Rattle The Lids

Rattle The Lids is a bold painting series on a smaller canvas. It's composed of ten steps to walk you through an inspired inquiry that includes writing, collaging, painting and epiphanies on whatever issue you bring to the canvas. You can plunk yourself down and do it over half a day as an artist date or take your time and proceed through the steps at your own pace. You will find the instruction videos to be quick - most of them are between 2 and 4 minutes- so that you can get to your own deep explorations.

Want a peek? You can watch step four by clicking the video above!

The intention of this painting is to connect with your own information. You'll find personal epiphanies in surprise collage images, in a treasure hunt of clipped words, and of course in the bold face and messages of your own muse as she goes through her blue, red & yellow phases! "Rattle The Lids" was the name of my painting that I created as our demonstration and I love how it has that feeling of the muse rattling our awareness - asking us to reexamine what we've been keeping contained and hidden.

Go through the videos as fast or slow as you would like, you have access to them indefinitely.   No experience is necessary. Show up as you are.


Supply List: Parentheses include the specific product I used. Substitute what you have on hand.

  • 9×12 Canvas (Blick Premier Traditional 7/8″ Profile Cotton)
  • Charcoal or dark watercolor pencil. (Grumbacher Vine Charcoal Jumbo Stick)
  • Assorted smaller size brushes (Da Vinci Junior Series 303 and 304 – sizes 1, 6, 8 & 10)
  • Acrylic Paint – red, yellow, blue, black, brown & white (Golden Fluid Acrylics in Cadmium Red Medium, Hansa Yellow Medium, Cobalt Turquoise, Raw Umber, Bone Black, & Titanium White.)
  • Thick Waterproof Pen (Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens “B” Brush Nib in Black)
  • Matte Medium (I used Liquitex Gloss Medium & Varnish in the video but I recommend using the Liquitex Matte Medium)
  • Plus from around the house: Paper for journaling, sharp ballpoint pen for journaling & transfer, magazine, scissors, old credit card for spreading matte medium, water
  • Provided image printed or photocopied in black and white on plain paper.