Collage as a Sketch
When I get into the studio first thing in the morning I like to take a bit of time to wake up, drink my coffee and check -in with my plans for the day. During this time I usually doodle on spare paper, make a few quick thumbnails or throw together a collage really quick. Nothing that requires any significant thought, just a little exercise to start moving the day in the right direction.
Collage materials!
I keep a box of pre-cut, (or ready-to-be-cut) things next to my desk for specifically these times. Paint chips, magazines, old photos, print-outs, old sketches.... anything goes! I look for pattern, form, movement, anything that catches my eye or begs further exploration and cut those moments out. Once I've assembled those I start cutting further, grabbing for the essence of what drew me to them.
I really want to play with the shadows on these pots.
Materials Used:
Head over to my Amazon shop for links to all the materials:
- Canson watercolor sketchbook
-Elmers Adhesive Spray
-Derwent pastel pencils
-Ultramarine Acrylic Paint
At this point I just start playing. Layering color on pattern, adding daubs of paint, pencil lines... all that matters is I'm experimenting and staying curious.
Sometimes I take the finished collage and sketch around it, playing with color and rhythm - just expanding on the shapes found. It's a great exercise before digging into work and other projects!
I'd love to hear about your experiences with collage - how do you find the pieces you use?
My Studio Bullet Journal
Well, it's not really a REAL bullet journal. I don't have the patience to make sure everything is lined up and perfectly straight (though I WISH I did, when executed with exactness bullet journals are so, so beautiful!)
It's taken a decade or two for me to understand that if I commit to a habit, I need to have wiggle room - and while a perfectly designed and measured bullet journal might work for a few days, it's not something I'll keep up. So, messy, unmeasured journal it is.
My main focus is to break the day down into blocks for scheduling, but also keep a running tab of non time-specific to-dos. Between these two and all the extra space for notes, sketches and other blurbs I have found my holy grail for keeping the studio organized.
The physicality of the journal is super important to me. This journal isn't something that leaves my studio, and I absolutely have enough filled books already -- so the bigger the better.
This the Art Alternatives Giant Sketchbook (currently out of stock on Amazon, but I have few others listed in my shop here) and it feels like a wizard's tome. It's really heavy, but when I pull it out to plan the day and hits my table, it feels like this sacred moment before finding some ancient bit of knowledge... it engages me completely.
If you've never kept a bullet journal before, there are a bunch of great tutorials on Skillshare. To sign up follow this link and get access to their videos for 2 months for just 99 cents! I think the most important part is to find a system that clicks with the way you work and the habit will naturally take root. I couldn't commit to a perfectly measured out grid book, and I imagine in some one else may not be able to keep a book that was as scrawly and uneven as mine. Find what works for you!
If you do keep a studio journal of sorts, I'd love to see it! Comment below with an image or link of your journal, or share your organizational practices - maybe I can learn something new :)
Materials List on Amazon
I love talking art materials.
I love seeing into other artist’s bags of tricks, learning about their tools and wondering if it’s something I want to play with, something that might benefit my practice, or something I get to just be in awe of! (I'm looking at you ceramicists!) The number one question I get asked by other artists is; “Where did you find that brush/squeegee/paint color/staple gun/apron (etc)”!!!?? So I think there might be a few people out there who feel the same way I do.
I try to compile as much information on the request as I can, “where I found it, how it works, how it doesn’t work, how much is usually is….” but that can take AWHILE and I’ve been known to forget details.
Which is why I was very happy to be asked to participate in the Amazon Influencer program - providing me with a direct portal for those questions.
Instead of hunting down links, trying to remember color names or prices - I can direct these questions to my shop page where everything I use is plainly laid out and available for purchase. I usually try out new materials each time we head off on a trip, so this will be where I list those purchases as well.
There’s no additional fee to order via my shop, everything is the same price as you’d find elsewhere on Amazon - but I do get a small percentage back. Which as a full-time artist is very appreciated.
I understand those sort of situations can feel a little weird, so I absolutely wouldn’t fault anyone who wanted to find the products on their own. I choose to participate in these sorts of services as every little bit helps keep my practice going, keeps me available to answer questions, lets me work on tutorials and articles and generally just keeps this ship afloat.
Let me know if you want to see something in particular or want me to answer any questions about a specific material.
While we’re on the materials tangent, I wanted to talk a little bit about a project I started a few weeks ago that has taken on another life entirely! I started a little hashtag called #mybrushstory, (because I LOVE seeing what other artists use!) and asked for email submissions detailing the stories behind the brushes we use. Originally I had planned on using 2 - 3 entries for a little blogpost on the subject, but I was blown away by the incredible stories shared. One small post won’t do these artists and their brushes justice, so I’m trying to reimagine the project, perhaps into a series of sorts.
If you want to submit to the series, hop on over to this page for more information!
Wishing you all a wonderful day <3
Everytown for Gun Safety Art Auction
On Friday March 2nd at 12 pm (EST) my painting Halcyon 2 will be available for purchase during the @artists_for_everytown online auction. The proceeds will go to support the work of @everytown, a movement of Americans working together to end gun violence and build safer communities.
For more information on how to bid on my painting or any of the other beautiful available work head over to the auction page on instagram.
Thanks friends <3
Halcyon 2 - available via @artists_for_everytown
Winter Forms
I love the winter.
This may come as a surprise as I spent 10 years of my life in Miami - but winter has always been and will always be my favorite season. A changed landscape, the snap of cold air in my lungs, the layers of blankets to keep out the chill... everything about it energizes and invigorates me.
While I can't reliably run as much in the winter, and the long days of painting in the woods take a bit more planning and layering, I do still get outside to sketch and explore.
The forms of winter just seem so much more dramatic; the deep reaching purple shadows on the snow, the sepia gradients of leaves frozen at the bottom of a pond, the barreness of the landscape, it all speaks to me so much louder than other seasons.
If weather doesn't allow for me to sit out and sketch (we've had a few weeks of negative temperatures, makes it a bit hard to hold on to a paint brush and concentrate....) I rely on taking photos and sketching from those when I get back indoors.
I try to remember the colors that struck me, the rhythm of the shadows, whatever it was that drew me to photograph the scene. Not necessarily to 'reproduce' the arrangement - but explore it's dynamic via paint and line. To play with the forms of winter and discover hidden moments, translating them to paper with a brush.
For these sketches I'm mostly concerned with speed - they aren't something I labor over and risk forgetting the initial spasm of motivation. I use watercolor sticks and block out the forms and colors as quickly as I can. Once I've got a few sketches from the photos made, I slow down and approach the final painting.
I'm a little sad to see this winter season winding down, though I can't say I'm upset about not having to shovel the sidewalk. Spring brings it's own inspirations in different forms and I'll be ready to sketch them too.
Wishing you all a lovely week!
<3