In the Studio
March 2026 Edition
“Reclamation”, my most recent finished piece, is a continuation of my “Unforgotten” series, debuting at the Northside Open Studios Tour in Corvallis, Oregon, April 18 & 19. (If you are in the area, you can find me at Stop “A”).
I continue to be excited about the possibilities of this work, even as I make slow progress amid other studio (and life) activities…
March in Photos
“Reclamation” in process
Mini Botanical Collages in process
Enjoying a Spring walk, finding the Oregon Grape in bloom
Updating my website with prints from my earlier painting days
Honoring our dog, Denali, who passed away in mid-March after 14 years with us. (This is an older painting from her more energetic, youthful days, but it captures her spirit to the end)
Preparing more 5x7-inch collages for the studio tour, including this poppy
Continuing my pursuit of daily “devotions” to add to my upcoming Book of Inspirations due for print this summer, with this unusual forest find.
Image from a photoshoot of new work
A few hours on the coast to clear the mind and make arrangements for teaching a weekend collage workshop coming in September - can’t wait to share more!
And that’s March. It was a month of highs and lows, but I’m grateful for all the support around me—time with friends, family, and a few last Denali cuddles.
~ Jennifer
An Artist’s Notes in 2026
When I started this little writing experiment in 2020, I never imagined I’d still be here six years later. While it’s been fairly irregular and unstructured most of this time (despite various attempts to corral my notes into something more directed), I’m starting this year with a few parameters to focus my efforts.
What can you expect going forward?
Look for monthly studio updates (e.g. today’s note) as a means to share the art I’m making and the scope of what an art career may look like. This will just be a little walk-through of photos I’ve captured as I go about my artist life.
Regular “Devotions” as a means to find moments of peace and creativity throughout the year (currently showing up as photographic journal notes such as “A Walk in the Woods”, but may take other forms over the course of the year.)
Occasional Excerpts from writing and poetry projects to keep myself accountable (aka on schedule) as well as share this other creative novice side of myself. (Some excerpts will be short quotes from my current writing projects, and some may be longer and include a portion of my writing - such as the original poem in “Time Waits for No One”)
Periodic Reflections on life as an artist. These posts often take the most energy for me to produce and evolve over time before finally being published. They are also where I want to learn and grow the most, seeking out more opportunities to articulate my practice in a meaningful way, to look critically at the plethora of media thrown at us, and to sort through how that shapes a creative process. With that in mind, they will show up when they are ready, I’m able, and hopefully be more in-depth and meaningful to my readers over time.
My hope is that a little structure will enable me to continue posting with the honesty and openness I’m trying to offer, while keeping me from posting paralysis (when my writing insecurities take hold and I leave a string of unpublished posts unread).
I also hope that providing a better idea of what I’m offering in this space will make a subscription more worthwhile and reliable for anyone considering such. I have a lot of unknowns in my future (I’m looking at you, Grad School applications), but wherever tomorrow takes me, I hope to keep writing and sharing my experiences as an artist with you - as well as the occasional bonus art offered to my paying subscribers. (Sign-up as a paying subscriber by March 1 to receive the next offer).
BONUS - Sign up for quarterly analog mail updates
And no matter where you find/follow me, I’m now also offering a newsletter via mail (announced in my latest CollageO post).
“2026 - The Year of Analog Newsletters”
Inspired by literary friends and, in particular, an analog newsletter approach3 - I hope you will consider signing up to receive (free to US enrollees via US Mail) a quarterly newsletter/zine launching this year. For now, I expect to send four mailed updates in 2026. I may include a mini collage or two along the way (or maybe just a few collage tidbits to add to your collection)…
(Side note: I also offer paid versions of this effort in my Studio Store as Collage, Postcard, Sticker, and Notecard Clubs. If you are a member there, you don’t need to sign up here. I will include my analog newsletter within these subscriptions.)
Condolences on your loss. 🐕 I'm glad you were able to make a lovely portrait of Denali to cherish. ♥️ Love seeing your work and wish I was on the west coast to see your installation! ✨