Author: Kelli Folsom

My Spring Flowers REVEAL!

My Spring Flowers REVEAL!

Posted on by Kelli Folsom
Are you loving seeing and smelling the Spring flowers as much as I am?! I hope this Spring season has brought fresh and rejuvenating energy into your life and home. In the excitement of Spring, I've created a NEW series of spring florals and am SO excited to share this preview with you before the big reveal on Friday! https://vimeo.com/539378521 My Spring Showers Bring May Flowers Sale will begin April 23rd and run till April 26th. I am offering a special 25% off these paintings, FREE U.S. Shipping, and FREE Framing! Layaway AvailablePLUS YOU GET:My new hand-signed Spring Flowers Collector's Book as a free GIFT with your...Read More
Are you inspiration poor? How to open the flood gates of abundance by giving to yourself every day.

Are you inspiration poor? How to open the flood gates of abundance by giving to yourself every day.

Posted on by Kelli Folsom
How often do you give to yourself? Seriously. Stop and think about it. When’s the last time you gave something to yourself?  Sometimes It doesn’t have to be anything that costs a lot of money either. When’s the last time you gave yourself time alone? A walk in the park, a glass of wine in the garden smelling the flowers, a nap, or a bubble bath.  Other times you will be required to spend money and perhaps even scary money to make way for abundance in your life.  As an artist I’ve learned that creation and inspiration only comes when...Read More
Happy New Year? How to begin again right now.

Happy New Year? How to begin again right now.

Posted on by Kelli Folsom
Do you feel like it’s the new year like me? The new year came and went and I’m wondering if you too felt as if it wasn’t the same as other new years. Usually, I do a New Years' letting go ritual and goal setting ceremony the first week of January. This year though, I wasn’t feelin’ it. Do you know what I mean?  Then all of a sudden over the weekend I felt it! I thought this is the new beginning I’ve been waiting for. Spring is starting to bud, the sun is shining, and I get my vaccine this...Read More
Is your creative spirit emaciated and at risk of dying? How to bring it back to life in the right way, but hurry.

Is your creative spirit emaciated and at risk of dying? How to bring it back to life in the right way, but hurry.

Posted on by Kelli Folsom
Join the FREE 5 Day Still Life Painting Challenge NOW! Are you starving your creative self? Depending on how long you've been doing this, your emaciating your creative spirit. So many artist's spirits die from this. It happens far too often and I don't want that to happen to you! When we've starved our creative self we need to take swift emergency action, but in a very gentle and patient way. The right way. It's very much like a person or animal who is starving to death. You have to nurse them back to health very gently. A little bit...Read More
Announcing the 5 Day Still Life Painting Challenge!

Announcing the 5 Day Still Life Painting Challenge!

Posted on by Kelli Folsom
Join the FREE 5 Day Still Life Painting Challenge Now! Over the last few weeks, we’ve talked about the 3 biggest traps that cause developing artists to get stifled and give up. These included the Masterpiece trap, not taking action consistently, and not understanding the visual language of painting.  I’ve been where you are and I’ve gone from ground zero beginner knowing absolutely nothing to mastery level in 13 years.  Here’s what I know for sure:  -That painting isn’t as hard as it seems. -You don’t need a ton of time to complete a painting.-There are simple constructs to the language...Read More
The Secret Language of Painting

The Secret Language of Painting

Posted on by Kelli Folsom
Who's up for a Painting Challenge this March 25th-29th!? And it's completely FREE! Join the private Facebook group for a chance to study with me! Gain early access to win points and prizes! There will be special pre-challenge exercises that will be worth extra points as well! This challenge is not open to current or past Vital Art Sessions members. Join the group to answer this week’s question! http://bit.ly/2wrevGQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiELzfGAoRo One day as I was staring at an art magazine with one of the most BEAUTIFUL paintings I had ever seen, I was entranced by the light, the colors, and the gorgeous...Read More
The Masterpiece Trap

The Masterpiece Trap

Posted on by Kelli Folsom
Who's up for a Painting Challenge this March 25th-29th!? And it's completely FREE! Join the private Facebook group for a chance to study with me! Gain early access to win points and prizes! There will be special pre-challenge exercises that will be worth extra points as well! Click this link to join: http://bit.ly/2wrevGQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4b0WvwZ9zs&t=1s Week after week, month after month, I’d attend the local classroom studio where I went to draw the figure each week. During the model breaks that I used to refresh my eyes, I’d walk around the studio. Pulling at my kneaded eraser to clean it, I’d peruse the...Read More
Action is the Antidote

Action is the Antidote

Posted on by Kelli Folsom
Who's up for a Painting Challenge this March 25th-29th!? And it's completely FREE! Join the private Facebook group for a chance to study with me! Gain early access to win points and prizes! There will be special pre-challenge exercises that will be worth extra points as well! Click this link to join: http://bit.ly/2wrevGQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLBGu2bMMl8 Freaked out. Stalled. Anxious. Paralyzed. Shame. These all describe my state of mind sitting in my low rent one-bedroom apartment in 2013 wondering how I’d pay the bills next month. My artwork wasn’t selling well and what’s worse was I was so paralyzed by stress and anxiety that...Read More
5 Ways to Loosen Up Your Painting Style

5 Ways to Loosen Up Your Painting Style

Posted on by Kelli Folsom
How loosey goosey do you want to be?   First, we must understand our own definition of painting loose or tight and how loose we want to paint. I’ve had people say about my work, “I’d love to paint as loose as you.”,  they’ve also said “I could never paint as tight as you.” As you can see, tight and loose, is  really a matter of individual perception. However, I think we can surmise the general difference between tight and loose.   Tight is when the subject looks very realistic or hyper-realistic. It’s when the brushstrokes  are all smoothed out and the edges are...Read More
The pros and cons of attending art school. How to avoid the cost and turmoil.

The pros and cons of attending art school. How to avoid the cost and turmoil.

Posted on by Kelli Folsom
While I appreciate the time I had at art school, it was riddled with problems. #1 was the short-sighted game of the school. I’ve taken online coaching programs that have better ongoing support than art school and they’ve cost me far less. In the end, these programs and coaches know that their customer's results are the most important. They know they need to offer support to their students in a way that will help their long term success. Those students will then sing their praises and refer them to others.  My experience in art school was the total opposite. Teachers...Read More