An Amazing Adventure at Jonas Gerard’s Art Studio & Gallery

Previous posts detailed my trip to Asheville, North Carolina for a business retreat as a part of the Uplevel Academy Gold program that I am in. I shared about the retreat, and then did a whole post on my explorations of downtown Asheville as well as a post just for my explorations of the River Arts District in Asheville. …

The River Arts District of Asheville: From Industrial to Artsy

As you saw in my previous posts, I recently went on a trip to Asheville, North Carolina for a business retreat as a part of the Uplevel Academy Gold program that I am in. I shared about the retreat, and then did a whole post on my explorations of downtown Asheville. This is a separate …

Exploring Downtown Asheville: Art, Food, Beer & Pretty Trees!

Amazing art, food, beer, and pretty trees! These are a few of my favorite things! My previous post included my reflections and pictures from the Uplevel Academy Gold business retreat that I attended last week. I got to town a few days early, so took advantage of that and explored all over downtown Asheville, and …

7th annual Luna Festival a Successful Day of Creative Awesomeness

Thank you to everyone who came out to the Luna Festival this weekend, even with all the rain we had! Thank you to everyone who supported this event in ANY way, even with just good vibes from across the world. THANK YOU. We had an amazing day full of creative arts and expression, with a …

The 7th LUNA FESTIVAL is this Sunday!

Wow, I can’t believe it is here, that time of year again, when yet another (7th) annual Luna Festival is ready to go. You won’t want to miss it, so be at Jeff’s Pirates Cove on Sunday, October 25th, from noon-8pm for a jam-packed day of celebrating the creative arts on Guam. We have 70 …

Creative Session at Guma’ Tasa: Painting a turtle, abstract flowers, galaxies, dragon

October’s Creative Session at Guma’ Tasa coffee shop/bar was really nice. Always relaxing, and we always simply CREATE. This month’s painting session included progress on a calming turtle piece, and some abstract work, different pieces inspired by a galaxy idea, earthy tones, dragon scales and purple blending, and a yellow flower.

Full Moon Photo Journal Recap of Adventures & Inspirations

A photo journal of the last month’s adventures, life milestones, inspirations, random shenanigans, errands, creative projects, and scenic moments. A story in imagery from one full moon to the next!

New Art Stuffs on the Easel & in the Sketchbook

A typhoon of art inspirations taking over my little studio room. Pulled everything out to get a good look at this sea of art inventory. Painted a couple new abstract pieces; a thick impasto-like abstract Guam sunset in blues and golds (16″x20″), and an abstract purplish flower piece (24″x36″). All acrylic paint. Also, I sketched …

A happy update on a painting that has travelled thousands of miles!

I love getting messages like these! An update on the very first big taotaomo’na tree piece that I did: “It’s found its permanent resting place in Kingston, WA. It made it from Guam to Virginia for a couple years and is now in WA. Still our favorite painting!” -Andrea

Native Flowers of Guam 2-piece Painting Project

I just finished a 2-piece painting project of a couple flowers that are native (or indigenous) to Guam and the Northern Marianas. The two featured are “niyoron” and “ifit,” in my artistic representation for a commissioned project. Here I show the painting process from start to finish:

Latest Creation: Moonlit Guam Jungle Tree & River

This Saturday was the September Creative Session at Guma’ Tasa, and while we only had a couple people, it was an opportunity to really focus in on what I was creating. I wanted to create some kind of enchanted forest artwork, but with a Guam jungle setting instead.

The Joys of Starting a Small Purposeful Business on Guam (step-by-step from an artist’s view)

Photo by David Zimms. Starting your own business is an intense undertaking. This post has been building in my mind for quite some time. There are many amazing points to sustaining your own solo-entrepreneur style business on Guam. However, there are also many challenges to getting yourself set up smoothly. It can be tricky if you are, for …

Why I am not offended by the offer of “exposure” in exchange for my work

You know what I’m talking about. Creative artists of all kinds get asked to donate their work or talent for a fundraiser, charity event, or whatever other production, in exchange for “exposure.” Some feel offended when asked to “give our talent for free.” I don’t. Here’s why. I’m specifically referring to the unpaid opportunities that come up …

New Little Creations: Amethyst Latte Stone & Shooting Star

The other day I really needed to just sit and paint something. I chose these two small canvases (6″x8″), because I had an idea that I wanted to do pretty quickly, rather than a large piece. The first piece I did was a dark, “Amethyst Latte Stone” piece, with a sort of crystal and grunge …

Artist Date: Transforming Infinity Goddess Sketch into Painting (video)

Friday night, I took myself on an artist date, not knowing what I’d create. Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, is known for encouraging “artist dates,” where you make time away from your usual work just to enjoy yourself, by yourself. It is a really rewarding experience, and I really cherish time for solitude. …

Free Art Lesson: Latte Stone Acrylic Painting Demo by Michelle Pier

“IlluminLatte” is an abstract latte stone painting I did recently. I recorded the process from start to finish, sharing and explaining my painting style. This piece is an acrylic painting done on stretched canvas, and all the paint is Chroma brand metallic acrylics. This is a full length video, just over 20 minutes. Below is …

Quiet Creative Session of Hearts, Abstract Birds, Color, & Fairy Wings

This weekend we had a very quiet Creative Session, but no shortage of creativity! Lots of imagination, hearts, color, wings, feathers, abstract shapes, fairy wings, and coffee, of course! I didn’t get as many photos as I hoped to, but here are the few I captured:  

Skyscapes, Seascapes, Winescapes, Chill Sessions, Studio Shots & Surfboards

Just as the title states: Skyscapes, Seascapes, Winescapes, Chill Sessions, Studio Shots & Surfboards are what you’ll find in this photo-journal blog post! Enjoy and cheers.

Creative Session: The Healing Power of Art

Hafa adai! This weekend I had the special honor of leading a Creative Session focusing on the healing power of art. Art has a natural way of being healing, simply through the act of creating. The creative process is something that happens in everyday life… You have an idea, or see something inspiring. You have …