What medium do you use?
I mix my own: 2 parts linseed oil | 1 part stand oil | 1 part Gamsol (mineral spirits)

What is your palette?
titanium white, cadmium yellow light, cadmium red medium, alizarin crimson, ultramarine blue, phthalo blue and burnt umber (all Utrecht brand oils)

What brushes do you use?
My favorite brush for a canvas surface is a Windsor & Newton Monarch flat. They are very expensive and wear out fast, so my next favorite is a Silver Bristlon bright. They are synthetic but have a nice crisp edge and lasts a good while. My favorite brush for a smoother surface, like gessobaord, is an Umbria from Princeton Art & Brush Co.

Do you varnish your paintings?
Not at this time. The medium I use leaves a fairly even gloss. I hate the way varnish smells – I feel like I lose a few brain cells every time I open the bottle. : )

How do you ship your paintings?
My paintings are very carefully packaged so that almost nothing touches the surface, and no jostling, tossing, pounding, etc. by usps employees (gotta love those guys) will damage the painting.  I insure each painting and ship it in a Priority Mail box that generally takes 2-3 days to reach the buyer. Here are some photos of my process:

How long does it generally take you to finish one of these small paintings?
Anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours.

How do you photograph your paintings?
I go outside with my (automatic digital) camera & art. I find a spot in open shade and hold my art out in front of me. I turn around and stop when i see no glare on my art – then put it down on something safe so it doesn’t fall/blow over, and nothing is in front of it. I make sure my art is not facing any light source (the sky, or even a window that is reflecting the sky). I have found a perfect spot on the north side of my house that I use every time. I zoom in a little since my camera is wide-angle at it's original setting(most are). If my painting is mostly dark and I fill the frame too much my painting will be over-exposed | if I don’t fill it enough it will be under-exposed (look in LCD panel and take the picture when it looks “right”). I open my picture in Photoshop (or Picasa – free from google). I crop it and use Image>Levels to make values “right”. Finally, I save (for web) as a .jpg (no less than 75%).

How long does it take each day to post your painting on ebay and your blog?
It takes me about 15 minutes to do all this. Sometimes it takes a little longer as I agonize over what to write under my painting. : )

How did you set up your email list?
I use google groups but I recommend Feedburner as an easier alternative.

Do you ever do demos?
Yes, only one so far. You can view it here.

Do you give workshops and what is your schedule?
Yes I do, and you will find my schedule here and on my blog - right side, scroll down a bit.

Where/how did you learn to paint?
I went to the University of Texas at Austin but learned nothing there. There was no focus on improving skill from the professors, but rather impressing critics, which I have no interest in. I want to make a living doing what I love most - painting! I learned by poring over art magazines and books, studying and copying work that struck me, and experimenting a lot. Painting every day is the best thing I do towards improving!

What does your shadowbox look like?
It is a really cool box invented/built by my husband. It is constructed of pvc pipe and plywood, is lightweight and is mounted on a heavy duty tripod so I can raise and lower it to get just about any angle on my still life. Here is a photo: