Finding the Flow.... (originally published February 27, 2018)

Too often, it's easy for me to stop painting. I get distracted extremely easily by other things. Having four children at home with me can be pretty distracting. ;) I might say to myself, "I'll just take a little break." But those two days can quickly turn into six, or 30. And before I know it, I've gone two months without picking up a paintbrush.

I'm actively trying not to let that happen again. Don't get me wrong, I think taking breaks to clear my head and gather inspiration is a great thing. But if I let it go for too long, I find myself rusty when I open my paints again. Feeling unsure of myself and my abilities. 

I've noticed that my biggest growth by far comes when I am painting every day, or close to it. The more I paint, the more comfortable I am stretching the limits, trying new things, or just being fine making a bunch of bad art. (Making bad art sometimes is essential to finding a breakthrough in your practice). Fear is pushed aside and creativity swarms in, uninhibited.

This is why I'm fighting through this limbo I seem to be in recently. I talked about it on Instagram the other day. I mentioned that I'm stuck between envisioning what I want to paint, and then seeing what I actually paint. Big dreams are constantly swirling in my head, but it's not easy to pin them down and paint them. They are completely abstract at the moment, but I will know it when I am finally able to capture them. I feel THIS CLOSE to reaching them, so another long break will not happen for awhile over here.

My Next Series (originally published April 24, 2019)

I’ve been contemplating where I would like my next series of paintings to go. Landscape is a broad subject, but it’s one that I would like to narrow down to more local places. I have already been doing several small pieces based on photos of the Rogue Valley and surrounding areas. But I would like to work on referencing my own photos for future pieces.

Here in Ashland, Oregon, we are surrounded by the most beautiful hills I think I have ever seen. Throughout the day, and throughout the seasons, these hills change gloriously with the light. I am always trying to capture that perfect moment when the light is hitting them just right, but my phone never ever does it justice. Perhaps by painting them, I will be able to harness that magic, much in the same way that Monet obsessively painted his water lilies over and over again.

I’ve taken so many photos this past week. My kids think I’m crazy, stopping the car on the way home from gymnastics so I can snap a few less-than-stellar pictures of Grizzly Peak. So far, I have a small but growing collection of photos that I think would be beautifully translated to canvas. The next step is to make those first brushstrokes!