Happy New Year 2021! What a journey we have all been on for the past year. I hope you are all healthy and choosing to focus on the good in life despite all of the chaos these many months have brought us.

As I begin this new year, I am struggling creatively. I find myself in a place of unfamiliarity with my artwork. I am avoiding going in the studio because I don’t know my direction. I have half started pieces all around me, but I don’t know how I want to complete them.

I love working in watercolor, but wanted to push myself into new territory with oils last year. I jumped in with both feet and I love the process. I just haven’t been able to totally reconcile the image in my head with the painting in front of me.

What is my path? Why isn’t there a how-to sheet? Don’t we all want 5 easy steps to painting a masterpiece?

That is where the word exploration comes in.

ex·plo·ra·tion

/ˌekspləˈrāSH(ə)n/

noun

the action of traveling in or through an unfamiliar area in order to learn about it.

Exploration is essential for growth. I know that in my head, but it is not always a pain free experience while you are in the process of it. Especially for a girl with perfectionist tendencies like me. I want all of my paintings to be amazing and loved and sold on day one. I think every artist wants this. But even the best artists in the world will tell you that it takes many, many paintings and many trials and errors to find your voice, find your style, and create with consistency.

So I am on this journey of exploration in 2021. I will paint and draw and experiment with different mediums until I find my way. I am posting these explorations on Instagram and Facebook as I create them. Sometimes they are beautiful and sometimes they are a mess. This vulnerability is rare in our overly polished social media world of perfectionism, but I feel it makes me a more authentic artist and I hope my viewers feel the same.

Wishing you all a healthy and happy new year! Thanks for joining me in the journey.