Lately in the Studio | No. 5

Things have been very busy both in and outside of the studio over the past couple of weeks, so this is going to be a fun update. At least, I think so!

I didn’t intend for there to be a theme to the way I’ve been working lately, but after putting this post together, I realized that experimentation seems to be the common thread. I’ve started a new daily art practice, discovered a method that has helped improve my collage work, and shared some of the exercises I use to loosen up my art practice – so much fun. Without further ado, let’s get into it.

Daily Sketching

Most notably, I’ve started a daily art practice. Honestly, this might be the thing I’m most excited about right now. I think I mentioned in my last Lately in the Studio post that I had purchased a new sketchbook and started experimenting with ink and watercolor. Well, it has been 22 days, and I haven’t missed a single day. 

I never intended for this to become a daily habit. It simply formed on its own and hasn’t stopped. I’ve always struggled to maintain a daily art practice, and perhaps in the past I was trying to force it too much. This one seemed to appear out of nowhere. Funny how that works.

I’ve kept the practice really simple: minimal supplies, a small time commitment, and absolutely no pressure on the finished result. It’s simply about showing up, observing something, and putting ink and color on paper. That’s it. I’ve been sharing the sketches daily on my Substack feed so you can look at them there.

Naturally, this new practice has also inspired several articles that I’ve shared on Substack. In the first, The Simple Sketching Practice That Got Me Making Art Every Day, I talk about the “hows and whys” of the practice, the minimal setup I’m using, and all my supplies, with links to everything.

This experience also got me thinking about making more art in general. Being more prolific has always been one of my goals, and 23 days later, I’ve nearly filled an entire sketchbook. That led me to think about other things that have helped me create more consistently, which became the article 10 Simple Things That Will Help You Make More Art. If you’ve been wanting to begin an art practice or breathe some new life into an existing one, that post is for you.

Either way, this little practice has been such a gift, and I’ve really been enjoying it. I’m sure there will be much more to share as it changes and grows, including the lessons I learn along the way and how it begins to influence the rest of my artwork.

Collage Work

I’ve also been dabbling in more collage work. In fact, I recently created what might be my favorite collage yet. Check it out.

I experimented with a new method for this one. I usually begin with an abstract acrylic underpainting of random marks before adding the collage paper, but this time I decided to do a loose drawing of the subject in paint. It’s easy for me to get a little lost once I begin layering all of the paper, so I thought a stronger starting point might help keep me on track. And it worked.

 Perhaps this was simply one of those magical pieces where everything came together and the stars aligned; flow, some might call it. Either way, I think the loose underpainting was worth exploring, and I’m so pleased with what came from it. I’ll definitely be trying it again.

In fact, I already have. I’ve started my next collage. This one is going to be a bit of an undertaking. A lot is happening in the reference, but I think it could be really successful if I can figure it all out. Fingers crossed!

I also have a post on Substack about how I make my collage paper. I currently walk through two different methods, and I’ll be updating it soon to include a third.

Loosening Up

One of my overall goals with my artwork is to get loose and stay loose. Impressionistic, wonky, loose work is some of my favorite art to look at. I find so much interest in what’s left unsaid and in the parts of a piece that I, as the viewer, have to interpret for myself.

I think people sometimes assume this must be an easier way to make art. Just leave it messy, right? But it’s actually incredibly difficult. Trust me, I’m still trying to figure it out. What needs to be included for the piece to read? What can be left out? How unfinished can it feel? How wonky can a shape or line become before it stops working? There’s a lot more thought involved than you might expect.

Over the years, I’ve found a handful of exercises that help me stay loose. They help quiet my brain, interrupt my usual habits, and allow the art to happen without quite so much overthinking. I gathered many of those ideas into a post called 10 Ways to Loosen Up Your Art and Stop Overthinking.

Of course, it’s a helpful post if loosening up is one of your goals, but it’s also great if you simply want to shake up your practice, get out of a rut, or try something completely different. You never know when one small experiment might open up something new in your work.

Plein Air

Finally, my plein air work continues. Oil painting has taken a bit of a back seat over the past few weeks, but it still has a presence. I’ve continued meeting with my plein air group on Saturdays, and at our most recent outing, I experimented with a new panel size.

I tried something much more panoramic than I typically use. I believe the panel is 8 by 24 inches. It was definitely a challenge, but it was also so much fun. The painting is still a work in progress, and I’m hoping to return to the location soon to finish it.

Here is another I completed near Phipps Conservatory. It’s rare for me to be able to complete a painting in the two hours we spend together at our meet-ups, but I managed with this one. There are things I wish I would have handled differently, but it was a fun painting and a great day, so that’s what counts.

An artist friend also recently suggested an art swap, so we each created a painting from the same reference and will be exchanging them. More on that in the future! I even made a small watercolor study first to help work out my composition before moving into oil paint.

I’ve also just joined a fabulous online flower-painting workshop. With homework assignments due, oil painting will once again be required, which is probably a good thing. I’ve been itching to get back into it. I’m also curious to see whether any of the work I’ve been doing with daily sketching and collage begins to influence the way I approach oils. We shall see!

Back to Work

Phew! I told you it has been busy in the studio. Whether you’re an artist yourself or not, I hope these updates are fun and interesting to follow. It has brought me so much joy to share this part of my life and work with you.

As always, if you enjoy this kind of thing, come say hello over on Substack. It has become such a wonderful community, and my account recently managed to reach #1 on the Rising Bestsellers list. How cool is that?! I was extremely honored and felt a sense of pride that my work there was being noticed. That’s always a good feeling. 

If you’re new to Substack, you can subscribe to Paint and Paper and receive an email whenever I publish something new. (You can subscribe as a free subscriber or a paid subscriber and receive additional content.) These are my longer-form articles, like a blog post. You can also follow along through the Substack feed, where I usually share once or twice a day. It’s more casual, almost like social media, and it has become such a fun place to share whatever I’m working on in the moment. I’d love to hang out with you there!

See you there or see you here. Until next time!