My Art Journal

I love my sketchbook, but I was longing for a change. I wanted something that was more freeing and more filled with feelings. I imagined something that was expressive, bold, sensitive and playful all at the same time. I had this idea of smothering paint on the pages, pasting down collage pieces, and covering the paper with my favorite marks. Something that was experimental, fun and joyful. A place where I could dive deep into each page and get lost in the process. Welcome to my art journal!

My art journal, while similar to my sketchbook, has one main characteristic that is different. The main difference is that my art journal is larger than my sketchbook. This may seem trivial, but it is actually quite important! One of my goals with the art journal was to be more free and expressive. There are several ways to loosen up in your work, and substrate can be one of them. I chose to work in a spiral-bound pad that is 14x17”. This larger size gives me more room to play, more space to dream, and more freedom to express myself. I like the idea of this larger surface that still bound together so it retains the feeling of a sketchbook.

I recently received the question, “How do you loosen up with your work”? As I mentioned, working on a larger surface can be one way to get looser with your paintings. The second way to loosen up is to use different tools. Using larger brushes and also brushes with longer handles can help you achieve broader areas and less defined marks. The large brushes force you away from the small, detailed work. The long handle brushes, if you hold them at the end, allow you less control over the marks. Both substrate and tools can be effective ways of achieving more freedom with your paintings.

I have done several pages in my art journal so far. I am absolutely loving them! They are loose, free and expressive. I have also been playing around with the idea of writing words on each page as they come to mind. Sometimes it’s sentences etched into the paint, and sometimes it’s just one word boldly stated on the page. Other times the words are hidden beneath the layers like secrets. And sometimes there are no words at all because the painting speaks for itself.

I look forward to sharing my art journal pages with you on my Instagram!

Authentic Marks

“You’re a natural mark-maker.” I went to two painting workshops when I first started the abstract painting. Both instructors, within minutes of watching me paint, said the exact same thing. I was a mark-maker. I had never heard that term before. But I knew that sounded like me.

I quite like that idea of both making marks and making my mark. I’m a definitive mark-maker. When I was first starting the abstract work, I told the instructor that “I only paint with organic shapes.” I wasn’t into geometric forms at all. I knew what I liked and what was inside of me. If you look at my work now, you would laugh because I paint with a lot of geometric shapes. In fact, I love geometric shapes.

I am currently enjoying the combination of mixing the organic and geometric elements. The geometric shapes came into my work when I moved to the city and was influenced by my surroundings. I like to go for long walks and let the shapes and spaces settle deep into my imagination. I paint what is inside of me, and those shapes have made their way into my work.

I recently received the question, “What’s with all the triangles?” I didn’t even realize that I was painting with so many triangles. My first thought was, “How can you not love triangles?! They are so cute!” My second thought was, “If I love triangles, then I’ll paint more triangles!” In order to paint authentically and create your best work, you have to paint what is in you. If you’re into triangles, then by all means, triple down on those triangles. I won’t be into triangles forever, so I‘m enjoying this triangle season.

The reason why I say PAINT TRIANGLES—if you’re into triangles—is because an authentic mark is much more powerful than a hesitant mark. While they may look similar, they are not the same. There is an energy that is captured in your marks. People can feel that energy come through in your work. It is better to paint a shape that’s in you, rather than to paint a shape that someone else told you to paint. You can feel the difference when looking at your work even if you can’t see it.

It’s also not that I just “paint triangles”. If you look at my work, I vary the use of the triangle. In fact, so much so, that I hardly notice I paint triangles at all. I use the side of my brush to create triangles. I use paint markers to outline triangles. I create triangles of different sizes. Sometimes I fill them in. I connect the triangles to create different forms. I add dots to the corners of the triangles, if I feel like it. I often like a triangle without the base so it’s just an arrow. Or two triangles together to form a diamond. I create triangles made of dashed lines, thick lines, thin lines, colored lines, and transparent edges. Sometimes I layer the triangles. And sometimes I cover them up completely.

So do I really just paint triangles? Not at all. It’s important to remember that it’s not what shapes you use. It’s how you use those shapes. You can paint with any shapes and make it work. And the best way to pick a shape is to find the one that is inside of you.

Perfect Pinks

I have this obsession with pink. It’s one of my favorite colors, and I use it in a lot of my paintings. I almost treat this color like a neutral—it’s a staple, a go-to, and a must have in my paint collection. I am constantly rotating my color palettes including the pinks that I use. I am currently into two particular pinks this season. Paints are like clothes--the styles keep changing and you can never have enough.

The two pinks that I love right now are the Liquitex fluorescent pink and light portrait pink. In keeping with the clothes analogy, think of fluorescent pink as an accent piece to your outfit and light portrait pink as a staple in your wardrobe. Both are necessary and serve different purposes.

(1) Fluorescent Pink—Just the color of this pink brightens my day. I smile every time I look at the bottle. How can you not love a bright pop of pink! I use this pink in two ways. It is effective in small amounts to add energy to your painting. The bold color makes a statement. You can also mix this with other colors to get different shades and more muted tones.

(2) Light Portrait Pink—This is a softer pink that’s an everyday staple. It’s not that bright and it’s a great color to use as a middle tone. I like to think of this color as a brighter neutral. It is one of those colors that seems to go well with everything!

I have both of these pinks on my painting table right now. I will sometimes use one or both in my paintings. I don’t use pink in every painting, but when I do, these are my two favorites. Of course, there are more pinks that I love—like quinacridone magenta. That is a deeper pink and I’m pretty sure it will make an appearance when I bring out my fall collection.

Movement and Flow

I am exploring the idea of flow and movement in my painting practice. I’m interested in how these elements translate from your body into your paintings. I started doing more yoga during quarantine. The thought of being confined made me want to move my body more. I think of yoga as this gorgeous sculpture of movement with your body. The vinyasa yoga is a beautiful flow that requires strength and flexibility. The most important elements are often the transitions from one pose to the next. It’s an exploration and practice just like painting.

Painting requires a lot of physical movement with your body as well. The smaller paintings are more focused and guided by your hand. The larger pieces invite you to bring your whole body into the painting. I like to carry that flow and presence from the yoga practice into the paintings. Sometimes this looks like the sweeping marks from a vinyasa flow. Sometimes this looks like the translucent layers from the transitions between poses. And sometimes this is the open space from the calmness you create on the mat. In addition to the visual elements, there is also this feeling or presence that subtly carries through without your awareness. It’s what you feel in the painting versus what you see in the painting. That feeling of flow is one that I often try to capture in my work as it adds a beautiful sense of movement to the composition.