New Paintings

playfully creating while taking a "social media break"

For the month of March, I took a social media break and mostly hid in my studio in between short trips deep into the woods and along beautiful waterways finding inspiration.

Lake Quinault, Washington

In my studio work, I followed my impulses while using up supplies I had on hand. With a focus on “mostly birds” (inspired by my recent bird counting adventures in February), I created nearly thirty paintings featuring abstracts, trees, and of course, birds. As I followed current events, I also found my art leaning into the developments abroad. (See “Sunflowers for Ukraine” below.)

In the midst of this focused studio time, I tried to find a daily rhythm to my studio routine. I am not a routine-oriented person by nature. I naturally prefer an unstructured schedule that changes as my daily pursuits and interests change. Unfortunately, I have found that unstructured time can easily turn into an unhelpful and unhealthy exercise.

My initial goal in taking a Social Media break for the month of March was to step back from the screen and focus more on painting. I found it wasn’t that simple. I still had to work to wed my wandering nature with structured blocks of studio time to create a more balanced workflow working toward both professional and personal goals. (I’ll share the details of my progress in next week’s post.)

Regardless of my efforts, I can tell you that the month swooped by in a flash. I’m not entirely sure I’m ready to leave the quiet solitude yet, but I am excited to finally share all the paintings I’ve been creating with you.

Following is a glimpse into my month of painting

to be showcased in my April 3 Affordable Art Show. I hope you enjoy seeing some of the art and finding out a little more about what inspired their creation as I hid away in my studio for the month of March.

Ukraine

I started the month with a need for comfort in the face of a world bearing witness to war (See post “Comfort Colors”) which prompted me to end the month with this small tribute to the people of Ukraine.

These pieces will be added to my auction event happening from April 3 through April 10, with 100% of the final bid price being donated to OutRight Action International.

Birds

I always enjoy watching birds and wanted to add some new birds to my repertoire as well as pay tribute to those I often happily watch on my walks near home. To that end, I included this sweet little chickadee (often spied here in my Oregon backyard) as well as this little Waxbill (spied in a flock of cuteness on the island of Kauai in February).

Abstracts

I also spent some time enjoying playful, big, and loose brushstrokes on a large 4 ft x 6 ft canvas. I love the freedom of movement and thought that comes from moving quickly with a big brush and just letting the paint drip. This piece came to comfort me with the imagery as well. When I stepped back I could see abstract people coming together to rebuild a community which made me think of Ukraine and all the places and people that have to rebuild their homes and lives after destruction.

I also let the energy from this painting spill over onto 4 canvas scraps initially used to catch the drips from the painting process and then finished them with as few brushstrokes as I could allow. My favorite is the following, “Removing Obstacles”.

Trees

I have lived my whole life surrounded by the trees of the Pacific Northwest. They greet me as friends as I walk through the woods - comforting, protecting, and inspiring me. From madrones and douglas fir to the oaks of my Willamette Valley home, I see their strength and fragility and try to capture their magic in my paintings, as with this piece, “Forest Magic”.

It was a productive month - not just for art-making, but for providing space for continued personal and professional growth. It also allowed for an opportunity to hopefully give a little more beauty and peace to a world in desperate need of it.

To see all the art included in the show, feel free to follow the link below.

My best to you all,

Jennifer