Learn to Paint Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Building Small Works in Plein Air with Remington Robinson (Ep.112) Jun 24, 2025

Show notes

Welcome to the conversation with Remington Robinson. Inside, you’ll discover what to prioritize in the first 20 minutes of a plein air painting, how to think through your scene in terms of paint, and you’ll get some great advice for how to make the most of the time when a brush isn't in your hand, plus a whole lot more.

Special Bonus [Art Club]
When I was interviewing and then editing Robinson’s interview, I was really struck by those Style Development Years.

We look at Robinson’s work, we scroll through his social media, and say "Oh, yeah, he’s always been painting this way."

But that's not true. His style- like all of ours, developed over time.

And so that’s what I want to talk about in today’s special Art Club Mini. Let’s look at and talk about how Robinson’s style developed over years and what we might learn from it. Listen here.

Learn more about Remington Robinson here:

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | BOOK

Support the show

4 Color Harmony Strategies (Mini Ep.111) Jun 10, 2025

Show notes

Have you ever finished a painting and something just feels… off?

You could have a color harmony problem. The good news: you’ve got straightforward ways to fix the issue.

In today’s episode we’re tackling color harmony. We’re going to explore what it is, why it matters, and most importantly, how to get it in your work including your very next painting including 4 strategies for creating color harmony in your work.

Episodes Mentioned in the Show:

Julia Katz, Ep.110

Jennifer Balkan, Ep.108

Joan Fullerton, Ep.7

Mark Mehaffey, Ep.5

Episodes to help improve your color confidence:

Atmospheric Perspective (How to Get Depth & Distance in Your Work)

Understanding Value with Sarah Sedwick (Part 1)

Color Mixing & the Color Wheel with Todd M. Casey

Support the show

Building Strong Values with John Salminen (Ep.38 Archive) May 28, 2025

Show notes

Welcome to the conversation with watercolorist John Salminen.

You’ll learn how darks and lights work together to create luminosity, why it’s important to have those value 9s, and well value, value, value. Plus a whole lot more.

Podcast Art Club:

Dive into dominance and how Salminen uses edges in your bonus episode here.

Learn more about John Salminen here:

WEBSITE / WORKSHOPS / FACEBOOK

Support the show

How to Get Depth & Distance in Your Work (Archive, Ep.39) May 13, 2025

Show notes

Perspective is a tool you can use to create depth and distance in your work. There are a few types of perspective tools but in today's mini episode we are focusing in on a super approachable one: Atmospheric (or Aerial) Perspective.

Podcast Art Club:

How 3 Different Artists Use Perspective in Their Work

Support the show

Building an Art Practice for You with Julia Katz (Ep.110) Apr 29, 2025

Show notes

Welcome to the conversation with Julia Katz.

Feature

In the feature conversation you’ll discover how to build an art practice that's about the practice, not the product. You’ll explore an approach to painting that allows for discovery and you’ll learn how to make work for YOU. Not the world but for you. Plus a whole lot more.

Early Ad Free Access here: Podcast Art Club

Extended Cut Bonus [Art Club]

In the bonus conversation available in the Podcast Art Club, we talk about knowing when a painting is ready to finish and we explore some of what’s exciting Katz right now in her work. Available April 29th.

Learn more about Julia Katz:

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM| CHICAGO GALLERY

Support the show

How to Build a Body of Work [Mini Ep.109] Apr 08, 2025

Show notes

There are many ways to approach your painting practice—and each one serves a different purpose. In this Mini, we’ll briefly explore three core approaches: one-off paintings, painting in a series, and developing a cohesive body of work.

We’ll break down how they differ, and then we’ll dive deeper into building a body of work—what it is, why it matters, and the steps you can take to start creating one with intention.

Mentioned in the Show:

Jennifer Balkan, Ep.108

Debbie Miller, Ep.15

Alice Sheridan, Ep.70

Carrie Waller, Ep.8

Support the show

Building Bodies of Work with Jennifer Balkan (Ep.108) Mar 25, 2025

Show notes

Welcome to the conversation with Jennifer Balkan!

In the feature conversation, you’ll discover how to keep your eyes fresh while working on a painting, why leaving areas unfinished can be a strategic choice, and how to seamlessly integrate colors between your foreground and background.

If you’ve ever wanted to build a body of work, Balkan offers valuable insight into the evolving thought process of an artist—how ideas develop, shift, and take shape over time.

Ad free feature at Art Club here.

Bonus [Art Club]

In the short bonus, we talk about the very real discomfort you might face when bringing your ideas to life and optical color mixing.

Learn more about Jennifer Balkan:

WEBSITE / WORKSHOPS / INSTAGRAM

Support the show

5 Resistances to Studies (& What to Do About Them) Mar 11, 2025

Show notes

So many guests on the show encourage their students to do studies. And yet… you still feel resistance. In today's Mini, let’s talk about what that resistance might look like and how to start pushing back.

Mitchell Albala Interview [Ep.104]

Mitchell Albala Bonus Conversation [Patreon]

How to set up a grid for grid drawing [Instagram]

5 Pieces of Prep That Can Help You Make Looser, Bolder and All Around Better Paintings [Blog]

Support the show

Exploring Intuitive Painting with Kathleen Conover (Ep.106) Feb 25, 2025

Show notes

Welcome to the conversation with Kathleen Conover!

Feature Episode:
In the conversation you’ll explore an intuitive way to start your paintings, you’ll learn how to begin to answer the question, “Ok, what NEXT?” and you'll discover 2 ways you can test ideas before you fully commit to them. Plus a whole lot more.

Extended Cut Bonus [Art Club]:

In the bonus conversation available in the Podcast Art Club, we dig more into composition including talking about compositional formats and you’ll get a great way to train your brain on good composition.

Learn more about Kathleen Conover:

WEBSITE / WORKSHOPS / INSTAGRAM /FACEBOOK

Support the show

Rewiring My Brain for Better Self Talk (& Other Surprising #20for20 Takeaways) Feb 18, 2025

Show notes

The #20for20ArtChallenge wrapped up on January 20th, but the lessons from it will stay with me all year.

In this Studio Chat Mini, I break down what I thought I would learn over 20 days—and how what I actually learned turned out to be even more valuable. From managing art time at your worst time of day to rewiring your brain to be less negative, these insights can help any artist.

Want to join us for the next challenge? Learn more here!

Here's my writing about the project by day on Instagram..

Day 1 / Day 2 / Day 3 / Day 4 / Day 5 /

Day 6 / Day 7 / Day 8 / Day 9 / Day 10 /

Day 11 / Day 12 / Day 13 / Day 14 / Day 15 /

Day 16 / NA / Day 18 / Day 19 / Day 20

Support the show