You see blank canvases for sale at art and craft supply stores. You see finished artwork on cafe and gallery walls, in online marketplaces like Etsy.com, at the dentist's office, and even at Target.

But you don't often get to sneak a peek at the art being made. You don't normally see all the awkward stages a painting goes through—how it got started, how it gets shepherded along, and the many changes of direction the artist might take—before it's declared "finished."

Step behind the curtain, my friends! I'm going to show you what I'm working on...

(F.Y.I. I started with a store-bought canvas that measures 15" x  30" and 1.5"  deep.)

So now I'll look at it for a few days, trying to decide if it needs anything else. This one came together faster than most—in less than a week—but I like the stage it's landed in.

What do you guys think: Does it look finished??

And what about you: Want to play with collage techniques and acrylic paint? Gather your friends together and I'll create a class for you. Here's what people are saying:

"I had done a lot of digital art [so] I became afraid of the more 'tactile' arts like painting and collage. Recently I bought a starter kit of acrylic paints but I continued to stare at a blank canvas. Taking this class got my hands wet and lessened a lot of my anxiety to start painting. Thank you." - Trisha A.

"You are the best kind of teacher—not too pushy and not too passive! Also the studio and materials were top-notch. Thanks so much!" - Michelle B.

To see more of my paintings and collages, which are also for people just like you, look here.