About Me
I’m an artist, writer, and teacher devoted to exploring the quiet intersection of creativity and presence. For me, art has always been more than what we make — it’s a way of seeing, a way of being. Through drawing, painting, and writing, I try to meet life as it is, with attention and reverence, and to share that approach with others.
I’ve written three books — Watercolor Is for Everyone, Drawing Is for Everyone, and Look Closer, Draw Better — all published by Quarto. Together they’ve reached tens of thousands of artists around the world and are used in classrooms, studios, and museums. My work has been exhibited widely and is held in several collections, including the Ruskin Collection in Sheffield, England.
I founded Art & Spirit Studio on the historic Roycroft Campus in East Aurora, New York, where I continue the Roycroft ideals of beauty, craft, and service. During the pandemic I moved most of my work online through Patreon and online retreats. Over the years, through my studio, online courses, The Great Courses, and Craftsy, I’ve taught more than 25,000 students how to develop a personal, mindful relationship with their art practice.
My writing—on Substack, in essays, and in my forthcoming book Two Stones—explores themes of grief, wonder, and the luminous thread that binds them. Everything I create, whether with words or pigment, is rooted in a simple hope: to help others slow down, look closely, and find beauty in the ordinary.