A Pause in the Middle of the Mess
Time, or the lack of it, is a constant in my studio.
There are colours I want to test, compositions I want to crack. Half-finished thoughts waiting, somewhat impatiently, in the wings. Most days, it feels like I’m chasing work that already exists in my head. Paintings that are just out of reach, still waiting on time I don’t have.
Last month’s Painted Post print wasn’t a finished idea. It was a study. A small one. Something I made in the middle of a long week, with no grand plan beyond following a thread. I wanted to see how colour could carry light and shadow, if it could do the heavy lifting without the lines I usually lean on. It was a small study, an exploration of an idea. A clear step in a direction I was curious about.
Then, a few days later, I painted it again. This time it was much larger. The whole thing came together so quickly. It felt easy. Like one of those rare painting sessions where time disappears and your hand finally catches up with the idea. I didn’t overthink it. I just started. And it worked.
But I don’t think that would have happened if I hadn’t written the letter first.
There’s something about having to explain where you are. Creatively, emotionally, energetically. It makes you actually see it. Writing the Painted Post helps me do that. Each month, it gives me a moment to take stock. To notice what’s quietly forming behind the noise. It’s not just something I send out. It’s part of how I work now.
If you’ve been wondering what the Painted Post is, this is it.
A small print and a letter from my studio. A marker in the middle of the mess. A glimpse into the work while it’s still unfolding. Not a polished portfolio piece. Not a glossy announcement. Just a small moment in the middle of it all.
July’s edition goes out later this month. Sign-ups close on the 15th. I’d love to send one your way.