I hope you enjoy this rather brief peek behind the scenes in my June 2024 Studio Notes Vlog! With the coming of spring, many more chores have been added to my schedule. Even so, I have begun to think that perhaps the distractions of a busy growing season are a good thing, as they force me to focus on the most important task in the studio with much less faffing around beforehand: painting! The emergence of green growing things also brings a welcome boost of inspiration, and I am glad to announce that after a long stretch of what felt like forced creativity, I now feel more in the ‘zone.’
In this month’s vlog, I mention that I’ve started a daily painting practice. As a professional artist, you'd think I already paint pretty regularly, but that’s not always the case. I have often struggled with this aforementioned loss of creative momentum after taking breaks from the studio, which has lately seemed to affect me more than usual. I return after a break feeling scattered and disconnected from my creative intentions, and it takes me much longer than usual to rediscover my drive. I’m putting the blame squarely on perimenopause, but that’s a subject for another day and another blog! I decided I wanted some way to keep my hand in the creative practice, even on days when I don’t really intend to be in the studio. I have recently heard artist educators like Antrese Wood speak about ways to develop an “unshakable trust” in our ability to show up creatively, and this appeals to me in a big way.
In addition to building self-confidence, I am also interested in developing a deeper sense of playfulness in my work, loosening up (both physically and mentally), inventive risk-taking, and the added bonus of accidental discoveries, which help to evolve artistic technique and style. Some days, I may make a quick 30-minute mixed-media painting, inventing new ways to use long-forgotten supplies. Some days, I may spend a leisurely morning working in my sketchbooks or pasting together collages made from chopped-up ‘failed’ paintings.
Last month, my daily painting resulted in some nice little acrylics on paper, which I have listed on my website shop as available to collect. They are priced a little lower than my average original painting, which I think makes them a very accessible way to collect original art. Not all of my daily paintings will make it to the ‘sales floor,’ but despite the pressures of 'real life', I’m learning to be okay with that. The value of a painting goes beyond financial gain.
If you are interested in looking closely at my process and other behind-the-scenes aspects of my studio, you can find time-lapse painting videos, reels, live painting sessions, and more in my online Instagram subscription. For $3.99 a month, IG subscribers have access to a backlog of this type of exclusive content, with new posts added regularly. Subscribe by visiting my Instagram profile here. Fees are paid monthly, and you can unsubscribe at any time. I would be glad to have you join the group!
Above are some of the daily paintings I have made recently. Thank you for reading the blog!
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