Day 1: Pulling Back the Curtain
Today marks the beginning of a 40 day creative journey building a brand new collection in public, from first ideas to finished paintings. This project is part studio diary, part visual journal, and part invitation into the real process behind creating a body of work from scratch.
I’ve been sitting with the idea of doing a 30 day painting challenge like other artists where they do a small painting every day. But I’m already moving toward a new collection, and I don’t want to step away from that just to follow something else.
So I’m trying to blend the two. A daily practice that also holds the process of building a full collection in real time.
Day 2: The Vision Where It Began
Some ideas arrive slowly. Others stay with you for years. Today’s entry explores the original vision that sparked this collection and the deeper themes of abundance, provision, beauty, and hope that continue to shape the work.
I’m starting to think I might be in over my head.
I haven’t really thought through the infrastructure behind something like this. Not just painting, but documenting everything I usually keep internal. The thoughts, the context, the years of experience and learning that sit behind the initial vision.
It’s not just “share the process.” It’s realizing I need to explain a lifetime of context that normally never makes it onto the page.
Day 3: Testing the Vision and Why 40 Days
Today got more complicated.
Today I realized I needed to talk about my actual story more openly than I usually do, but I don’t want to use pain as content. That’s not what this is about for me, and it’s not how I want the work to function.
So I had to figure out of how to be honest without oversharing, and how to explain context without turning it into something that feels misused, or dishonoring.
Day 3 Blog: Testing A Vision
Today’s blog is all about how I test a vision and why I chose 40 days for this project.
Day 4: Unpacking the Meaning of the Vision
I’m really in the weeds of what this project actually entails. I’ve spend two days setting up the webpage, building the content schedule, mapping out what needs to be said and when. I’ve spent so much time on my computer my eyes are blurry and absolutely none in my studio. But I think I’ve organized my thoughts enough I can actually hold the structure of this project without losing it mid-process.
I am starting to map things out though. I think mind mapping is one of my least favorite yet most beneficial planning exercises. It really does help me see the way my mind associates things and start to see the connections.
For example, wheat is gold, the light is gold, honey is gold and gold is money/provision.
And the specific color of many of these things I would paint them in is Indian Yellow. Which to me is deep and rich and beautiful. It’s the color I use the most for light and to get the glowing effect in my art work.
If you want to learn to how to interpret your own dreams and visions, you can learn how here:
Dream Interpretation Study and Journal
This is the part nobody usually sees. The pages before the paintings developing the ideas.
Turning ideas into images.
Developing symbolism and meaning.
I put the central idea down and then just... followed it. No editing, no second-guessing. Something in here becomes the collection.
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Day 5: Working On Symbolism
I’m finally coming up for air again.
Most of the backend structure is in place now. The webpage is set up. The content schedule is taking shape. It’s also my first normal workday after several very long ones, and I’m shifting from set up back to creating.
I still haven’t fully painted yet, but I’m doing concept sketches and symbolism studies. Just trying to get what’s in my head into something physical I can actually look at.
Yesterday was concepts and ideas. Today is turning them into visuals and symbols. I’m sketching out the actual imagery that will carry this collection, and working out what translates and makes sense visual and what doesn’t. Most of these were spot on. But that arched door way was an immediate no. And now I know I don’t want actual architecture in these landscapes.
This part feels less like planning and more like listening. Some marks and images feel right immediately, others get redrawn and explored. I’m not trying to perfect anything here, just translate what I’ve been carrying internally into something visible I can work with.
Today’s focus is simple: draw it, test it, see what it becomes.
Day 6: Studio Tour and My Process
Today I’m inviting you into my space. Take a tour of my studio, see my favorite supplies and see how I start a painting. Also, take a peak at how I find visual inspiration though Pinterest, mood boards, and creating sources.
A glimpse into my studio
the messy first layer to get rid of the white canvas
Today has been more plotting and planning than actual painting, but that’s part of building a collection too. I spent time updating inspiration boards and gathering reference material for the visual language of the series. Bees, cloud formations, golden light, textures, landscapes, and color palettes that carry the atmosphere I’m trying to create.
I’ve also started mapping out some of the specific pieces I want to paint. I have a working list of titles and I’m beginning to build sources for the final compositions. My process usually works in two stages.
First, I work from mood boards and broad inspiration to create the early background layers. That part stays loose, intuitive, and messy on purpose.
Then somewhere in the middle, I switch gears and start building more structured references based on what’s already happening in the painting. It ends up being a blend of chaos and structure, which honestly feels pretty fitting for this collection.
Mood Boards compiling textures, colors, etc.
Day 7: Starting to Paint
Yesterday I spent the day gathering sources and inspiration images and by this morning I was more than ready to finally get into the studio and start painting.
Before I started though, I reread Ruth again. Honestly, you have to love a short book where you can sit down and read the entire thing in one sitting.
Ruth keeps showing up to glean in fields not knowing what happens next. Naomi starts the story bitter and grieving and somehow ends it holding new life in her arms. God keeps moving in quiet ways through ordinary obedience, ordinary kindness, ordinary people.
No giant dramatic moments. Just steady provision. If you don’t know the story, its here:
“Kill The White” Process Video
(watch me use ink and spray paint to quickly block in some shapes and composition)
The first layer of a painting for me is usually just what I call “killing the white.” It’s fast and messy and honestly usually pretty ugly. Drips everywhere. Random marks. Chaos. Sometimes I loosely block in shapes or colors but mostly I’m just trying to get rid of the intimidation of a blank canvas.
Perfectionism has a lot less power once the surface is already a mess.
At that point, I’m not trying to make something perfect. I’m just trying to move toward refinement.
There’s probably a life metaphor in there somewhere.
I actually killed the white on these canvases last night with some washes and drips of acrylic and alcohol ink so I’d have something to work with this morning. These layers tend to be pretty wet so are fast but take time to dry in between. Today I started building layers with spray paint, collage, texture mediums and all the weird in between stages that eventually become a finished piece.
