Studio Moments: The Quick and Oily

My studio practice has been haphazzard at best as of late. That’s what happens when market season is underway. I make, make, make, and to some extent there is play and experimentation in that, but it’s not full-on experimentation and play. That’s where I feel like I can explore media and grow.

Painted Birdhouse for the Chautauqua Park and Cal-Wood Auction.

Much of my studio time has also been focused on finishing the painting of a birdhouse for the Chautauqua Park and Cal-Wood Education Center Art in the Park fundraiser for wildfire recovery. I was one of 30 artists chosen this year to paint a birdhouse made of wood reclaimed from the October 2020 Cal-Wood fire that burned about one to two miles south of my town, so this was a super personal project for me.

I submitted some of my negative space paintings for the application process and used that process for the birdhouse. I created the chaos layer and then found the birds and flowers. It felt right for the project. Bidding has opened, and even if you’re not bidding, go check out the other birdhouses. They are amazing!

Between the birdhouse, the Bohn Park Artisan Market, and my partner’s surgery, there was little other studio time for sketching, but I managed to do quick projects and experiment with new and retooled supplies.

At work, I often steal a few minutes to sketch. They’re lunch minutes, so It’s not really stealing. I have a wonderful travel watercolor palette that my coworkers gifted me for my birthday. I’ve been doing some quick ink and watercolor sketches in the few minutes I have, using the amazing palette and the sketchbook that came with it. I keep it simple and focus more on line than anything. I’ve never been super confident with watercolor, but I’m slowly but surely figuring it out.

Oil pastel sketch of a still life I set up on my art table.

I’ve been focusing on drawing what’s around me, and we’ve been getting veggies from our CSA farm share, so I’m trying to set up more still lifes. I pulled out the oil pastels to play around with texture and color a bit more, and set up this still life with this colorful thrifted pitcher, some of the veggies, and the little cactus that could.

Sketch with new and old oil sticks.

I recently got some oil sticks, some really old ones (vintage-like) and some brand new R&F Oil Sticks that I totally love. I took a moment in the studio to play with the new ones and the old ones, doing some still-life sketching in my sketchbook. Once again, I took advantage of the bounty we’ve been getting from the farm. I can’t eat the hot peppers, so they make good subjects. I have been giving them to my work colleague who loves hot peppers, so they are being consumed and not wasted.

Finally, I pulled out my big watercolor palette. I’d neglected it since I took a workshop on Skillshare with artist Robert Joyner. In fact, I need to get on Skillshare and take another of his classes. Anyway, I took out the palette. I looked at the colors again and made a chart to help me remember what’s in there. Then I played. I played with making a random face, and I played with some still life stuff, using a blue/purble bottle I found at a yard sale last weekend.

Self-portrait sketch in acrylic.

I’ll leave you with a self-portrait I did in acrylic one night before bed. For me, it’s all about getting quick sketches in. Sometimes, that’s all the time I have as an artist with a full-time job. I am okay with that. I get to be in my studio, and it’s all good, even if I do wish for more extended creative time.