Winter Vacay
After a week visiting friends in Washington and exploring Couer D’Alene and then a second week of major covid scare (just got the thankfully negative test result back) I have returned to my desk "*cough* studio (and actual farming job of course) invigorated and inspired.
On my way back to the valley, I stopped at Michael’s to pick up acrylic painting supplies. I haven’t painted with acrylic since high school I think, but have been super inspired by artists like Sandi Hestor who paints still lifes and landscape (mostly) with a very lovely loosy-goosy style. Yesterday I finally broke them out, painting a simple still life of the staghorn fern sitting on my windowsill. I don’t think it’s done yet, there’s an uncomfortably open gap in the bottom, and I’m debating what to fill it with, but I’m quite happy with how it’s turned out so far.
While adding new projects to my existing wip-pile is a questionable decision at best, really mixing it up with different mediums is such a pleasant break, it feels like stretches for your brain. Also, it’s a great way to learn new techniques that can inform your other pieces. I know for myself that each medium- whether it be acrylic, watercolor, or pen- all of these totally change how I create art and how the image flows from my mind onto the page. It’s almost like having different artists in my brain, each assigned their own style. This has really annoyed me in the past- especially when there is so much focus on social media apps to have a cohesive and niche aesthetic- but I am learning to let it go. It makes reaching new followers harder, but I don’t ever want to force myself out of authentic expression.
Until next time, Sabrina
