Have you ever experienced summer in Texas? If you’re a Texan, you know what I’m talking about. If you’re not, then let me sum it up with one word: HOT. The 100-plus degree weather influences a Texan’s way of life. We get outside in the morning, while the temperature is still in the “cool” 90’s, and we find any way to cool down. From ice cold beverages, to dips in the pool, you won’t find an indoor establishment with their AC set any higher than 70. Nothing beats the relief of cold air that hits you when you cross the threshold to the indoors.
This is the place that constantly inspires me to paint. I want to capture this place in every season, whether it is teeming with wildflowers, or if the landscape is dormant, and less vibrant. As I rest, my search for beauty in the landscape continues. The land itself is resting, and that speaks volumes. The land is not dead, but only experiencing a season of quiet, in preparation for the bounty that comes with Spring. There is a sublime beauty in the flatness of wide fields, whose colors have desaturated in the down season. There are no pockets of wildflowers, no tall grasses swaying in the wind, but short grasses laying low in anticipation for Spring.
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As I reshape how my creative practice to adjust to this new schedule, I’d love to share some of my basic necessities for art making. All of these items can be found on Amazon, meaning it can be in your shopping cart to your door in two days or less. Purchasing all of these items is certainly not necessary, so choose one lane to explore, and go from there. I have split this shopping list into two categories: Drawing and Painting. All of the materials are easy to pick up and put down, and safe to use in your home. These are high quality materials that will last you a good while, and offer endless avenues to explore.
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It was the end of the holidays, and I was exhausted. There is nothing like the true rest that comes in the days between Christmas and New Year’s and I rested like it was my job. I spent this down time at The Farm, one of the few places in the world where I can truly, fully slow down. Surrounded by wide open spaces, breathing in fresh air, and spending hours simply keeping warm by a fire pit, I rest hard.
This is the place that constantly inspires me to paint. I want to capture this place in every season, whether it is teeming with wildflowers, or if the landscape is dormant, and less vibrant. As I rest, my search for beauty in the landscape continues. The land itself is resting, and that speaks volumes. The land is not dead, but only experiencing a season of quiet, in preparation for the bounty that comes with Spring. There is a sublime beauty in the flatness of wide fields, whose colors have desaturated in the down season. There are no pockets of wildflowers, no tall grasses swaying in the wind, but short grasses laying low in anticipation for Spring.
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If you happened to be in Texas from the months of April to June, you might have witnessed the most incredible wildflower season. Not only was this wildflower season incredible in its volume of wildflowers, but the longevity of the blooms. While it’s only now that I’ve gotten the opportunity to capture these wild fields in my paintings, let me tell you, it was well worth the wait. Inspired by the movement and freedom of these wild fields, this collection celebrates Springtime and honors the season that reminds us that each season brings an opportunity for new growth, new life, and new hope.
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Painting these scenes was almost as fun as the trip itself. It was hard not to be charmed by the gently rolling fields spotted with vineyards, villas, and fields of wild poppies. The variety of texture and color was overwhelming, and was something I hoped to capture in this collection of paintings. These scenes were calm and peaceful, yet bright and alive - much like the effect of the natural world.
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We'd just arrived in Buonconvento, a small town outside of Siena, late on a Monday night, and were able to catch the fading sunset melt over the hills of Tuscany. The camera roll on my phone was jam packed with photos of the landscape, and we'd barely been there 15 minutes.
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Today I’d like to introduce you to the real hero of my studio - my paintbrushes! I’d have to guess that most artists couldn’t do without them. Yes, we have all heard of artists dumping, squeezing, and scraping paint on the surface of the canvas, but I’d guess that most of the artists out there rely on their trusty paintbrushes to create their artwork.
I selected a few of my favorite paintbrushes to cover in my Instagram stories, but I thought it would be helpful to layout all the info here too. There is such a variety of paintbrushes, whether its in shape, in what type of bristles or their specific function. For example, the different shapes of brushes include, Flat, Bright, Filbert, Round, and Fan. Each of these could be maid of hog hair, synthetic fibers, sable (a type of weasel, lol), or ox hair. The different purposes include, but are not limited to detailed work, color washes, hard edges or blending. These lists are by no means exhaustive, and are just the beginning of the breadth of paintbrushes available for artists.
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