Finding My Way in Paint

I just wanted to check in and say hello.

I know we are living in a world of overwhelm right now, and I hope that you are ok. Like many artists, I find painting or drawing helps to get my mind off some of the heaviest of things, and into a gentler and calmer space. Times like this, I am very grateful for creative time. Are you finding a way to stay calm amid the storms in this world? I hope so.

I wanted to share a few things with you today. First, there are two new portraits in my shop, as of this afternoon.

Calm During The Storm – 12 x 16 inch acrylic on stretched canvas

I often find it calming to paint these “dream” portraits, and I have done quite a few over the last five years. They each have their own personality, and I adore them.

Of Courage and Kindness – 12 x 12 inch acrylic on stretched canvas

I loved working on this beauty, with her compassionate look, and those beautiful eyes. Again, I return to this color palette of bright teals and deep reds. Maybe they are my comfort colors.

I have worked on very few portraits recently. As you know, I have been delving into the world of abstract art this past year. It’s something I have wanted to do for a while, to really explore this way of working. And 2021 was the year to jump into expressive art making for me. There’s something so endearing about working with colors and shapes, fueled by thoughts and emotions, as opposed to using a particular subject matter to paint. I found it so fascinating, to create art this way.

So far, I have released two series of abstracts. Last year, the Like a River series, told my story of the twists and turns of life, in wild swathes of color and marks, and a ribbon or “river” that ran through most of my pieces. It was a very profound collection, a way to work through so many things in my life, reflecting on the past and seeing into the future. It was a project very close to my heart, and I love what was produced during that exploration.

Recently, I released a colorful collection called The Imagined Garden, another very personal exploration into my life, and finding the beauty in ordinary days. Most of the inspiration for this series was the garden we created together, my husband and I, and the way life finds a way to grow and flourish.

Here’s just a few of those pieces in the series.

Wonderfully Wild

Where The Birds Sing

Finding Beauty Everywhere

Where Dreams and Gardens Grow

You can see The Imagined Garden collection in my online shop.

I realized as I was working on the last collection, that I love creating with small brush strokes, laying down colors alongside each other, to create an almost quilted or a stitched effect. It’s a really wonderful way to work with paint and in a way, I feel much like I did when I was exploring slow stitching in 2020. This time, instead of thread and fabric, it’s tiny strokes of joyful paint colors “woven” together to make a whole.

“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.”  ~ Vincent van Gogh

I couldn’t agree more!

So thinking about those “stitches” and strokes, and the beauty of small things, I have been working on a new set of paintings. It really is a continuation of what I started with the last series…just taken a step further.

They are not yet completed, but I wanted you to see what I am so excited about.

Thank you for allowing me to share a bit of my art and process with you. I hope that wherever you are in the world, you are safe, and finding a way to be creative, in spite everything that can affect our sense of calm.

I will leave you with another quote from van Gogh. This was in one of his letters to his brother, when he was in Arles.