Red, yellow and… blue? Sabri showed up wanting three octopuses. But I only had a red one and a yellow one that went together. Naturally, we needed a blue one to go with them. So we decided to make one. I painted two, because that’s what I do, just in case. And then let him…

Grief doesn’t pause for joy. And joy doesn’t wait for grief to finish. I learned that the hard way. When my dog died 10 years ago, I was sadder than I have ever been in my entire life. That kind of sad that sits on your chest. And somewhere in the middle of my sadness,…

My show is tomorrow. The studio is still a mess right now, but it’s on its way to looking incredible. I spent weeks finding the perfect picture rails, my husband and I tried to wrestle them onto the walls, but had to call in a contractor friend when the white wall turned out to be…

I don’t let people in quickly. But when I do, I go all in. I test the waters first. Let a small, slightly ridiculous thought slip out and watch what happens. If you laugh, really laugh, you might be my people. And then I’m done holding back. I rush in, full speed, ready to play.…

Something nobody tells you about making art. Every painting starts with fear. Excitement too, they live right next door to each other. But fear shows up first. Fear that it won’t be good enough. That I’ll fail myself. That I’ll put in all that effort and hate what comes out. I’m a recovering perfectionist. Perfectionism…

This one surprised me. I was playing with a new painting technique: watercolor powders, black and red, loose and abstract. I was actually trying to fix something. A previous painting had too much going on, and I felt that it was too intense, with nowhere for the eye to land. So I tried painting it…

Press release – for immediate release Contact: Nicole Hanusek | nicolehanusekart.com | RSVP: poply.com/r/aZHnBj Pour Decisions (Great Art): An Evening Open Studio with Nicole Hanusek San Francisco artist invites the public to an intimate cocktail-style art event on May 16th SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Bay Area artist, Nicole Hanusek, is opening the doors to her…

Are you an organized person? Just how organized are you? Let me share the crazy levels I’ll go to… A year or two ago, I participated in the SuperFine art show. Artists who participate in that show are required to submit a PDF showing how their wall will be curated. That was the first time…

Paul Wasn’t Even Looking for Art — and Then He Commissioned a Painting What one collector’s experience taught me about how good this process can really feel. Paul Caso showed up at the Union Street Fair for music, food, and a few drinks with friends. He wasn’t necessarily looking for art. And then he arrived…

How do you feel about fantasy creatures? My love for mermaids started many, many years ago when I first saw the movie Splash. In the movie, a young mermaid saves a young boy from drowning. Then, later in life, the two of them reconnect again in the water. The mermaid is eventually able to live in…

Are you a sucker for a story? When I started doing research about creating and promoting my artwork, everything I came across said that art should tell a story. Most of the art I’ve made in the past was something I wanted to create for the heck of it, because I thought it might be…

Do you ever feel that you’re supposed to be doing something in a different way? Or have you been thinking that you’re not sure what you should be doing next? These are thoughts that I’ve been experiencing, and I seem to be at a crossroad of sorts. Last year, I participated in the SuperFine Art…