Hello beautiful artist,

Happy Sunday! This week we had a big discussion on how to put emotion in your paintings with my Art Mentoring cohort.

You know what I mean – you’ve seen technically perfect paintings that don’t do much for you, and then you’ve seen paintings that might not be “perfect” but they grab you and won’t let go.

The difference isn’t better technique or schooling. It’s emotion.

Even the best of us want to feel understood and less alone. That’s why art brings such relief to us – because it makes us feel something. Like someone gets us, or shares what we feel.

In the painting above, my student Barb Pearson created strong emotion by exaggerating the size of the moon and house to create a strong mood.

Your art, when you paint from your emotions, shares something that you feel or love – or even something quirky and playful from you, which may feel like elation to your viewer. I know when I look at a Basquiat painting, I feel permission to be my real self – really silly and free, and not having to care about what others think, but instead getting to feel like I can be whoever I want.

Above, Jean-Michel Basquiat

When an artist makes you feel like something, it’s a gift. And when YOU paint from emotion, somebody can stand in front of your painting and feel YOUR energy. In this moment, you’re sharing part of you and what matters to you. This is your gift and your purpose for being here.

The key to do this is to not get lost in your head, but stay connected to that feeling for much of the process. Here are 5 ways that can help you do that:

1. Connect with how you’re feeling before you step into your art space. Ask yourself, how are you feeling right now? Do you even know? It’s so easy to exist only in our thinking brains. Touch base with your emotion and what you want to convey in your painting that day. You can also play music that has this vibe – a super powerful way to connect to your emotions.

2. Pay attention to how color makes you feel. The colors you choose are the most immediate way to express your mood. Color is a language. For example, are you feeling passionate and want to paint with brilliant reds, oranges and purples? OR are you feeling calm, cool and summery and want to paint with cool greens and blues? OR are you feeling reflective and want to convey that with muted greys and just a couple pops of color?

3. Your line work also expresses emotion. I believe that your lines are a direct link to your energy. Think about how you write your to-do list: Are your lines rushed and hurried? Are they long and relaxed? Are they short and jittery? Are they curvy and playful? Your line work says so much about what mood you’re in, and expresses this strongly in your art. People will really pick up on the emotion of your line work.

4. Your brushstrokes say it all. Are your brush strokes long and relaxed as you paint calm water? Or are they thick and chunky with heavy texture, showing boldness? Or are they thin and long and delicate, which may convey care and attention?

5. Exaggerate all of these 4 elements. This is how you make your emotion really shine.

Most of all, remember the strongest way to convey emotion is to be aware of the energy you come into your painting space with. This will be translated into your art.

When you create from your emotion, you’re not just making a painting—you’re leaving a piece of your soul in this world. That matters. Someone will stand before your work one day and feel less alone because you had the courage to express what was real and true for you.

There’s so much more to painting with emotion, but I hope these 5 ways set you on the right track today.

With love & creativity,
Kellie

PS. Leave a comment and let me know if this inspired you or helped you in some way. I’d love to hear from you!