There is something about abstract painting that is calling to me at the moment. I can feel the excitement building as I look at paintings online and begin collecting ideas and little hints from artists on Instagram. I cannot wait to get started, even though I am also discovering that abstract painting is far harder than it looks. One of the questions I keep returning to is this: what are you actually painting when you paint abstractly? Where do you begin if you are not painting a landscape,...

When I teach about mark making I tell my students that they can make a mark with anything and we all know of some crazy mark making using natural things, kitchen utensils, credit cards, water pressure hoses to name a few. However I was thinking about what I teach about the use of brushes. Over time we get to know our favourite tools. I love to paint with sticks and use pallet knives but much of my work is still brushed on. There are several sorts of brushes and some really specialist one...

I don't know why it is called a camp because we don't sleep over but a day long art class seems to be called an art camp! Donna Drouin...