I crawl into your inbox on this cold and cozy January day to give you a peak into my world.

After a year of feeling unsettled and uprooted, I hunkered down hard into our new home. My current studio, although part of the living room, has become one of the most idyllic studio spaces I've had thus far.

I was also recently gifted a large easel. Which I had assumed at the time was a third smaller that it turned out to be…

When Sam and I first set it up in my space, a had a moment of sheer panic. “It's too big! And I am much too small of an artist … we have to give it back”. But Sam is made of the most stubborn support and talked me round to giving it a go.

I'm still intimidated, but much more at peace. Also because it came from the studio of a much beloved artist from this island, it feels like it radiates warmth, encouragement, and support.

On the easel I have a series of portraits for a group show happening this summer. I think it's been 5 years, or maybe more since I have painted an oil portrait, or even a portrait in general.

I've missed portrait painting a lot, and am enjoying the unique challenges of each one. There will be 10 in total for this show, but maybe more because my friends keep sending me the most delightful references.

I've got another series I will be starting in February, an exploration of folk songs that my mom and I love. I'm hoping to find a bridge between my portrait painting and my folklore painting in that series, but we will have to wait until February to see how that goes 🌞

I don't have much else to add right now, so go tell someone you love them, take a minute off the technology to be present in the world, and fight fascism when you see it 💪🏻🐌

Xoxo