A year ago, before the pandemic became real, I was invited by the Tampa Regional Artists to do both a demo and a workshop for artists in their group as well as anyone visiting the Tampa area. 

Along came a virus and this all went up in a puff of disbelief. 

Fast forward a year, and we are moving forward with both the demo and workshop, but it will all be online and the best part? 

You are invited to join the fun! 

The class demo will be held on Thursday evening, May 13th, during the monthly meeting online (non-members are welcome!) and the class will be held the following Saturday, May 15th.

Because we are not actually getting together on location, the class will be based on photos from the area around the TRA art center as if we were. The area is a mashup of beautiful old houses (many on the historical register), some of which have been converted to businesses, old oak trees, gardens and if you walk several blocks, Tampa Bay. 

The class will focus on working quickly as if you were really on location, the benefits of working quickly, embracing our quirky styles and handling those pesky mistakes that are bound to happen!

Sound like your kind of visit?

Click here to learn more about TRA.

Click here to learn more about the demo. Non-members are welcome!

Click here to learn more the class and to get registered!

From my very first online class, An Imaginary Trip To Paris in 2009!

Is it as hard for you as it is for me to realize that 1999 was twenty years ago?! We were all so worried about Y2K and what was going to happen to our computers. Where did those years go?

For me, I see a dividing line in my decades...before May 2009 and after. Before May 2009, I was in a corporate job I didn't like, freaked out on high-octane stress most all of the time and trying to figure out how I was going to keep going until I could retire. Then my job was outsourced to another country and the economy tanked.

I decided to launch Imaginary Trips in May 2009 and you know the rest of the story! I can look back over a slew of classes and workshops that brought new friendships and experiences into my life. Some I couldn't have imagined in one hundred years let alone ten! There has been growth in technology as well as in my own artistic path.

I look at several of the folks that started way back at the beginning of the decade and I marvel at how far they've come and how much their work has evolved! And I am humbled and ever so thankful I was able to be some small part of that growth and evolution.

From a class in 2010

Strolling Through The Past
One of the advantages we have in being visual artists is the ability to see our growth. We can see how we've improved at capturing the world around us on the page, how we've changed how we approach a subject or our use of color. I spent some time in my archives recently, looking for a piece of misplaced (read that as lost) artwork. It wasn't long before I was off on a tangent, looking at some of the work I did eight and ten years ago.

Pieces I thought were marvelous at the time have lost some of their marvel today—because I've grown and my perspective on the work is much different, but that doesn't negate the feelings I had at the time about what I had created. It is only when it's lifted from its place in the continuum that it loses its luster.

I see so many changes! I think mostly I see how I would do things differently today, knowing what I know now...but isn't that always the way? We do the best we can until we learn to do better? I also continue to see room for more improvement and that's a good thing! I've always said that the day I painted a "perfect piece of artwork" would be the day I hung up my brushes. I don't think it's possible to paint a piece of perfect work, not if we're really seeking growth and new levels of creativity.

If you haven't walked back through the years of your artwork, I highly recommend it! It's eye-opening to see the growth that isn't obvious in a month or even a year's width.

Looking Forward
What's on the horizon? I see more creativity, more growth and more fun to come in form of the classes and workshops on the near horizon and in the coming years. I think one of the reasons I have always been captivated by creativity is because it's a bottomless well. Just when you think you've tapped the deepest level, along comes something to push you in a completely new direction!

How are you planning to move forward in 2020 and beyond?

Given the time of year and our mad scurry to chart our goals, plans and dreams, you've probably given thought to what you want to learn, what adventures you want to have and what dreams you want to make a reality.

From a workshop in Jekyll Island 2019

I hope some of the classes and workshops I will be offering this year might fit in with some of your plans and goals as I'd love to be a part of your continued artistic growth! Come and take a look:

An Imaginary Trip To the Classroom: Using The Color Green - In several of the classes I hosted last year, several folks asked for more help in using the color green in their work. Whether you have trouble mixing a useful green or you have trouble creating a believable landscape, this class is designed to give you plenty of useful information, tips and tricks for making friends with this highly useful color! Click the title above for more information and to get registered.

Travel Sketching In The Southwest Of France - Ten days of connection and creativity in a small French village in the southwest of France! From the refurbished convent to the small medieval villages and towns we'll visit, this trip is unlike any you've taken. There will time for sketching and shopping, relaxing and reflecting as well as reconnecting to a more creative you. Sound like just what you've been looking for? Click the here for all the details!

Local Classes - As many of you know, Creative Art Supply (formerly Keeton's) closed at the end of 2019 as did another Bay favorite, Whim So Doodle, in St. Pete and while it has been very disappointing to lose to wonderful locations, life goes on and new places are developing! I have begun to teach classes locally at Live And Learn Pharmacy in Riverview and at the Southern Atelier in Sarasota! To see any upcoming classes I have at either venue, I recommend checking out the Upcoming Classes page over at ImaginaryTrips.com.

There are a few more events to be added to the calendar so please check back! I hope to see you in one (or more) spaces soon.

Meanwhile, good luck on your creative journey into the next decade!

Octobers always seem so busy and often filled with great plans that interfere with all the wonderful things we'd like to do! If that statement describes you and why you are not able to join me for a week-long workshop on Jekyll Island this October, worry not!

Announcing "An Imaginary Trip To Jekyll Island Online Class!" Registration is now open!

Imagine wading in the lapping waters of the Atlantic Ocean or sitting and sketching the otherworldly shapes of driftwood. Maybe you like the shore-life of wading birds and fiddler crabs.

There's something for everyone!

If you are not able to join me for the workshop the week of October 21st, I hope you'll be able to join me online. Class starts on Thursday, October 31st and will have four assignments to show you the gorgeous beauty of this barrier island.

I hope to see you on the island!

I've always heard about the gorgeous light in Paris, but I never imagined that all of France (well, the parts I visited anyway) would have that same light! At times, it seemed pearlescent or iridescent...and so very clear.

It was a delight to walk around medieval towns and villages to sketch and paint (and take photos) because of that light. But I would be remiss if I didn't also mention the subject matter of said sketches and photos...delight visits to so many small towns, parks, rivers, castles, gardens, and cities made this trip worthy of being made into an ImaginaryTrips.com' online class!

I hope you'll join me for the Imaginary Trip To Southwest France and Le Vieux Couvent! We'll explore the lovely convent and its gardens, where we stayed as well as some of the most intriguing small villages (Saint Cirq Lapopie and Beynec), larger cities (Sarlat) and some off the beaten path destinations (Castelfranc).

There is something for everyone! I will be sharing my sketchbook and the pages I created while in France and I'll also show how I create a more finished look once I'm home.

Class starts on April 18th and will feature four assignments. There is an interactive class as well as self-study class option available.

To join in and get registered today, please click here for more information!


I am going back to LVC in September this year and would love to have you join me for the 10-day travel and art workshop! It's not to be missed! The convent was originally built in the 1600's and has been lovingly refurbished into an art retreat complete with secret gardens, a koi pond and lovely courtyard. The classroom and art library are both huge and available 24/7.

This is a true immersion experience as we will get out to explore, sketch and paint the Dordogne and Lot Regions each day! We'll make use of the classroom to finish our pages in the evenings and during any inclement days.

And I have to say, the people of LVC make this place truly magical! From the wonderful meals they create from local sources to the care they show in everything they do, this is one of those rare workshop opportunities that transcends the words, "travel art workshop!"

I hope you can join me for this awesome experience!

To learn more and get registered, please click here!

I hope to see you in France!

The Paris Workshop in October was sooooooooo much fun and we just barely managed to scrape the "tip of the tower" as the city was jam-packed with places to see and visit and absorb and feel and taste and, and, and...

So I'm going back via an Imaginary Trip! This time around I'll be using my own photographs and I'll be showing you how I take a half finished sketchbook and begin to fill in the missing pieces, finish up pages that still need some polish and shine as well as capture some thoughts about what a magnificent place this was to visit!

An Imaginary Trip To Paris, Part 2 will launch on February 7th! It will contain four assignments along with lots of peeks into my sketchbook. I'll be working on adding more sketches as well as finishing you many of the pages I started and filling up some of the blank pages I left.

If you'd like to join in the fun, please click HERE to learn all of the details of the online class. 

Actually, I think it's time for two BRAND NEW Imaginary Trips To Paris!


As most of you know, I'll be getting on a plane to Paris in a little over two months...squeeee! I am so excited and I want to share my excitement with all of you as well. (There's still time and a few spaces if you want to come to Paris, too! Click here to get the details.)

To make the trip last longer and so you can come and play too, I've put together two trips—one before I go and the other after I return!

In the first Imaginary Trip To Paris!, we'll be visiting some of the city's famous iconic sites. We'll delve into the rich lives of Parisians along with how they travel in style as well as the cuisine. This class starts on Thursday, August 23rd! To learn more and sign up for special savings, please click here. 

A visit to the Provence region is a delight to the senses, the sun-drenched patina of the old architecture, the vibrant market fare, and the glittering coastline...but that's not all! Breathe deep and smell the scent of fresh bread, listen to the cries of the gulls and feel the warmth radiating from the cobbled stones of the street. History saturates the area and there are plenty of markets and cafes to explore and enjoy.

This new adventure begins on Thursday, May 3rd! Click here to register.

Video demos are provided for all of the assignments. All techniques are shown so that you can “see” when and where they’re used. You have total flexibility as to when you watch the videos once they are posted. The demos are available for the duration of the class and you can watch them as many times as you like.

Sunnies? Check. Beach chair? Check. Sunscreen? Double check! Sketchbook and paint? Yep!

I'm packed and ready—how about you?

The Imaginary Visit To The Beach class starts this Thursday, February 15th. To learn more and register, please click HERE.

More often than not, I find myself working in patterns and much of the time it's subconsciously until the pattern can no longer be ignored. Case in point: two upcoming beach classes full of fun!


Sea Urchins are so much fun to create on the page that it's hard to stop. Kinda like potato chips, you cannot have just one.

These sea creatures are created by using two pieces of paper to give them the look of having an "interior" and we'll use white ink to quickly and easily recreate the dots on the outer shell.

Sound like your kind of fun?!

Come and play with me at Keeton's Office and Art Supply on Saturday, February 10th at 9 AM.

Click here for more info on the class and for info on how to register!

I look forward to seeing you there!






Starting Thursday, February 15th, come and enjoy found treasures, boardwalks, beach structures and the gorgeous views during An Imaginary Visit To The Beach!

We'll spend four weeks exploring and enjoy the warm sun and salty breezes. Who knows we might even see a dolphin or two, maybe a sea turtle!

We'll work on our sketching and page layout skills.

For more information on the class, please click here to come and join me for this online adventure!

Already sick of the cold? Me too. Let's head to the beach!

Click here the class title the details for "An Imaginary Visit To The Beach!"

Class starts on February 15th—hope to see you there!

Concept Art for 'Tis The Season

Have you ever noticed that the less time you have, the more inspired you are or is that just me?

Every year, when the temperatures begin to drop, the leaves begin to change, and the decorations start to show up and I find myself ridiculously inspired—I cannot wait to get into the studio to start creating. I have all kinds of art ideas dancing in my head!

Except...the hours in which to create are usual nowhere to be found.

With all the extra activities going on in November and December, finding or making time to create can get tricky. I find myself up at some absurd hour in the morning or burning too much midnight oil in the hopes of getting something finished in time to use it for this year's holiday season. Sound familiar?

And every year as I scramble to get together an idea for a card to send to family and friends, I vow this is the last time I'm going to do this. Instead, I set a goal that I'll create a piece of holiday art every month so I won't be scrambling in December. Inevitably, or so it seems, as the year steams into the last few months of the year I realize that once again, I've not followed through on my plan and I'm scrambling to come up with some holiday art.

However...this year is going to be very different! Because you and I are going to be making holiday art ALL YEAR LONG! 

Introducing 'Tis The Season, An Online Holiday Class!

Here's the super cool thing about this class—the lessons will come out once a month for the year and there are three different class options that allow you to choose what works best with you. You'll also have a minimum of a year with the materials and depending on the class option, up to two years! If you're traveling when the lesson drops, don't worry. It will be there waiting on you when you're reading to start creating.

In addition, these classes are all about the studio and taking our time. There will be an art element as well as a lettering element to each class. The classes will be posted on the first Wednesday of each month and there's even a bonus class available! There will also be email reminders to let you know when the next lesson is available and to help keep you on track.

Come this time next year, you'll have a year's worth of artwork to choose from for your holiday card and gifts! Sound like a plan? Then come sign up!

You can get the details here. 

I look forward to creating with you all year long!