my painting crush of the moment
There is nothing quite like the joy of making something you absolutely LOVE. I experience it on a regular basis, and even still, it never fails to thrill me.
It's the quiet awe of, “Did I make that?!”
It’s closing up the studio for the day, but then going back in again and again to beam in pride at my latest love.
And as anyone who has ever had a crush before knows… it’s wanting to talk about them all the time. So today, allow me to gush about my current painting crush the shop!!
🤤🤤🤤🤤
So freaking dreamy!!
THE PROCESS
I created this piece in a batch. That means, I laid out multiple papers on my work surface, and painted them all at once one color at a time. I LOVE doing this because working in batches help me from getting overly “precious” with any one piece needing to be something other than exactly what it is.
The process is all about refusing to second-guess and follow the instinct in the moment – more pink! a backbone of dark teal here! splatters! now! quick! In just a few quick layers, I knew instantly when this one was done. There was an effortless confidence to it.
I love how my brushstrokes are loose and playful; bold and emotive. This is almost always what I'm reaching for when I create abstract works! I feel so proud of how this piece turned out.
THE COLOR CRUSH
I am obsessed with the how the middle bursts of neon pink is framed on the bottom by mustard yellow (the color of a sweater I used to borrow from my mom in high school!!) and the brownish purple; on the right, the layered strokes of teal and dark blue give the warmth a backbone and provide a cool contrast to the high saturation of warmth in the middle.
The fade to lavender and baby blues at the top catches in my throats when I look at it, and reminds me of the sky just before dusk.
The colors and strokes guide my eyes in circles throughout the piece, finding areas of interest to rest upon. Dynamic. Bold. And with a playful ease.
THE INSPIRATION
There's a million things that influence my work (nature! clothing! dancing and movement! urban walls!), but one steady source of inspiration over the last decade that I see directly impacting this piece is none other than the queen of abstract colors and movements, Helen Frankenthaler.
Her GIANT piece, “around the clock with red,” is in the permanent collection at the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga, and I loved going to visit it when I lived in Nashville.
THE TITLE
I don't ever know what something will be called until I know in my gut it's done, and have a moment to step back and listen for what the piece reminds me of. For this piece, its cool confidence reminded me of how I feel when I have on an outfit that I love, walking down the street with my headphones in and feeling like I'm hot shit.
I had a moment like this in early November scouting out a location to pitch my artwork to. I felt sparkly with life and possibility and like my life was just the most interesting and wonderful thing to experience.
Because of that, the name that popped up for this bb?
~the main character energy I feel from wearing my favorite sweater~
main character energy is my phrase of 2024, and yes, I'm sure you'll be hearing more about that in the coming weeks. Speaking of, I’d love to know — do you have a word/phrase of the year???
THE PLACEMENT
AKA how to display it in your home??
Little cuties (aka smaller paintings) are the perfect addition to a pre-existing gallery wall, shelf or to spice up an empty wall that's already anchored by a piece of furniture (like a desk, console table or shelf as shown above).
If you want my support selecting the perfect spot in your home for a piece (I LOVE getting to help clients style my work!!), book a virtual studio visit/consult call with me for free here!
Okay, so now that you know and love this piece as much as I do, here’s all the dets you need to know to adopt…
THE DETS
acrylic paint on 5x7 inch archival paper
mounted to 11x14 inch 100% cotton* white matboard
$1200 (price includes tax & domestic shipping)
*100% cotton materials ensure this piece is museum quality. Most mats (even 'acid free' ones) do not have a cotton core and thus will yellow with age, and after 10 years, that deterioration can begin to affect the integrity of the painting.
All paint pigments fade over time and paper (and even canvas!) will eventually start to deteriorate. However, by using the highest quality materials and sharing ways of safely displaying and storing your art, you can expect to enjoy the art I create for not only the rest of your lifetime but also for generations to come.