Learn to Paint podcast, episode 97

I am thrilled to share that I was invited to chat with none other than Kelly Anne Powers' as part of her Learn to Paint podcast. I'm the guest in episode 97. You can catch the episode on your favorite podcast platform or here on Kelly's website (which also includes access to an extended cut where I talk about nurturing your Must Haves and other gems).

In our conversation I talk about why you shouldn’t be afraid to cover up what you’ve put down (that universal problem of things becoming precious!), how to build an intuitive approach to your painting process (working from your humanity, your gut, is always authentically fresh and something AI simply cannot replicate) and why you might need to start a studio log (more on that below). Plus so very much more.

But let's jump to the big question - What is a studio log?

I started one decades ago as backup documentation for tax purposes. Initially it recorded what I did on work days with regards to creating artwork and driving my business. Today's studio log has evolved quite a bit from that sort of day book record into a vital tool that feeds my creativity.

I work daily inside an inexpensive composition notebook (cost is about a dollar or so at back-to-school time, and I load up for the coming year) and note my thoughts down as a painting progresses. I start with intention, some palette notes or perhaps ideas on scale, and add to those as the painting evolves. The books are organized by date. I write on the right hand side of the page, leaving the left side blank for thoughts or additions that bubble up after the fact. The logs are labeled on the spine and stored in the studio for easy access.

Over the years I've developed a process of questioning that I employ which essentially measures the forward movement and whether it's in alignment with my Must Haves (a separate list of things I believe a successful painting needs to include) and the basic principles/elements of art. I also like to add all the possible solutions to the various problems a painting presents during her creation - particularly those I don't follow. I have learned that by doing this I am more likely to commit these possibilities to memory - there is something about the act of writing a thought down that helps me personally recall it.

Every time I pop my brushes into water, I then sit across from the painting with my log and measure what's happening. I also take a photo of the piece in process with my phone. I allow myself to daydream with the image as the jumping off point. I blue sky on various possibilities, study my value patterns, look for color balance and listen to what she is trying to say. And write these things down - also because when i want to return to a particular idea that bubbled up a few weeks or months or years back, I can easily do so.

I invite you to pick up this practice yourself. Here's a simple painting checklist worksheet to help jumpstart a studio log. These sheets can be filed together in lieu of a notebook, or adapted to work in whatever system you devise.

Happy painting!

Thanks so much for your interest in my artwork,
All my best, warmly, Kim

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