Painting Detour

I’ve had to pivot twice in how I’ve been making original works in time for the upcoming holiday fair. The pieces I had envisioned were coming along, but the self-imposed deadline was making a slow, measured process very frustrating. I wanted to make more cut-out paintings, and more ambitious ones. The conditions just weren’t right.

So the first pivot came and I shifted focus to the other art I was making at the same time that was more fun: Good ole painting on canvas. But then I paused that for a bit with a second pivot.

A couple of weeks ago, my Dad started working on installing new flooring in my living room. It was a project we’d been planning for a bit and it was time to get it done. Part of it was following the [incomplete] directions, and the rest was his own ingenuity. He would say he’s strongest with cars, but he’s a natural when it comes to craftsmanship and numbers. I only helped with moving stuff, and then myself, out of the way.

I wanted to be available to jump in and help, so my time at my work table couldn’t be too focused or I’d just be grumpy throughout. I paused painting and moved on to illustrations on paper. I got to try out a new Midori paper pad I hadn’t opened, and played with combinations of Copic marker colors and neon pink pencils for lining. And then I made another discovery: where painting was spontaneous and fun, it was still an involved process. These illustrations were also spontaneous and fun, but they were also lighter overall. A third tier of work, unlocked. And still something unique.

I’ve since gone back to my canvas pieces and it’s more relaxed now. Next up are some administrative things like setting up my POS (point of sale) system, counting cash, packaging pins, and practicing my setup (that’s right, I do a practice run).

A lot of the finished stuff gets posted to my Instagram right away, and if you’re interested in adopting a painting, that’s where I’ll post info on availability. I’m excited to see all the finished pieces together and displayed for people to check out!