Studio Newsletter | December 2024

When December hits, why does it always seem impossible that the year is coming to a close but while you were living all the other months, it seemed endless? To read December’s newsletter, click the image below.

My two favorite people in one of my favorite places.

Studio Newsletter | November 2024

Happy November! To read November’s newsletter, click the image below.

(L) Palo Duro, 5”x7”, limited edition print, 2019, (R) Dark Palo Duro, 5x7”, hand painted print, 2024

Studio Newsletter | October 2024

It’s October - bring on the cooler temps and mosquito-less skies! To read October’s newsletter, click the image below.

Mountain Return, 11”x15”, Flashe on wood panel, 2024

Studio Newsletter | September 2024

I think about this year’s total eclipse often and it reminds me of how magical Halley’s Comet was to my eleven year old kid self when it shot through the sky all those years ago. To read September’s newsletter, click the image below.

Mountain Eclipse, 11”x15”, collage and Flashe on wood panel, 2024

Studio Newsletter | August 2024

When you buckle up and devote yourself to seeing an idea through, interesting things can happen. To read August’s newsletter, click the image below.

Ghost Tapir, 6”x6”, mixed media, 2024

Studio Newsletter | July 2024

Last month was dedicated to sending a body of work into the world, this month’s focus is creating the space for new work. To read July’s newsletter, click the image below.

Artspace111, Fort Worth, TX

Studio Newsletter | June 2024

Well folks, Talisman will be on view from June 6th-July 6th at Artspace111! To read June’s newsletter, click the image below.

Tucson to Nogales (Jackrabbit), 15”x11”, Flashe, paint marker, and polymer clay on wood panel, 2024

Empty Space for New Ideas

I’ve been thinking a lot about the Jung quote that goes something along the lines of life being a pause between two great mysteries. Also heavy on the mind are flying saucers in desert skies and an almost desperation to take my family to a place like Fort Davis, Texas where there are no city lights to wash out the stars and you can visit McDonald Observatory to see the moon up close. It’s important to see really faraway, to be immersed in it, and for my daughter to develop a good understanding that life exists well beyond where we are standing.

Pursuing a daily studio practice is how I connect with those two great mysteries. It doesn’t give me an answer to what the mysteries are, instead it allows me to find joy by simply being in their company.

My solo show, Talisman, opens in one month and today I felt compelled to pack up most of the work into neat little piles and store them in a corner of the studio. I’m clearing the decks for the new wave of paintings which will continue to explore foggy memories and the specialness of particular spaces but the next group will lean heavier into the guidance we receive from unknown sources.

There was a sadness in packing it away but my need for less noise outweighed the want to keep the work out. The studio is small and fills up quickly - new ideas need empty quiet.

Studio Newsletter | May 2024

I recently read something that clicked nicely in my brain and heart. To read May’s newsletter, click the image below.

Lessons of a Lifetime, 30”x80”, Flashe on wood panel, 2024

Studio Newsletter | April 2024

Creating work is just making order out of chaos if you want to get to the nitty gritty of a studio practice. To read April’s newsletter, click the image below.

Monk Constellation (Bison), 15”x11”, Flashe, paint marker, and polymer clay on wood panel, 2024

Studio Newsletter | March 2024

Ever get hyperfocused on the sheer oddness of being alive? To read March’s newsletter, click the image below.

Yucca Statues (Snake), 15”x11”, Flashe, paint marker, polymer clay on wood panel, 2024

Studio Newsletter | February 2024

Happy February! There’s been a super cold snap here in Texas. To read February’s Newsletter, click the image below.

Storm Clouds (Vultures), 15”x11”, Flashe, paint marker, and polymer clay on wood panel, 2024

Studio Newsletter | January 2024

Happy New Year! Stepping into a new year feels good. To read January’s Newsletter, click the image below.

Desert Shadows I, 30”x40”, Flashe on canvas, 2024