Hi friends,

If you're not sure why this email is showing up in your inbox, at some point you probably stopped by an open studio, purchased a painting, or commissioned a portrait. After years (!) of good intentions, I am finally sending a newsletter. I plan to share studio news and thoughts on art making, and you'll be the first to hear about studio sales or print drops. If you’re no longer interested, unsub with zero hard feelings. And if past is precedent, updates will be intermittent at best.

Studio notes

Studio move & September sale

Medium-sized news! I am moving to a new studio. I'll be in the same building at DC Arts Studios, just a few doors down. As I prepare for the move, I am planning a studio sale — a rare chance to get original paintings for a steal. I'll send more details soon, but subscribers to my newsletter will get first dibs.

Most of my painting during the last month was en plein air in the Yorkshire Dales, including this sweet cow friend. I did two workshops back to back with Workshops in Yorkshire, one with Joe Paquet and one with Richie Carter. Both were fantastic in their own way — I’ll share more about my learnings in a future installment.

My other big project of recent months has been managing an open call and curating a juried show at Willow Street Gallery. The show opens September 12 in Washington, DC, and runs through October 2. If you’re in the area, stop by the opening reception this Saturday from 6-8pm.

Inartful

Insecurity or self critique?

I’ve noticed that if I start to critique one of my paintings in the presence of friends or family, it often inspires some version of “No, it’s beautiful! Don’t say that about your art!” Which is a lovely sentiment, but not particularly helpful when you are trying to improve a painting or as a painter.

There’s a difference between negative self talk and constructive critique, but it’s not always easy to distinguish between the two. My rule of thumb is: Does this [thought/inner dialogue/mental spiral] motivate me to keep going or make me feel like giving up? The insidious internal stories that say you’ll never be enough or as good as [redacted] so you should just stop? Those likely fall into the soup of fear, anxiety, perfectionism, et al. Self critique is knowing that you can be better and trying to figure out how to get there. It’s the difference between paralyzing fear and problem solving.

When I am dissatisfied with one of my paintings it doesn’t need to be a crisis of self worth. It's just that liminal tension between where I am and where I want to be. Don’t get me wrong, it’s incredibly frustrating to know something is off and not be able to execute your vision. But the ability to see where you need to grow is very powerful indeed.

Looking at

The quiet landscapes of Birge Harrison

After spending two weeks in Yorkshire painting en plein air, I have been digging into historical landscape painters, a genre where I have some significant knowledge gaps. I'm particularly drawn to quiet and emotive tonalist landscapes. They accomplish so much in their deceptive simplicity. You can read more about Harrison here.

Over at Fox & Sable, the side of my business where I do animal portrait commissions, I’m gearing up for the end-of-year busy season. If you are interested in commissioning a portrait as a holiday gift, now is the time to get on my schedule! Newsletter subscribers get $25 off any portrait, just mention A Practice Observed in your form submission.

Thanks for reading — your support means a lot, whether you’re a fellow artist, collector or just following along. I’ll see you in another couple of years. Kidding! Probably.