glen Rosa: A Tale of Bravery, Art, and Hope 🌿
Hello, my friends. Today, I want to share a story that’s both heart-wrenching and hopeful – a tale of ancient trees, courageous humans, and the
Mini-Mindful Art Practice: Quick Guide to Intuitive Composition
Would you like to feel more confident in composing your artwork but struggle with all the “rules” of composition? I used to catch myself overthinking
Artist Interview: Shelley Skail
So normally I interview other people, but in September last year (2024) I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Tibo Torelli. Tibo is a
Share your thoughts and win a year of Skillshare!
Hello friends, I’m running a survey to help shape the creative work I do next. I’d like to understand what you are most interested in,
Mini-Mindful Watercolour: The Art of Gestural Brushstroke Technique
Would you like a little self-care art time but struggle to give yourself permission? As a chronic over-thinker myself I sometimes find it hard to
Mindfultober 2024 Plan: Painting an Illuminated Letter
For the Mindfultober 2024 “Plan” prompt I decided to lean right into one of the elements that can make watercolours seem off-putting but conversely also
Mindfultober 2024
I’m so excited to share that we’re back with our mindful October Art Challenge: Mindfultober 2024! I’ve teamed up with three amazing artists and fellow