Studio post · March 12, 2026
I took a few days away from the studio to join some friends on a ski trip to British Columbia. Only instead of skiing during the trip, I spent time each day going out to paint plein air. Since I had my car with me, I was able to drive around and explore a number of locations I had scoped out and researched beforehand, which led to several landscape paintings inspired by the unique ecosystem and geological character of eastern Washington. Since moving out here for the Seattle Prize, I’ve been struck by how extraordinary the landscape around us is. It is a real privilege to live and work in a place with so much natural beauty, and I’ve been making a conscious effort to spend more time painting outdoors. These experiences provide an incredible amount of visual information that carries back into the studio, particularly when it comes to design, color relationships, and the creation of atmosphere. It’s something I’ve really fallen in love with and plan to continue pursuing. Ideally, I would organize my time so that Monday through Friday is devoted to my large narrative paintings in the Seattle Prize studio, while the rest of my time is spent out in nature observing and studying the landscape. That feels like a very healthy and productive balance for continuing to grow as an artist.
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