Studio post · July 9, 2026
Over the past few weeks, my fellowship responsibilities have kept me busier than ever, which has meant far less time in the studio than I'd like. While I haven't been painting as much, the upside has been having the opportunity to step back, think, and develop new ideas for future work. A few weeks ago I shared several concepts with the group, and their feedback was incredibly valuable. A few of the ideas had weaknesses that became obvious once we talked them through, but one concept kept sticking with me. I realized it had the potential to become a strong, self-contained painting without requiring months of work. Those are rare, and I couldn't wait to get started. This week I finally began the piece, and it's off to a promising start. The painting features our friend Michaela, who studied at the Florence Academy, based on a photoshoot we did together at Mount Rainier this past March. The image is intentionally ambiguous. There's no clear explanation of what's happening, which leaves plenty of room for interpretation. I'm especially excited about finding the right title because I think it has the power to completely shift how the viewer experiences the painting. Depending on the direction I take, the same image could feel peaceful, unsettling, or somewhere in between. From a purely visual standpoint, it's also just a joy to paint. Sometimes a composition immediately feels right, and this is one of those rare cases. At the same time, I'm laying the groundwork for a much larger studio painting inspired by one of Washington state's most iconic landscapes. It's an ambitious project that I'm equally excited about, and I'll be sharing much more about its development in future updates. For now, it's simply good to be back in front of the easel.
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