I didn't grow up painting. I had not picked up a brush since elementary school. I just thought it might be something I'd enjoy trying someday, and then, after a little concentrated class time, I realized there was a basic M.O. connecting all the lessons that could keep me going on my own. I haven't stopped painting and learning since.

That's what this book is–A straightforward, repeatable way to take an image you like and turn it into a painting you can enjoy every day, or give away.

The approach is simple: break everything down into steps. Choose an image. Sketch the major shapes. Block in the main colors. Then, gradually, work your way toward greater detail. If something feels off, stop, walk away, and come back to it another time. The process is forgiving, and it gets easier and more satisfying the more you do it.

You'll also learn how to really look–at light, at color, at the way things actually appear rather than how you assume they should. That turns out to be half the job.

This is not about making perfect paintings. Mine aren't. They're "painterly," a little impressionistic, and very much my own way of seeing things. Yours will be too.

If you've ever thought, "I couldn't do that," this book is here to quietly suggest otherwise–and then show you, step by step, how you can.