What a *lovely* visit Denise -- & in case you weren't aware of it, the spending time with you as a person is as (if not more) important as/than the art-making -- you are a one-of-a-kind shining light ❤🧡💛💚💙💜
I rarely comment on videos but I watch your videos and really enjoy them…this video was a joy to watch and very enlightening. It’s nice to see an artist staying true to their beliefs and honestly promoting products because they truly enjoy them..your honesty speaks volumes and is appreciated plus your art is inspiring. Thank you.
WOWZER - What a fabulous studio tour! This was so informative and packed with ideas and details that you just willingly shared without reservation, which is so not the norm of people these days. Toward the end you used the word "trust"....and it gave pause for me to reflect on just why I absolutely love watching you create and learning from you. You are a "diamond in a world of rough". It seriously would be impossible for anyone to watch one of your videos, take one of your Skillshare classes, or buy any of your website classes without them falling in love with who you are as a person and a creative. You have such a beautiful warmth about you, that absolutely makes people trust you and want to try everything you share. Yes, I've dropped a few hundred dollars learning from you and EVERY single penny has been worth it. Your enthusiasm has brought so much joy into my creative world at a time when I was desperate for joy. Now....I'm loving that Sony camera (because I'm a camera girl and first found you through your photography) - I just moved my art space out of my office space and into a small guest bedroom, and I've been staring at the space for a month trying to decide the best way to organize it. You have given me a ton of ideas in this video! Denise, thank you for sharing yourself and your talent with the world. We are all much better because of people like you. Your smile, sparkling blue eyes, and pure joy are so contagious - I feel like I just got a shot of "happy". 😍 Have such a lovely day!
You're the best. You are one of my favorite people on social media. I love that you will comment and chat back about things. Hopefully some of these ideas will be perfect for your space. That bedroom I work in isn't very large either. might be a 10x10 or slightly larger space. I'm always wishing it were bigger... especially with the photography.. I feel that the art fits better in that room and I don't need nearly as much space as I was wishing I had for the photo stuff. So maybe I'll be happy with my changes for a while.. especially since the housing market is so crazy now... I'm not going anywhere.. haha! Thank you for hanging out with me today!! Thank you! 🥰
Love, love, love!! ❤ It’s great to see the beautiful face and smile behind the creative hands and sweet voice in the videos! Your studio is a true reflection of your soul, eclectic, colorful, bright and organized. Thanks for sharing with us your happy place! 🥰✨🌹♥️
So glad you enjoyed it! I had to film while it was still tidy.. it gets quite messy in between classes... and then I have to stop and clean it up.. I don't seem to thrive in the mess and I lose focus.. HA! Thank you! 🥰
Ahh, the not so glamorous part of creativity… 😅 I used to teach sugar paste figure modeling, so I totally understand the mess being part of the process. Just embrace it with grace 😂
Have I told you.... I love you! You are an amazing woman! Humble and straight forward. That is hard to find. No matter how many times I have people tell me I should sell my work, I've never felt comfortable 'selling' my art (not only am I overcritical of my work, but it takes the joy out of it AND putting prices is stressful!) By the same token, I love art and would love to make money from it other ways than selling. I wouldn't know where to start... nor do we have the cashflow to make any of it happen. So I live vicariously through people like YOU! So... THANK YOU!😁🥰
You could start with youtube videos and posting supplies below the video as a side income. Affiliate sales are a fantastic way to make youtube work a little better for you... then as you build up your audience and extra money - you can then expand into other years. I did 1 thing to start with and then every year added something else. So it grew every year - takes the pressure off having to do too much so early on and it being overwhelming. So glad this was helpful!! Thank you! 🥰
"Making art pay" vs. just plain making art: all your points apply equally to writing. One in a million novelists can make living, and maybe one in a billion poets does! Paint, write, act, dance, create for the beauty of it and the thrill, and the adventure of it. That's my philosophy, anyway.
Exactly! Only one in a billion will pull ahead... the rest of us just have to figure out how to keep going and love what we do. Workshops and videos is how I made that work for me. No pressure to make 1 type of art or find a specific style you can be known for. I love the journey and that I can make a living sharing that joy. 😊
Thank you for the tour and for being so real with us! It is SO refreshing to know that any product recommendations you make are because you love the products, not because you were paid to mention them. And hey, who needs a 2 foot pancake light when we have the warm, bright light that is Denise Love? 🥰
Thanks for explaining so much. I think some get distorted ideas about TH-camrs making a million bucks and then their expectations of the content providers get whacky. Really appreciate this channel and your integrity.
I'm sure there are some really big TH-camrs out there making some good money... the normal TH-camr doesn't really make that much on the partner program... It is more of a passion project for the rest of us... and I'm just not willing to try to be Mr. Beast to get there 😂... Thank you! 🥰
Thanks for keeping it real, Denise. The mid-video commercials can be such a drag. I loved hearing your reasons for doing things the way you are. Thanks for sharing your joy.
Right? I zoom through the sponsored part in every video… I finally had to upgrade my TH-cam to be Ad free after I got a 10 minute Ad in the middle of a video. It is getting ridiculous! So glad you enjoyed the tour and chat! Thank you! 🤗🤗🤗
Thanks so much for your studio tour and your thoughts 😊 Thank you even more for all your wonderful tips and beautiful art and videos. Your focus is so special in that you do what you do for the love of it. You are special 😊
Denise, thank you for sharing your updated studio tour! How fabulous! I'm still working on my space so it gives me hope. I've been with you since the start and have many 2LO textures, photo workshops and even encaustics! Now you've introduced me to watercolor and mixed media. Thank you for all that you do! PS: I've been a Sony fan-girl for almost 20 yrs and love the new skin smoothing feature.😊
I really like the Sony camera, now I'm thinking I'd love the Sony A series cameras that I see a lot of people using... and the focus!! I was getting so frustrated with the focus on my talking head videos.. and Sony has really nailed that! So glad you hung out with me today... and over all the years now!! Thank you! 🥰🤗📸🎨
We all love Denise Love 💗 Thank you beautiful lady for yet another wonderful vid and to take another sneak peak into your studio where all the magic happens. I love watching art studio tours and find it interesting and therapeutic as to how the space is used. This was so interesting and admire your hard work, dedication to your practice and greatly appreciate you sharing it on this platform. You are a natural and appreciate your candor. You are a beautiful soul, inside and out and that shows in your equally beautiful art and contagious laughter 🙏🏻💗🙏🏻😘
Thank you Denise, your behind the scenes peek at your studio was fascinating! I also really appreciate your unique perspective on selling your art vs. teaching it. I’ve only been doing watercolour art for four years, but within two I started sharing what I knew and it gives me great joy to help others get started. I used to do a business that I did lots of videos in, and it’s something I get asked about, so you sharing your setup is wonderful. Thank you again! ❤
My philosophy from early in my business... and only my mom buying my art... has been that people don't buy much art... but they buy tons of art supplies and how-to's... to that has definitely shaped my business and my goals over the years! So glad you hung out with me today and it was helpful! Thank you! 🥰
It's lovely to see how your studio has changed and all the reorganisations. I'm glad you reminded me about the skillshare tutorials you have. I hope to take some at some point. I'm so appreciative of your decision to learn, teach and share your knowledge. You produce such beautiful, fun pieces. Thank you Denise 💚🌟
Thank you so much for this video. I appreciate your wisdom when it comes to selling art. It is such an automatic thing to say when you see someone doing great art that they should sell it. I can see how it is a whole to-do to be successful at that. Love this video. Thank you for sharing your studio!
Hi Denise! I agree with you wholeheartedly about selling your art. I started doing art during the COVID epidemic in 2020 while I was stuck at home. I went through the phase of thinking I could eventually start selling my art. I laugh at that now. What I really enjoy is making things and gifting it to people. I love the smile it brings to people’s faces. It takes the pressure off to produce something that someone will buy and as a result, I end up being more creative. And, I get to try things which is what I really like to do. Like you, I am drawn to the shiny new thing and if I give away my art, I can make room to make more and not feel guilty about my obsession with trying the new products or purchasing an occasional art haul. Plus, I hate to specialize. I am a true mixed media artist dabbling in paints, textiles, collage, whatever. I do it for me, not for everyone else.
Selling art is such hard work… dabbling is more fun… it is fantastic when you can figure out how to turn that aspect into something that can also make you a living! So glad you hung out with me today!! Thank you! 🥰
Dear Denise, I completely agree with your way of thinking, and your visit was very interresting. Thank you. I only watch your videos since 6 months ago. I lost my friend (cancer) in July and drawing was the only solution to help me... Today, I am waiting your videos impatiently, perhaps because you have a so shining personality and joyful, that give a shining light during alllll my week !😊 Thank you very much and sorry for my english, (I am French !) but....art has no borders !😍 I love too Klimt, it's one of my favorite artist ! I wish you all the best ! Have a nice day See you soon, ... by video 🥰
Your honesty and integrity are noteworthy! I love your work and have been inspired to create my own mixed media abstracts. They are so much fun to do! I, too, don’t wish to sell. I have my work in my home and give to family/friends if they want something but it’s all about the journey for me. So happy to have you as a reference guide for materials and techniques!
I am a big fan and love your videos. I have recently moved into my first brand new home and I am 62. I have dedicated 2 bedrooms to crafts. I am a 20+ year bead weaver jewelry maker and have recently gotten back into drawing and watercolors and loving it. Your videos are my kind of art with the abstract theme and I also like to draw characters and scenes. You are so fun and pleasant to listen to. My full time job is criminal records research so when I log off from my job it is nice to escape into the world of art. Thanks for making me smile.
2 craft rooms is awesome!! I’m so excited for you. I went through a few years of jewelry making… still have my supplies… I dabble in it sometimes now. I’m so glad you enjoy my channel! That really made my day. Thank you! 🥰🤗🎨
Denise...If anything, after viewing this studio tour, I am even more in awe - and appreciative - of the love you have for art. It resonates in everything you said and I am certain your honesty impressed not only myself, but many others. Thank you!
I absolutely loved your tour and your generous sharing of your experience in your business and your outlook. I am retired, so while I am not interested in a second career, I can appreciate what it takes to generate your videos and share them with the world. In my world, as a beginner artist, I so enjoy what you have to share and you have helped me personally develop as an artist. The only negative outcome out of watching your videos, is my constant need to add supplies to my arsenal after watching. I think its just like my quilting, shopping for supplies is as much fun as using them! 🙂. You are so appreciated!
Shopping for supplies IS half the fun for me too… I loved prop shopping too with the photography… I get so inspired with something new! So glad you enjoyed the tour and hung out with me today!! Thank you! 🥰
This video was such a treat! I particularly loved seeing your framed photography and the antique piece that sits on your dresser is a treasure! We already knew that you are wonderfully creative and joyfully spirited, but you are also so well spoken and comfortable in front of the camera. I taught myself how to paint (watercolor to start, now mixed media) by watching YT tutorials and Skillshare classes, so I've easily followed two hundred artists over a five-year period. Denise, you are a unicorn! In my humble opinion, there's only one other artist, a YTer (Steve Mitchell, aka The Mind of Watercolor), that brings such talent and delightful qualities to the painting corner of the art world as you do!! You've obviously found your happy place here and how fortunate are we that you have. I wish you all the joy and happiness in the world. 💚💙
I so agree about selling art. My daughter says to her friends that they can’t buy my art but if they like it, I will probably give it to them. And she’s right. Some I won’t give up. Your studio is really well organized and attractive. Nice video.
Hi Denise! Your studio looks like a very special reflection of your videos…the books, the supplies, good for you! I am now full timing in my RV and had to leave a ton of stuff in storage in a room in my now rented house. I do sell, but only in a retirement community where I practically give it away. Funny thing is that I only have art to sell because I make videos! lol Thanks for your example. ❤️❤️
There is so much that you say in this video that is important - especially about earning money with your art, or your TH-cam channel. In the long run it is SO much more important to be engaged with what you love than selling your soul for a few bucks! As you say, a lot of these so-called "deals" are great deals for whoever wants to sell THEIR stuff to your subscribers, but just a lot of work for you. Your enthusiasm for art products (or even your filming set up products) is so genuine - and you also say what you don't really love, so you come across as genuine. In this day of "fake" everything, THAT is money in the bank! You have built credibility, you produce amazing art, and I appreciate that you made this particular video. One thing that one artist I know of does is offer paintings she has made in a video for sale. I think so many of your watercolour paintings are just lovely, they would likely be relatively easy to mail in an envelope, and you would only have to sell the originals, not get into prints or anything. I'm a relatively new artist, and I started selling my paintings sort of by accident. I posted them to show them to friends on Facebook, and one couple asked if they were for sale. This was in early Covid - they came to visit and bought 10 paintings! What a surprise for somebody who was just painting for the absolute fascination and joy of it! It helped cover some of the costs of my art supplies (boy, do THEY ever add up! LOL!) and it has been gratifying and an acknowledgement that I can do some work that other people like. Keep up the great work, Denise! We love you!
Really appreciate your integrity, Denise, in the way you conduct your business. I always knew this was the case. It is one of the reasons I am such a dedicated fan. I know I can trust your assessments of various products. Keep up the good work, Girl, and I wish you much happiness and success!
Denise, you are my hero lol. Really thank you for staying so honest and informative . Every video of yours that I watch I always think why doesn’t she have a million followers , you are so great. I only watch you tube I stopped watching TV about 4 years ago . I follow everything from Art, Antiques, Chateau’s, sheep farming, homesteading so a wide variety of topics and your love of art, shows in every video. I have heard a lot of the people I watch talk about the shorts and how their following has increased so much, but how they feel like they aren’t really the true followers but it has helped them with revenue. At any rate thank you so much for this video and for all you do. I wish you continued success . 😊
I follow a wide range of channels on TH-cam too. People are so creative on here. I go back and forth on my view of shorts… the short video watcher isn’t necessarily the same audience as the long form audience, and I’m not sure the short attention is who I want to target… so I post some shorts - but just when I have extra time of a great idea 😁. So glad you hung out with me today! Thank you! 🥰
What an interesting video - thank you for sharing your experience as a TH-camr and the peek into how you’ve made a business from what you love. I want to offer some positive reinforcement and say that I really appreciate that you don’t do a lot of sponsored videos and save your partnerships for the things you really enjoy. So often it’s hard to tell whether we (the TH-cam audience) are getting good advice, or just being sold something that may never be seen again. I trust that you are using the products you share, so thank you. 🙏
I’m so glad you appreciate that I don’t do very many sponsorships! I know that is leaving money on the table so to speak… I personally just think those are commercials when I see them… I just fast forward through them 😂.. I’d rather people love something I show them than just try to make a buck on cheap stuff. Thank you!! 🥰🥰🥰
Denise! I absolutely loved this video woman! Always such beautiful work from you (in any form!) and you are just joy. I have toyed with starting youtube with my art and your words resonate with my take on it as well. I always let my tech side (web dev) take over and talk me out of starting here. But I love teaching and the vibe is so different here than on IG. You are so inspirational! Very best to you Denise!
What a truly refreshing video. Thank you for your transparency, honesty & heart felt demeanour. I love your art and your style. Your personality is infectious. You are the artist i have connective with the most. I love your no pressure playing. Fearless creation is so freeing. Thank you for continuing to share. 🎉🎉
Denise, I love your philosophy and transparency! You inspire me to keep going with therapeutic art. I still work as a language teacher, but in the future my goal is to go fully with art for self-care. I am already taking many of your tips to heart. I used to make art to sell. I worked so hard with very little return. I have totally reversed in the last 2 years to focus on the enjoyment and therapeutic applications of art. You are a shining star- thanks for being you!
I’m so glad you are figuring out how to get joy in the art! Selling art is super frustrating. That’s a labor of love! Glad you enjoyed the tour and chat. Thank you! 🤗🤗🤗
I really love seeing other people's set up. I always get good ideas. So I really enjoyed this video. You always bring such positivity and inspiration. You are like a ray of sunshine :)
I love your channel and watch often, and this studio tour was amazing! Thank you so much for all you share with us. Your explanation of why you don’t sell your art touched me deeply and made so much sense. It was also validating. I have no desire to work toward selling my art; I simply love learning, exploring, and creating. You’re terrific, Denise. Your beautiful energy and joy in creating draws me back again and again. 🙏🙏🙏
Love this studio tour, Denise! And I love how you share some of the business side of youtube/your art and giving us insights on those things. Thank you for sharing!❤
Wow! Thx for sharing you and your haven with all of us. I can't tell you how excited I was to see this, great Saturday so far. I always thought you had nice hands, I love hands,but you are a pretty woman too. Lady god has blessed you thru and thru. You are very up lifting and isperational. Thankyou, thankyou!
The studio looks amazing. Love the big dresser. You shared some wise words. I think many of us do not understand how TH-cam work with all of their rules. Thank you for invite us to your studio and work.
I loved this. It was fantastic, especially the way you did it just for ME. That's how it felt. I love the way you talk to us. You're so very real. Thank you.
What a fab video Denise! You give off a lovely genuine and happy vibe and your refusal to sell out the absolute joy you obviously fell when making your art is a breath of fresh air in these days where everyone seems to want to make money first and foremost. PS: I would like to live in your spare room 😂
So glad you enjoyed this and hung out with me today!! If the room were big enough… wouldn’t it be cool if a day bed were there too? I might not leave 😂 Thank you! 🥰
Thanks so much for the tour and the talk. The main reason I make art is because I crave doing it, it’s satisfying and I do it for me. Selling is not my main focus, so thanks for the talk. Keep on doing what you do.
I truly enjoyed this "tour" of your art room. I have watched so many of your videos and enjoyed them so much. I remember you and "Two Little Owls" from some years ago when I was really into photography and Photoshop. So delighted our paths crossed again. You are very talented, and it's just so fun to watch your videos. You have such enthusiasm and your personality just shines through. I love that you are so willing to share your ideas with us! Keep on keeping on!!! 💕 Oh, I almost forgot - I bought the conical dip pen from St. Louis Art Supply and I also bought the Kuretake gold paint and paste. Yippee! best gold I've found. Thank you, Denise.
I love finding so many photographers interested in art too!! I’m glad you are hanging out in my studio with me! So glad you enjoyed the tour!! 😁. And I agree… that is the best gold!! 💛 Thank you! 🥰
Another great video! I enjoy seeing your studio and the new bookcases look amazing! I have been a Skillshare member for four years now and I think it is an amazing platform and I tell everyone about it. I love your excitement and joy over creating. I create for my mental and physical health and because it is fun to play with all of our art products!
Love the studio video! I remember when we were talking and you were doing those new shelves for the books, it's so cool to see how it turned out. They look amazing and I love the ledge shelf! You hit the nail on the head about selling the art too -- definitely a full time job and unfortunately not one that pays the bills, at least not consistently. And as you know, I learned the hard way recently about the inconsistency with prints from the POD companies...which is why I'm now doing my own prints, which is yet another job in itself! Good thing I love what I do, LOL!
I love how good that wall turned out! Who knew I had THAT many books! Hard to tell when they are spread all over the house! 😂😂😂… it is definitely a labor of love to sell art. One which you excel at… and still find frustrating! 🤗🤗🤗Thank you! 🥰
I’m not sure I can add much more than what has already been written in the comments. I agree with everyone of them. I am not an artist, I am a longtime card maker who happened upon your channel when it popped up almost a year ago and I’m so happy that I clicked on that thumbnail. I have been a fan ever since and you have opened up my creativity tremendously. My greatest joy is to be in my space and just play. I also appreciate that you opened up your home/studio to us. It is a lovely, calm place. The YT info. was interesting…I had no idea how it worked. You are definitely a shining light…your beauty shows from within as well as on the outside. I am currently taking a year-long online art journaling class that I signed up for before you gave a little blurb about SkillShare in January, I think it was. I look forward to taking one of your classes next year…my brain won’t let me do too many classes at one time. Keep doing what you do, Denise. 🥰
Card making is art too!! And so many of the things I do are perfect for what you love to do. I usually take a good in-depth class every year too.. usually in business... but I definitely know what you mean about only having room for just a few in-depth things at a time! I'm taking a break this year from a huge class. TH-cam has taken up all that time for me... Haha! Thank you for hanging out with me today!! 🥰
I agree about selling art. I had a studio space in a gallery for years. I tried to paint what I thought people would buy. Now I have a cute in home studio and paint what I want and when I want. My paintings have improved leaps and bounds without the pressure.
I just recently found your channel and am trying to pace myself on consuming all your content😂 Your presentation style is so enjoyable and relatable, your giggles and excitement when a happy surprise happens or works out better than expected is the best! I also detect an accent and expressions peppered in here and there that make me suspect we could be neighbors ☺️🙃 What a delightful tour …enjoyed the peek behind the curtain!👏🏻🥰
Yep it’s exactly as you say. You work 24/7 and for me the packing and mailing is the hardest part. I paint, make jewelry, and embellish wood signs. The wood signs are the hardest to pack and ship and if I am setting up a booth , sometimes hauling those signs back and forth is a killer. So I’m phasing out the sign business and going to devote myself more to my paintings and jewelry.
Denise, what can I say except WOW!! What a wonderful tour, behind the scenes, beautiful, honest chat with you about your creative journey and the FAQs. I really enjoyed your entire presentation so, so much. Thanks for sharing so much of your personal story and can't wait until your next release. Good for you that you used specific platforms that made good business sense!
Thank you Denise. You are just so generous in what you share with us. I am new to art making using paint and I’m so enjoying the journey. I watch your videos and always feel inspired by your enthusiasm. I really appreciate it all. I am not going to sell what I’m doing as really I’m doing it for me. Its my time out and my play. So thank you
Hello Denise, I have to tell you that you were the one person that got me addicted to abstract and mixed media art so thank you for opening up a wonderful happy place for me. You are also the reason that I am permanently broke lol. I never knew there was so many diverse and beautiful art supplies out there and now I want them all. ( is there an art supply rehab out there) It is nice to see how other artists arrange their work space and you have really made the most of the space you have. Thank you for your videos, I look forward to watching them so keep them coming.
You are so very kind to share your space and your heart about your career. I enjoy watching your you tube videos and appreciate your honesty about your career choices. I wish you success always! God Bless you!
Thank you Denise! I'm again surprised at the size of your workspace I always feel like I need more room and find it just gives me a bigger messy area 😂. Thank you for showing me I just need to be organized! I so enjoy your art creation and exploration! You are a lovely lady-and truly beautiful behind your glasses! My granddaughter and I await your next video!
I always feel like I need more space too! With the photography stuff - I really did need more space and I just suffered through never having enough… with the art stuff I’m finally happy with the space… which is good with the way real estate has gotten outrageous… so I’ll be staying put! So glad you enjoyed the tour and hanging out with me!! Thank you! 🥰
So great to see your space. I held back a gasp when I realized your antique table is not there any longer. I confess I had table envy when I took your still life class. 😊 Loved the bookcases and how you have everything so convenient to grab as you need the stuff. Your happiness in your art space is evident! Also, wanted to share that I nodded my head when you talked about this new camera having a smooth feature. I use Snapseed to edit most of my pics and when I edit a selfie…I click on Smooth…that’s my go to! 😂.
Haha! I love that smooth feature 😂… I still have the beautiful wood table… the legs fold up on it - so it is folded up and in the closet! So it could still come back out if I miss it 😁… so glad you hung out with me today! Thank you! 🥰
Thank you for your marvelous insights Denise. As someone who has tried art selling, I can 100% agree with what you are saying. Since I started watching and listening to you I have changed how I think about my approach, and now I do it for the “play”. I don’t always come up with something great, but that’s okay, because playing is learning. Thank you again for your freeing and refreshing perspectives.
What a wonderful attitude you have Denise, you are so sweet to be sharing your Life's work and passions. All the wonderful ways you organized your studio, but the best thing is how enthusiastic you are. Thank you for sharing yourself with all of us out here in the Art world. May you continue to enjoy everything you put your mind to and have fun along the way.🤗💖
That was an awesome video. Did you know that we are besties? 🤣You are my kind of people - charming, funny, artsy, gorgeous! So, when you free for coffee? 🤣🤣🤣Truly though, your studio is lovely! It's nice getting a glimpse of more than just your art and your hands! You've been one of my faves since I first found you a while ago.
informative, fun, & oddly enough, permission to not do certain things freeing. been in a less arty season for a couple of months ... overwhelm sometimes needs time to let things settle or dissolve as interests shift or other needs require focus... flowing with the passion is my driver . following intuitive impulses consistently has taken three years to trust in every area, especially s a people pleaser ii discovered 98% of what ii used to do was most often to be accepted, to fit in, to earn money, to be part of others' interests. ii learned a lot!! about many things, but it'd need to be multiple personalities to execute & suddenly ii realized ii didn't know what ii liked or needed for myself. getting excited about 4 things sometimes feels overwhelming as expansion in each requires reflection, editing, practice, tools,etc. so not selling things ii make vs giving random acts of artness made my heart sing, and not getting entangled with others' restrictions maintains joyful creativity. ty for all you share, create, demo & express.
It is hard to stop creating for others and approval, and shift to creating for yourself and going where that creativity leads you. I used to do that too, and now I like having the freedom to go where I want to go with my creativity and not have all the restrictions we put on ourselves. So glad you enjoyed this!! Thank you! 🥰
I love your videos and love your style! I paint because it “feeds me”…it was never a thing about selling…if someone likes something they are welcome to it…painting is also something I share with some people in my life who I love very much so it is a big bonus for me. Thank you for all you do and keep rocking on!!
After I watched the video where you first mentioned the music sleeves I went onto Amazon to check them out and I found some “Presentation Books” that have soft vinyl covers so they don’t take up much room. They are the same as music sleeves and they come in various sleeve sizes and a varied number of pages. With a piece of coloured paper in the middle and a stencil on each side you can store up to a hundred stencils in each book and flip thru the book and see each stencil individually. I’m waiting for them to arrive and I will sort them by categories and then number each stencil and the sleeve it goes into. Eventually I will learn exactly where each one goes and will save them getting mixed up or bent. Anything that saves time and clutter is a win for me.
Denise, you always make my day brighter, the encouragement to just ENJOY the process of making and in taking DELIGHT in my own artwork is so refreshing! I love your thought on NOT focusing on selling art - being in business (any kind of business - and I’ve owned several successful & not so successful ones) is REALLY HARD WORK especially those parts of business you either have no to little experience or even interest in learning or doing. Watching your Skillshare classes and YT classes actually helped get me through the grief and depression following my son’s sudden death in 2020 and for that I will be forever grateful - you truly have been a blessing in my life, thank you for sharing your art and yourself. My only question is: when using the window setup to take photos do you turn on other lighting sources in the room or just use the natural light? I would love to take better photos to share on SM or to friends/family.
So very sorry for the loss of your son. No parent should ever lose a child. I took a deep dive into photography when my mom passed away - that truly helped me get through that grief. I get it. I'm so glad you enjoyed this! Thank you! 🥰 I turn all the lights out and just use that light coming in the window. I am usually in that room during the day - so I rarely turn on the over head light anyway it is so bright in there.
Fabulous video Denise. I’m a hobbyist but curious about the ins and outs of the artist’s world. Nobody else is so forthcoming about their business. You are so genuine. I’m a fan. Thank you. Diane
I'm always curious about how others do their art world and business, I'm super nosey... so I figure others might like seeing how I've figured out things too. I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you! 🥰
Loved seeing your studio, but mostly loved seeing your sweet, kind face. I love your videos and have learned a lot. I create art now more for the joy of it than for the end product because of you. Thank you for all you do to share your art and enthusiasm with us.❤️
Denise Love, thank you 💗 This video hit some tender spots for me and I needed to hear your reasons for not selling art. I have had mental turmoil over it for ALL the reasons you mentioned. BTW, I found you through Skillshare. I love your authenticity and creative curiosity. Art for me is a journey of process and exploration and making mistakes and happy accidents! I don’t want to let my “children” go, either. They make me happy when I look at them and see my own progress. You gave me hope in this video to be my authentic art self on my comeback journey - I abandoned my art self in 2005 and found her again in 2019. It has been a baby-step path to finding joy and healing in my heart again. Thank you 🤗
I’m so glad you are on a creative come back! Selling art is hard work and isn’t for everyone! I’m just glad there are so many other things I can do in art that will make me a living that doesn’t require me selling the actual work. I like to buy art supplies and experiment… so I made up a job that let me do that 😂! So glad you hung out with me today! Thank you! 🥰
Love your studio. Lots of natural light which is always good. I have never been big on selling my art. I am lucky to have a gallery/shop in our little town that showcases the work of local artists and charges a very low commission. It is also not a snobby gallery and will carry anything creative by a local artist. I only sell spare stuff I don't want to keep myself. Otherwise it is just for me to grow, have fun, or gifts for fiends and family. Lovely to see you in front of the camera. I am enjoying your videos and your art and I have come across you on Skillshare. xoxoxo
Thats cool that you have a little gallery near you that lets you add some stuff to!! I think there are a few around here that are like that - but I stay so busy - I just don't want to add setting up a booth and getting things prepped for the booth, then maintaining it... that takes a bit of time to do all that. So glad you enjoyed the tour!! Thank you! 🥰
@@2lilowlsstudio Our gallery is manned (womanned mostly haha) by volunteers who pay much less commission so I don't have to do anything. I just drop off my work and they do the rest. Although of course I do have to to do the work of making pieces ready to hang etc but I only ever have a few pieces so not a lot of time. Once a year there is an exhibition and same goes. If I spend time on the desk during the exhibition I pay less commission but it is not compulsory. It is a wonderful resource in our little town.
Thank you for sharing!! You are so sweet and I really enjoy your videos and your classes on Skillshare. I always appreciate when artists share so generously 😊
You’ve got an awesome studio Denise … it really is how I’d imagine your studio. Selfishly I’m glad you don’t sell your art because it means more superb videos. Thank you for the video it’s been really informative.
So envious of your workspace. Just love it. I have a bedroom dedicated to my art and photography but don't have the supplies like you do but then I don't do half as much work as you do either. 🤗 Thank you for sharing - really interesting.
This is a fabulous video! Thank you so much for sharing. Not only was it fun to see you and your space, your honesty about your art was refreshing! Great job!
You are so much fun to watch. Your excitement is absolutely infectious! I loved seeing your new craft room arrangement. I love seeing other people’s craft rooms. I discovered your channel recently and was immediately drawn to your warm personality and the familiar southern accent (I’m in Birmingham). Have a great weekend!
I lived in Birmingham for 5 years when I was younger and worked as a manager for Home Depot. I had a 1925 bungalow over in Crestwood. I loved that house and sitting on the porch! So glad you enjoyed the tour. Thank you! 🥰
It’s so great to see you! You are always so fun to hang out with. I so appreciate you sharing your artistic talents and I really appreciate your honesty. As someone who turned her hobby and passion into a business and worked like a dog for years and lost her love for that hobby, I applaud you for being open and sharing the reality of what you do and why you focus on the areas you focus on for your revenue. It looks so easy from the outside, but it’s really hard work! And it’s important for people to be clear on what they are striving for and what they are willing to do to accomplish their goals because it’s easy to try to do all the things and do none really well, no matter how hard you work. Kudos to you for knowing what you want to focus on and for sticking to it - love ya! Steph
I totally agree with you… I have lost my love of some hobbies after working like a dog too! I’m so glad to be at a place in life now that I can make these choices for myself. So glad you hung out with me today! Thank you! 🥰
Haha, you are such a sweetheart, Sony needs you :) lol, too funny, when I show this to my hubby he is going to laugh and say 'gotta have' the funny being we have been straight up Canon for 25 years! Cheers lovely Denise Love for making my day and so inspiring!! You are an absolute treasure.🍑
I also shoot canon on my big cameras! I just don’t use those for filming. They are just bigger and bulkier… a little older models… so they don’t have the robust filming capabilities. After this focus issue I had and trying out the Sony… I kinda want one of those really nice mirrorless Sony cameras now! So glad you enjoyed this! Thank you! 🥰
What a fun peek behind the curtain! Thank you! Also very cool to learn more about what you do and how you feel about different options presented to you.
So glad to have you! I love Diane’s channel! I have those lovely kuretake granulating paints in an art haul this Friday and talk about her dragonfly video! Thank you! 🥰
I absolutely loved this video!!!! Your love of your space and what you do just shines through so beautifully. I smiled with a very big smile all the way through the video! Thank you for sharing yourself with us. :)
Thanks!
Eeeek! You’ve really made my day! Thank you! 🥰
What a *lovely* visit Denise -- & in case you weren't aware of it, the spending time with you as a person is as (if not more) important as/than the art-making -- you are a one-of-a-kind shining light ❤🧡💛💚💙💜
You are so kind!! Thank you! 🥰
I rarely comment on videos but I watch your videos and really enjoy them…this video was a joy to watch and very enlightening. It’s nice to see an artist staying true to their beliefs and honestly promoting products because they truly enjoy them..your honesty speaks volumes and is appreciated plus your art is inspiring. Thank you.
So glad you enjoyed this and hung out with me today!! Thank you! 🥰
In appreciation for your hard work, fun personality, and genuine love for sharing art.
Eeeek! You’re the best. You’ve really made my day! I’m so glad you enjoyed this and hung out with me today!! Thank you! 🥰🤗🎨
Thanks for sharing my morning coffee time with me! I had a great time! We really appreciate your integrity and your joyful spirit!
I'm so glad!! Thank you! 🥰
WOWZER - What a fabulous studio tour! This was so informative and packed with ideas and details that you just willingly shared without reservation, which is so not the norm of people these days. Toward the end you used the word "trust"....and it gave pause for me to reflect on just why I absolutely love watching you create and learning from you. You are a "diamond in a world of rough". It seriously would be impossible for anyone to watch one of your videos, take one of your Skillshare classes, or buy any of your website classes without them falling in love with who you are as a person and a creative. You have such a beautiful warmth about you, that absolutely makes people trust you and want to try everything you share. Yes, I've dropped a few hundred dollars learning from you and EVERY single penny has been worth it. Your enthusiasm has brought so much joy into my creative world at a time when I was desperate for joy. Now....I'm loving that Sony camera (because I'm a camera girl and first found you through your photography) - I just moved my art space out of my office space and into a small guest bedroom, and I've been staring at the space for a month trying to decide the best way to organize it. You have given me a ton of ideas in this video! Denise, thank you for sharing yourself and your talent with the world. We are all much better because of people like you. Your smile, sparkling blue eyes, and pure joy are so contagious - I feel like I just got a shot of "happy". 😍 Have such a lovely day!
You're the best. You are one of my favorite people on social media. I love that you will comment and chat back about things. Hopefully some of these ideas will be perfect for your space. That bedroom I work in isn't very large either. might be a 10x10 or slightly larger space. I'm always wishing it were bigger... especially with the photography.. I feel that the art fits better in that room and I don't need nearly as much space as I was wishing I had for the photo stuff. So maybe I'll be happy with my changes for a while.. especially since the housing market is so crazy now... I'm not going anywhere.. haha! Thank you for hanging out with me today!! Thank you! 🥰
@@2lilowlsstudio 🥰🥰
Love, love, love!! ❤ It’s great to see the beautiful face and smile behind the creative hands and sweet voice in the videos! Your studio is a true reflection of your soul, eclectic, colorful, bright and organized. Thanks for sharing with us your happy place! 🥰✨🌹♥️
So glad you enjoyed it! I had to film while it was still tidy.. it gets quite messy in between classes... and then I have to stop and clean it up.. I don't seem to thrive in the mess and I lose focus.. HA! Thank you! 🥰
Ahh, the not so glamorous part of creativity… 😅 I used to teach sugar paste figure modeling, so I totally understand the mess being part of the process. Just embrace it with grace 😂
Denise, you are so delightful and valued by so many!
Thank you! 🥰
Have I told you.... I love you! You are an amazing woman! Humble and straight forward. That is hard to find. No matter how many times I have people tell me I should sell my work, I've never felt comfortable 'selling' my art (not only am I overcritical of my work, but it takes the joy out of it AND putting prices is stressful!) By the same token, I love art and would love to make money from it other ways than selling. I wouldn't know where to start... nor do we have the cashflow to make any of it happen. So I live vicariously through people like YOU! So... THANK YOU!😁🥰
You could start with youtube videos and posting supplies below the video as a side income. Affiliate sales are a fantastic way to make youtube work a little better for you... then as you build up your audience and extra money - you can then expand into other years. I did 1 thing to start with and then every year added something else. So it grew every year - takes the pressure off having to do too much so early on and it being overwhelming. So glad this was helpful!! Thank you! 🥰
"Making art pay" vs. just plain making art: all your points apply equally to writing. One in a million novelists can make living, and maybe one in a billion poets does! Paint, write, act, dance, create for the beauty of it and the thrill, and the adventure of it. That's my philosophy, anyway.
Exactly! Only one in a billion will pull ahead... the rest of us just have to figure out how to keep going and love what we do. Workshops and videos is how I made that work for me. No pressure to make 1 type of art or find a specific style you can be known for. I love the journey and that I can make a living sharing that joy. 😊
Thank you for the tour and for being so real with us! It is SO refreshing to know that any product recommendations you make are because you love the products, not because you were paid to mention them. And hey, who needs a 2 foot pancake light when we have the warm, bright light that is Denise Love? 🥰
That pancake light is crazy... 🤣... So glad you enjoyed the tour and hanging out with me!! Thank you! 🥰
Thanks for explaining so much. I think some get distorted ideas about TH-camrs making a million bucks and then their expectations of the content providers get whacky. Really appreciate this channel and your integrity.
I'm sure there are some really big TH-camrs out there making some good money... the normal TH-camr doesn't really make that much on the partner program... It is more of a passion project for the rest of us... and I'm just not willing to try to be Mr. Beast to get there 😂... Thank you! 🥰
Thanks for keeping it real, Denise. The mid-video commercials can be such a drag. I loved hearing your reasons for doing things the way you are. Thanks for sharing your joy.
Right? I zoom through the sponsored part in every video… I finally had to upgrade my TH-cam to be Ad free after I got a 10 minute Ad in the middle of a video. It is getting ridiculous! So glad you enjoyed the tour and chat! Thank you! 🤗🤗🤗
Thanks so much for your studio tour and your thoughts 😊 Thank you even more for all your wonderful tips and beautiful art and videos. Your focus is so special in that you do what you do for the love of it. You are special 😊
I’m so glad you enjoyed the tour and hung out with me today!! Thank you! 🥰
Denise, thank you for sharing your updated studio tour! How fabulous! I'm still working on my space so it gives me hope. I've been with you since the start and have many 2LO textures, photo workshops and even encaustics! Now you've introduced me to watercolor and mixed media. Thank you for all that you do! PS: I've been a Sony fan-girl for almost 20 yrs and love the new skin smoothing feature.😊
I really like the Sony camera, now I'm thinking I'd love the Sony A series cameras that I see a lot of people using... and the focus!! I was getting so frustrated with the focus on my talking head videos.. and Sony has really nailed that! So glad you hung out with me today... and over all the years now!! Thank you! 🥰🤗📸🎨
We all love Denise Love 💗 Thank you beautiful lady for yet another wonderful vid and to take another sneak peak into your studio where all the magic happens. I love watching art studio tours and find it interesting and therapeutic as to how the space is used.
This was so interesting and admire your hard work, dedication to your practice and greatly appreciate you sharing it on this platform.
You are a natural and appreciate your candor. You are a beautiful soul, inside and out and that shows in your equally beautiful art and contagious laughter 🙏🏻💗🙏🏻😘
I love watching studio tours too! So glad you enjoyed this and hung out with me today!! Thank you! 🥰
Thank you Denise, your behind the scenes peek at your studio was fascinating! I also really appreciate your unique perspective on selling your art vs. teaching it. I’ve only been doing watercolour art for four years, but within two I started sharing what I knew and it gives me great joy to help others get started. I used to do a business that I did lots of videos in, and it’s something I get asked about, so you sharing your setup is wonderful. Thank you again! ❤
My philosophy from early in my business... and only my mom buying my art... has been that people don't buy much art... but they buy tons of art supplies and how-to's... to that has definitely shaped my business and my goals over the years! So glad you hung out with me today and it was helpful! Thank you! 🥰
It's lovely to see how your studio has changed and all the reorganisations.
I'm glad you reminded me about the skillshare tutorials you have. I hope to take some at some point.
I'm so appreciative of your decision to learn, teach and share your knowledge. You produce such beautiful, fun pieces.
Thank you Denise 💚🌟
So glad you enjoyed this!! Thank you for hanging out with me today!! 🥰🤗🎨
Thank you so much for this video. I appreciate your wisdom when it comes to selling art. It is such an automatic thing to say when you see someone doing great art that they should sell it. I can see how it is a whole to-do to be successful at that. Love this video. Thank you for sharing your studio!
So glad you enjoyed it!! Thank you! 🥰
Hi Denise! I agree with you wholeheartedly about selling your art. I started doing art during the COVID epidemic in 2020 while I was stuck at home. I went through the phase of thinking I could eventually start selling my art. I laugh at that now. What I really enjoy is making things and gifting it to people. I love the smile it brings to people’s faces. It takes the pressure off to produce something that someone will buy and as a result, I end up being more creative. And, I get to try things which is what I really like to do. Like you, I am drawn to the shiny new thing and if I give away my art, I can make room to make more and not feel guilty about my obsession with trying the new products or purchasing an occasional art haul. Plus, I hate to specialize. I am a true mixed media artist dabbling in paints, textiles, collage, whatever. I do it for me, not for everyone else.
Selling art is such hard work… dabbling is more fun… it is fantastic when you can figure out how to turn that aspect into something that can also make you a living! So glad you hung out with me today!! Thank you! 🥰
Dear Denise,
I completely agree with your way of thinking, and your visit was very interresting. Thank you.
I only watch your videos since 6 months ago. I lost my friend (cancer) in July and drawing was the only solution to help me...
Today, I am waiting your videos impatiently, perhaps because you have a so shining personality and joyful, that give a shining light during alllll my week !😊
Thank you very much and sorry for my english, (I am French !) but....art has no borders !😍
I love too Klimt, it's one of my favorite artist !
I wish you all the best ! Have a nice day
See you soon, ... by video 🥰
So glad you enjoyed the tour and hung out with me today! Thank you! 🥰
❤🧡💜
Your honesty and integrity are noteworthy! I love your work and have been inspired to create my own mixed media abstracts. They are so much fun to do! I, too, don’t wish to sell. I have my work in my home and give to family/friends if they want something but it’s all about the journey for me. So happy to have you as a reference guide for materials and techniques!
I love that! The experimenting and the journey are the fun part! So glad you enjoyed this! Thank you! 🥰
I am a big fan and love your videos. I have recently moved into my first brand new home and I am 62. I have dedicated 2 bedrooms to crafts. I am a 20+ year bead weaver jewelry maker and have recently gotten back into drawing and watercolors and loving it. Your videos are my kind of art with the abstract theme and I also like to draw characters and scenes. You are so fun and pleasant to listen to. My full time job is criminal records research so when I log off from my job it is nice to escape into the world of art. Thanks for making me smile.
2 craft rooms is awesome!! I’m so excited for you. I went through a few years of jewelry making… still have my supplies… I dabble in it sometimes now. I’m so glad you enjoy my channel! That really made my day. Thank you! 🥰🤗🎨
Denise...If anything, after viewing this studio tour, I am even more in awe - and appreciative - of the love you have for art. It resonates in everything you said and I am certain your honesty impressed not only myself, but many others. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed this and appreciated it! Thank you! 🥰
Authentic, BEAUTIFUL, and love-filled. Thanks for being YOU!
Thank you! 🥰
I absolutely loved your tour and your generous sharing of your experience in your business and your outlook. I am retired, so while I am not interested in a second career, I can appreciate what it takes to generate your videos and share them with the world. In my world, as a beginner artist, I so enjoy what you have to share and you have helped me personally develop as an artist. The only negative outcome out of watching your videos, is my constant need to add supplies to my arsenal after watching. I think its just like my quilting, shopping for supplies is as much fun as using them! 🙂. You are so appreciated!
Shopping for supplies IS half the fun for me too… I loved prop shopping too with the photography… I get so inspired with something new! So glad you enjoyed the tour and hung out with me today!! Thank you! 🥰
This video was such a treat! I particularly loved seeing your framed photography and the antique piece that sits on your dresser is a treasure! We already knew that you are wonderfully creative and joyfully spirited, but you are also so well spoken and comfortable in front of the camera. I taught myself how to paint (watercolor to start, now mixed media) by watching YT tutorials and Skillshare classes, so I've easily followed two hundred artists over a five-year period. Denise, you are a unicorn! In my humble opinion, there's only one other artist, a YTer (Steve Mitchell, aka The Mind of Watercolor), that brings such talent and delightful qualities to the painting corner of the art world as you do!! You've obviously found your happy place here and how fortunate are we that you have. I wish you all the joy and happiness in the world. 💚💙
I was feeling a little bummed today, and your comment truly made my day! So glad you enjoyed the tour. Thank you! 🤗🤗🤗
I so agree about selling art. My daughter says to her friends that they can’t buy my art but if they like it, I will probably give it to them. And she’s right. Some I won’t give up. Your studio is really well organized and attractive. Nice video.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you! 🥰
Denise, thank you for sharing your art insights, tips and tricks. You are beautiful and precious.
Love your studio sanctuary. ❤
So glad you enjoyed the tour! Thank you! 🥰
Hi Denise! Your studio looks like a very special reflection of your videos…the books, the supplies, good for you! I am now full timing in my RV and had to leave a ton of stuff in storage in a room in my now rented house. I do sell, but only in a retirement community where I practically give it away. Funny thing is that I only have art to sell because I make videos! lol Thanks for your example. ❤️❤️
So glad you loved the tour!! Thank you! 🥰
There is so much that you say in this video that is important - especially about earning money with your art, or your TH-cam channel. In the long run it is SO much more important to be engaged with what you love than selling your soul for a few bucks! As you say, a lot of these so-called "deals" are great deals for whoever wants to sell THEIR stuff to your subscribers, but just a lot of work for you. Your enthusiasm for art products (or even your filming set up products) is so genuine - and you also say what you don't really love, so you come across as genuine. In this day of "fake" everything, THAT is money in the bank! You have built credibility, you produce amazing art, and I appreciate that you made this particular video. One thing that one artist I know of does is offer paintings she has made in a video for sale. I think so many of your watercolour paintings are just lovely, they would likely be relatively easy to mail in an envelope, and you would only have to sell the originals, not get into prints or anything. I'm a relatively new artist, and I started selling my paintings sort of by accident. I posted them to show them to friends on Facebook, and one couple asked if they were for sale. This was in early Covid - they came to visit and bought 10 paintings! What a surprise for somebody who was just painting for the absolute fascination and joy of it! It helped cover some of the costs of my art supplies (boy, do THEY ever add up! LOL!) and it has been gratifying and an acknowledgement that I can do some work that other people like. Keep up the great work, Denise! We love you!
Right? I’m so glad this video resonated with you. Thank you! 🥰🥰🥰
Maybe one day I’ll sell the originals, but for now, I might need them for samples or examples - so having them is convenient for those 😁
Really appreciate your integrity, Denise, in the way you conduct your business.
I always knew this was the case. It is one of the reasons I am such a dedicated fan. I know I can trust your assessments of various products.
Keep up the good work, Girl, and I wish you much happiness and success!
I’m glad you appreciate that! Thank you! 🥰
Denise, you are my hero lol. Really thank you for staying so honest and informative . Every video of yours that I watch I always think why doesn’t she have a million followers , you are so great. I only watch you tube I stopped watching TV about 4 years ago . I follow everything from Art, Antiques, Chateau’s, sheep farming, homesteading so a wide variety of topics and your love of art, shows in every video. I have heard a lot of the people I watch talk about the shorts and how their following has increased so much, but how they feel like they aren’t really the true followers but it has helped them with revenue. At any rate thank you so much for this video and for all you do. I wish you continued success . 😊
I follow a wide range of channels on TH-cam too. People are so creative on here. I go back and forth on my view of shorts… the short video watcher isn’t necessarily the same audience as the long form audience, and I’m not sure the short attention is who I want to target… so I post some shorts - but just when I have extra time of a great idea 😁. So glad you hung out with me today! Thank you! 🥰
And I’m working on getting to a million followers! I’ve only been posting art videos for a year… so hopefully I’ll get there 🤗🤗🤗
dittos
Thanks for sharing all your thoughts and directions you have gone in. Love watching you. Your voice is so soothing.
Thank you so much! 🥰🥰🥰
What an interesting video - thank you for sharing your experience as a TH-camr and the peek into how you’ve made a business from what you love. I want to offer some positive reinforcement and say that I really appreciate that you don’t do a lot of sponsored videos and save your partnerships for the things you really enjoy. So often it’s hard to tell whether we (the TH-cam audience) are getting good advice, or just being sold something that may never be seen again. I trust that you are using the products you share, so thank you. 🙏
I’m so glad you appreciate that I don’t do very many sponsorships! I know that is leaving money on the table so to speak… I personally just think those are commercials when I see them… I just fast forward through them 😂.. I’d rather people love something I show them than just try to make a buck on cheap stuff. Thank you!! 🥰🥰🥰
Denise! I absolutely loved this video woman! Always such beautiful work from you (in any form!) and you are just joy. I have toyed with starting youtube with my art and your words resonate with my take on it as well. I always let my tech side (web dev) take over and talk me out of starting here. But I love teaching and the vibe is so different here than on IG. You are so inspirational! Very best to you Denise!
You should totally start a channel!! People would love your art!! You do such beautiful stuff. So glad you enjoyed the tour!! Thank you! 🥰
What a truly refreshing video. Thank you for your transparency, honesty & heart felt demeanour. I love your art and your style. Your personality is infectious. You are the artist i have connective with the most. I love your no pressure playing. Fearless creation is so freeing. Thank you for continuing to share. 🎉🎉
So glad you enjoyed this and hung out with me today!! Thank you! 🥰
Denise, I love your philosophy and transparency! You inspire me to keep going with therapeutic art. I still work as a language teacher, but in the future my goal is to go fully with art for self-care. I am already taking many of your tips to heart. I used to make art to sell. I worked so hard with very little return. I have totally reversed in the last 2 years to focus on the enjoyment and therapeutic applications of art. You are a shining star- thanks for being you!
I’m so glad you are figuring out how to get joy in the art! Selling art is super frustrating. That’s a labor of love! Glad you enjoyed the tour and chat. Thank you! 🤗🤗🤗
I really love seeing other people's set up. I always get good ideas. So I really enjoyed this video. You always bring such positivity and inspiration. You are like a ray of sunshine :)
I love seeing other's spaces too! So glad you enjoyed this!! Thank you! 🥰
I love your channel and watch often, and this studio tour was amazing! Thank you so much for all you share with us. Your explanation of why you don’t sell your art touched me deeply and made so much sense. It was also validating. I have no desire to work toward selling my art; I simply love learning, exploring, and creating. You’re terrific, Denise. Your beautiful energy and joy in creating draws me back again and again. 🙏🙏🙏
So glad that resonated with you! Really made my day. Thanks for hanging out with me! 🥰
LOVE your hair color!!! You look so good. I need more bookcases. The room looks good as well. Have a great weekend 😀
Thank you so much!! 🥰🥰🥰
I definitely enjoyed the tour and the tips. We love u 2 Denise. Hope you have a wonderful weekend.😊
So glad you enjoyed this and hung out with me today!! Thank you! 🥰
Love this studio tour, Denise! And I love how you share some of the business side of youtube/your art and giving us insights on those things. Thank you for sharing!❤
So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you! 🥰
Wow! Thx for sharing you and your haven with all of us. I can't tell you how excited I was to see this, great Saturday so far. I always thought you had nice hands, I love hands,but you are a pretty woman too. Lady god has blessed you thru and thru. You are very up lifting and isperational. Thankyou, thankyou!
So glad you enjoyed this and hung out with me today!! Thank you! 🥰
The studio looks amazing. Love the big dresser. You shared some wise words. I think many of us do not understand how TH-cam work with all of their rules. Thank you for invite us to your studio and work.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you! 🥰
I loved this. It was fantastic, especially the way you did it just for ME. That's how it felt. I love the way you talk to us. You're so very real. Thank you.
So glad you enjoyed the tour!! You’ve really made my day. Thank you! 🥰
What a fab video Denise! You give off a lovely genuine and happy vibe and your refusal to sell out the absolute joy you obviously fell when making your art is a breath of fresh air in these days where everyone seems to want to make money first and foremost.
PS: I would like to live in your spare room 😂
So glad you enjoyed this and hung out with me today!! If the room were big enough… wouldn’t it be cool if a day bed were there too? I might not leave 😂 Thank you! 🥰
What a fascinating video ☺☺
Thank you! 🥰
Thanks so much for the tour and the talk. The main reason I make art is because I crave doing it, it’s satisfying and I do it for me. Selling is not my main focus, so thanks for the talk. Keep on doing what you do.
I crave to do it too! So glad you enjoyed the tour! Thank you! 🥰
I truly enjoyed this "tour" of your art room. I have watched so many of your videos and enjoyed them so much. I remember you and "Two Little Owls" from some years ago when I was really into photography and Photoshop. So delighted our paths crossed again. You are very talented, and it's just so fun to watch your videos. You have such enthusiasm and your personality just shines through. I love that you are so willing to share your ideas with us! Keep on keeping on!!! 💕 Oh, I almost forgot - I bought the conical dip pen from St. Louis Art Supply and I also bought the Kuretake gold paint and paste. Yippee! best gold I've found. Thank you, Denise.
I love finding so many photographers interested in art too!! I’m glad you are hanging out in my studio with me! So glad you enjoyed the tour!! 😁. And I agree… that is the best gold!! 💛 Thank you! 🥰
@@2lilowlsstudio ❤
You shared so much with us & thank you so much❣️. What a treat🩵💙🩷💚💜❤️💛
Thank you! 🥰
Another great video! I enjoy seeing your studio and the new bookcases look amazing! I have been a Skillshare member for four years now and I think it is an amazing platform and I tell everyone about it. I love your excitement and joy over creating. I create for my mental and physical health and because it is fun to play with all of our art products!
It is fun to play with all out art goodies! So glad you enjoyed this!! Thank you! 🥰
Love the studio video! I remember when we were talking and you were doing those new shelves for the books, it's so cool to see how it turned out. They look amazing and I love the ledge shelf! You hit the nail on the head about selling the art too -- definitely a full time job and unfortunately not one that pays the bills, at least not consistently. And as you know, I learned the hard way recently about the inconsistency with prints from the POD companies...which is why I'm now doing my own prints, which is yet another job in itself! Good thing I love what I do, LOL!
I love how good that wall turned out! Who knew I had THAT many books! Hard to tell when they are spread all over the house! 😂😂😂… it is definitely a labor of love to sell art. One which you excel at… and still find frustrating! 🤗🤗🤗Thank you! 🥰
I’m not sure I can add much more than what has already been written in the comments. I agree with everyone of them. I am not an artist, I am a longtime card maker who happened upon your channel when it popped up almost a year ago and I’m so happy that I clicked on that thumbnail. I have been a fan ever since and you have opened up my creativity tremendously. My greatest joy is to be in my space and just play. I also appreciate that you opened up your home/studio to us. It is a lovely, calm place. The YT info. was interesting…I had no idea how it worked. You are definitely a shining light…your beauty shows from within as well as on the outside. I am currently taking a year-long online art journaling class that I signed up for before you gave a little blurb about SkillShare in January, I think it was. I look forward to taking one of your classes next year…my brain won’t let me do too many classes at one time. Keep doing what you do, Denise. 🥰
Card making is art too!! And so many of the things I do are perfect for what you love to do. I usually take a good in-depth class every year too.. usually in business... but I definitely know what you mean about only having room for just a few in-depth things at a time! I'm taking a break this year from a huge class. TH-cam has taken up all that time for me... Haha! Thank you for hanging out with me today!! 🥰
I agree about selling art. I had a studio space in a gallery for years. I tried to paint what I thought people would buy. Now I have a cute in home studio and paint what I want and when I want. My paintings have improved leaps and bounds without the pressure.
Yeah - so much better without the pressure!! 😊
I just recently found your channel and am trying to pace myself on consuming all your content😂 Your presentation style is so enjoyable and relatable, your giggles and excitement when a happy surprise happens or works out better than expected is the best! I also detect an accent and expressions peppered in here and there that make me suspect we could be neighbors ☺️🙃 What a delightful tour …enjoyed the peek behind the curtain!👏🏻🥰
So glad you enjoyed the tour and are loving my channel!! That really made my day!! Thank you! 🥰
Love your studio, your videos and your amazing art! You've inspired me to try products that I likely would have overlooked.
So glad you enjoyed the tour! Thank you! 🥰
Yep it’s exactly as you say. You work 24/7 and for me the packing and mailing is the hardest part. I paint, make jewelry, and embellish wood signs. The wood signs are the hardest to pack and ship and if I am setting up a booth , sometimes hauling those signs back and forth is a killer. So I’m phasing out the sign business and going to devote myself more to my paintings and jewelry.
Right? It is so much work... and there is only one of us! I get it! 😊
Denise, what can I say except WOW!! What a wonderful tour, behind the scenes, beautiful, honest chat with you about your creative journey and the FAQs. I really enjoyed your entire presentation so, so much. Thanks for sharing so much of your personal story and can't wait until your next release. Good for you that you used specific platforms that made good business sense!
So glad you enjoyed the tour and the chat!! Thank you! 🥰
Thank you Denise. You are just so generous in what you share with us. I am new to art making using paint and I’m so enjoying the journey. I watch your videos and always feel inspired by your enthusiasm. I really appreciate it all. I am not going to sell what I’m doing as really I’m doing it for me. Its my time out and my play. So thank you
So glad you enjoyed this! Thank you! 🥰
Always nice to have my morning coffee in your company 😊 thank you for sharing your experiences with us.
So glad you hung out with me today!! Thank you! 🥰
Hi Denise, I absolutely love your honesty and how true to yourself you are. Thank you for all you share. I love your videos 💕💕
I'm so glad!! Thank you! 🥰
Stick to what brings the most joy & life flows easily! 🥰 ❤️ 👌
So true! Thank you! 🥰🤗🎨
Hello Denise, I have to tell you that you were the one person that got me addicted to abstract and mixed media art so thank you for opening up a wonderful happy place for me. You are also the reason that I am permanently broke lol. I never knew there was so many diverse and beautiful art supplies out there and now I want them all. ( is there an art supply rehab out there) It is nice to see how other artists arrange their work space and you have really made the most of the space you have. Thank you for your videos, I look forward to watching them so keep them coming.
I'm so glad you are loving abstract and mixed media... sorry about the broke part 😁... So glad you enjoyed this!! Thank you! 🥰
You are so very kind to share your space and your heart about your career. I enjoy watching your you tube videos and appreciate your honesty about your career choices. I wish you success always! God Bless you!
So glad you enjoyed this!! Thank you! 🥰
Thank you Denise! I'm again surprised at the size of your workspace I always feel like I need more room and find it just gives me a bigger messy area 😂. Thank you for showing me I just need to be organized! I so enjoy your art creation and exploration! You are a lovely lady-and truly beautiful behind your glasses! My granddaughter and I await your next video!
I always feel like I need more space too! With the photography stuff - I really did need more space and I just suffered through never having enough… with the art stuff I’m finally happy with the space… which is good with the way real estate has gotten outrageous… so I’ll be staying put! So glad you enjoyed the tour and hanging out with me!! Thank you! 🥰
So great to see your space. I held back a gasp when I realized your antique table is not there any longer. I confess I had table envy when I took your still life class. 😊 Loved the bookcases and how you have everything so convenient to grab as you need the stuff. Your happiness in your art space is evident! Also, wanted to share that I nodded my head when you talked about this new camera having a smooth feature. I use Snapseed to edit most of my pics and when I edit a selfie…I click on Smooth…that’s my go to! 😂.
Haha! I love that smooth feature 😂… I still have the beautiful wood table… the legs fold up on it - so it is folded up and in the closet! So it could still come back out if I miss it 😁… so glad you hung out with me today! Thank you! 🥰
Love love love your videos. Thank you so much! You are so generous with everything you share.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you! 🤗🤗🤗
Thank you for your marvelous insights Denise. As someone who has tried art selling, I can 100% agree with what you are saying. Since I started watching and listening to you I have changed how I think about my approach, and now I do it for the “play”. I don’t always come up with something great, but that’s okay, because playing is learning. Thank you again for your freeing and refreshing perspectives.
So glad you are enjoying your art play! I don’t always create great things either. It is more about the journey and having some fun! Thank you! 🥰
What a wonderful attitude you have Denise, you are so sweet to be sharing your Life's work and passions. All the wonderful ways you organized your studio, but the best thing is how enthusiastic you are. Thank you for sharing yourself with all of us out here in the Art world. May you continue to enjoy everything you put your mind to and have fun along the way.🤗💖
Thank you so much! 🥰
That was an awesome video. Did you know that we are besties? 🤣You are my kind of people - charming, funny, artsy, gorgeous! So, when you free for coffee? 🤣🤣🤣Truly though, your studio is lovely! It's nice getting a glimpse of more than just your art and your hands! You've been one of my faves since I first found you a while ago.
I love having art besties!! 🤗🤗🤗 So glad you hung out with me today!! Thank you! 🥰
Love your honesty and no nonsense approach. Love the studio!! 🤗💖😊
So glad you enjoyed the tour! Thank you! 🥰
informative, fun, & oddly enough, permission to not do certain things freeing. been in a less arty season for a couple of months ... overwhelm sometimes needs time to let things settle or dissolve as interests shift or other needs require focus... flowing with the passion is my driver . following intuitive impulses consistently has taken three years to trust in every area, especially s a people pleaser ii discovered 98% of what ii used to do was most often to be accepted, to fit in, to earn money, to be part of others' interests. ii learned a lot!! about many things, but it'd need to be multiple personalities to execute & suddenly ii realized ii didn't know what ii liked or needed for myself. getting excited about 4 things sometimes feels overwhelming as expansion in each requires reflection, editing, practice, tools,etc. so not selling things ii make vs giving random acts of artness made my heart sing, and not getting entangled with others' restrictions maintains joyful creativity. ty for all you share, create, demo & express.
It is hard to stop creating for others and approval, and shift to creating for yourself and going where that creativity leads you. I used to do that too, and now I like having the freedom to go where I want to go with my creativity and not have all the restrictions we put on ourselves. So glad you enjoyed this!! Thank you! 🥰
@@2lilowlsstudio 👍 ... my motto for 2024: stop the comparanoia!!
I love your videos and love your style! I paint because it “feeds me”…it was never a thing about selling…if someone likes something they are welcome to it…painting is also something I share with some people in my life who I love very much so it is a big bonus for me. Thank you for all you do and keep rocking on!!
I love that you paint for yourself. I agree… it feeds that creative need I have too! So glad you enjoyed this! Thank you! 🥰
I enjoyed watching the tour. You deserve all the success in the world. I can't imagine the talent and hours you put in everyday. Thank you.
Thank you so much! 🥰🥰🥰
After I watched the video where you first mentioned the music sleeves I went onto Amazon to check them out and I found some “Presentation Books” that have soft vinyl covers so they don’t take up much room. They are the same as music sleeves and they come in various sleeve sizes and a varied number of pages. With a piece of coloured paper in the middle and a stencil on each side you can store up to a hundred stencils in each book and flip thru the book and see each stencil individually. I’m waiting for them to arrive and I will sort them by categories and then number each stencil and the sleeve it goes into. Eventually I will learn exactly where each one goes and will save them getting mixed up or bent. Anything that saves time and clutter is a win for me.
That sounds like a fantastic solution for stencils too! So glad you shared!! Thank you! 🥰
Denise, you always make my day brighter, the encouragement to just ENJOY the process of making and in taking DELIGHT in my own artwork is so refreshing! I love your thought on NOT focusing on selling art - being in business (any kind of business - and I’ve owned several successful & not so successful ones) is REALLY HARD WORK especially those parts of business you either have no to little experience or even interest in learning or doing. Watching your Skillshare classes and YT classes actually helped get me through the grief and depression following my son’s sudden death in 2020 and for that I will be forever grateful - you truly have been a blessing in my life, thank you for sharing your art and yourself.
My only question is: when using the window setup to take photos do you turn on other lighting sources in the room or just use the natural light? I would love to take better photos to share on SM or to friends/family.
So very sorry for the loss of your son. No parent should ever lose a child. I took a deep dive into photography when my mom passed away - that truly helped me get through that grief. I get it. I'm so glad you enjoyed this! Thank you! 🥰
I turn all the lights out and just use that light coming in the window. I am usually in that room during the day - so I rarely turn on the over head light anyway it is so bright in there.
@@2lilowlsstudio Thank you Denise, for everything you said and do for your community 💕
Fabulous video Denise. I’m a hobbyist but curious about the ins and outs of the artist’s world. Nobody else is so forthcoming about their business. You are so genuine. I’m a fan. Thank you. Diane
I'm always curious about how others do their art world and business, I'm super nosey... so I figure others might like seeing how I've figured out things too. I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you! 🥰
Fellow Interior Designer/ art lover here. Super interesting video, thank you. I do enjoy all of your content and you are adorable!!
Thank you very much! 🥰
Loved seeing your studio, but mostly loved seeing your sweet, kind face. I love your videos and have learned a lot. I create art now more for the joy of it than for the end product because of you. Thank you for all you do to share your art and enthusiasm with us.❤️
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! Thank you! 🥰
Denise Love, thank you 💗 This video hit some tender spots for me and I needed to hear your reasons for not selling art. I have had mental turmoil over it for ALL the reasons you mentioned. BTW, I found you through Skillshare. I love your authenticity and creative curiosity. Art for me is a journey of process and exploration and making mistakes and happy accidents! I don’t want to let my “children” go, either. They make me happy when I look at them and see my own progress. You gave me hope in this video to be my authentic art self on my comeback journey - I abandoned my art self in 2005 and found her again in 2019. It has been a baby-step path to finding joy and healing in my heart again. Thank you 🤗
I’m so glad you are on a creative come back! Selling art is hard work and isn’t for everyone! I’m just glad there are so many other things I can do in art that will make me a living that doesn’t require me selling the actual work. I like to buy art supplies and experiment… so I made up a job that let me do that 😂! So glad you hung out with me today! Thank you! 🥰
Love your studio. Lots of natural light which is always good. I have never been big on selling my art. I am lucky to have a gallery/shop in our little town that showcases the work of local artists and charges a very low commission. It is also not a snobby gallery and will carry anything creative by a local artist. I only sell spare stuff I don't want to keep myself. Otherwise it is just for me to grow, have fun, or gifts for fiends and family. Lovely to see you in front of the camera. I am enjoying your videos and your art and I have come across you on Skillshare. xoxoxo
Thats cool that you have a little gallery near you that lets you add some stuff to!! I think there are a few around here that are like that - but I stay so busy - I just don't want to add setting up a booth and getting things prepped for the booth, then maintaining it... that takes a bit of time to do all that. So glad you enjoyed the tour!! Thank you! 🥰
@@2lilowlsstudio Our gallery is manned (womanned mostly haha) by volunteers who pay much less commission so I don't have to do anything. I just drop off my work and they do the rest. Although of course I do have to to do the work of making pieces ready to hang etc but I only ever have a few pieces so not a lot of time. Once a year there is an exhibition and same goes. If I spend time on the desk during the exhibition I pay less commission but it is not compulsory. It is a wonderful resource in our little town.
You’re studio is wonderful! Thank you for sharing this and for the info about the affiliate vs sponsor. Everything you do is truly inspiring to me!
So glad you enjoyed the tour!! Thank you! 🥰
Thank you for sharing!! You are so sweet and I really enjoy your videos and your classes on Skillshare. I always appreciate when artists share so generously 😊
So glad you enjoyed the tour! Thank you! 🥰🤗🎨
You’ve got an awesome studio Denise … it really is how I’d imagine your studio. Selfishly I’m glad you don’t sell your art because it means more superb videos. Thank you for the video it’s been really informative.
So glad you hung out with me today and enjoyed the tour!! Thank you! 🥰
Hi Denise! Love your antique nautical magnifying glass! So cool. ❤ Thanks for the tour. ❤️
I've become a bit obsessed with magnifying glasses the past few years. That is a favorite piece for me! So glad you enjoyed the tour! Thank you! 🥰
So envious of your workspace. Just love it. I have a bedroom dedicated to my art and photography but don't have the supplies like you do but then I don't do half as much work as you do either. 🤗 Thank you for sharing - really interesting.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you! 🥰
This is a fabulous video! Thank you so much for sharing. Not only was it fun to see you and your space, your honesty about your art was refreshing! Great job!
So glad you loved it! Thank you! 🥰
Wow Denise! Awesome tour! Thank you for showing us around! :)
So glad you enjoyed it!! Thank you! 🥰
So organized and beautiful! Envious 😊
Thank you! 🥰
You are so much fun to watch. Your excitement is absolutely infectious! I loved seeing your new craft room arrangement. I love seeing other people’s craft rooms. I discovered your channel recently and was immediately drawn to your warm personality and the familiar southern accent (I’m in Birmingham). Have a great weekend!
I lived in Birmingham for 5 years when I was younger and worked as a manager for Home Depot. I had a 1925 bungalow over in Crestwood. I loved that house and sitting on the porch! So glad you enjoyed the tour. Thank you! 🥰
It’s so great to see you! You are always so fun to hang out with. I so appreciate you sharing your artistic talents and I really appreciate your honesty.
As someone who turned her hobby and passion into a business and worked like a dog for years and lost her love for that hobby, I applaud you for being open and sharing the reality of what you do and why you focus on the areas you focus on for your revenue.
It looks so easy from the outside, but it’s really hard work!
And it’s important for people to be clear on what they are striving for and what they are willing to do to accomplish their goals because it’s easy to try to do all the things and do none really well, no matter how hard you work.
Kudos to you for knowing what you want to focus on and for sticking to it - love ya!
Steph
I totally agree with you… I have lost my love of some hobbies after working like a dog too! I’m so glad to be at a place in life now that I can make these choices for myself. So glad you hung out with me today! Thank you! 🥰
You are beautiful inside and out, and your eyes are gorgeous! So is your art! You are mega talented!😍
Thank you! 🥰
Haha, you are such a sweetheart, Sony needs you :) lol, too funny, when I show this to my hubby he is going to laugh and say 'gotta have' the funny being we have been straight up Canon for 25 years! Cheers lovely Denise Love for making my day and so inspiring!! You are an absolute treasure.🍑
I also shoot canon on my big cameras! I just don’t use those for filming. They are just bigger and bulkier… a little older models… so they don’t have the robust filming capabilities. After this focus issue I had and trying out the Sony… I kinda want one of those really nice mirrorless Sony cameras now! So glad you enjoyed this! Thank you! 🥰
What a fantastic video. I so appreciate your honesty and showing us around your studio. Thank you for all you do.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you! 🥰
💜💚💛 your studio and hanging out with you, I have gained confidence and learnt a lot thank you for being you, a beautiful soul. Much love from NZ. 😊🍒
So glad you enjoyed hanging out with me!! Thank you! 🥰
What a fun peek behind the curtain! Thank you! Also very cool to learn more about what you do and how you feel about different options presented to you.
So glad you enjoyed the tour!! Thank you! 🥰
Hi, Denise. Diane Antone recommended your channel and here I am! This was very interesting. Can't wait to explore your videos!
So glad to have you! I love Diane’s channel! I have those lovely kuretake granulating paints in an art haul this Friday and talk about her dragonfly video! Thank you! 🥰
I absolutely loved this video!!!! Your love of your space and what you do just shines through so beautifully. I smiled with a very big smile all the way through the video! Thank you for sharing yourself with us. :)
So glad you enjoyed the tour!! Thank you! 🥰
wish u would publish a book of picture of ur art that we could as inspiration and instruction!
Definitely a future possibility! Thank you! 🥰