Toss a couple of coffee filters into your outdoor painting pack instead of a roll of paper towels. (I use the sample filters that come free with the coffee I buy—they often don't fit in my pot anyway.) The filters make great blotters for brushes and they absorb quickly to lift out color. You can easily fold them to a point to dab at wet paint to create dots or clean, hard edges. Best of all, they don't leave traces of fibers on the painting!

Esteemed as an artist and beloved as a teacher, Jessica Zemsky has influenced countless painters, old and young. Along with her husband Jack Hines, she runs the Sweet Grass and Sage Gallery in Big Timber, Montana. To see more of Zemsky's art, visit a href="http://www.zemskyhines.com" class=noline> www.zemskyhines.com. You may reach her via email at: totalart@zemskyhines.com.