Hi everyone! I hope you’re all doing okay as we’re getting closer and closer to the fall semester! I can’t wait to get back to making! While I’ve been home, I’ve sometimes found it tough to find the inspiration to be creative. Not only do I sometimes struggle with a lack of inspiration but also being stripped of a ceramics studio to work in is tough. I’ve been hyper-focused on my love for ceramics, so going from doing ceramics every day to nothing for almost four months, frankly, sucks. But, on days like today, it’s a little easier because I got a random burst of inspiration to paint. It was beautiful weather, so I even took a blanket into my backyard and sat with my materials. I didn’t go in with a plan but I was thinking of something to do with landscapes or a beach. Ultimately, I didn’t want to do anything too realistic, so I chose to paint some stylized seashells.

I started by prepping a 4×6 watercolor canvas with water. Then I made some rough outlines of various shells. One by one, I added larger details and took a lot of time zoning in on the process. I didn’t finish the painting, but I spent probably 4 or 5 hours on it until it got too cold outside. I thought I’d accomplish a lot more in that time, but I ended up spending a very long time figuring out what I wanted to create in the first place. I’ll show you an image of my progress and of my setup below. Keep in mind, this is a pretty small canvas, so the small details were VERY small and time-consuming to paint.

I’m so happy I was able to take some time for art today. I missed watercolor a lot. One of my best friends expressed that she wanted to try some watercolor in her new notebook and I couldn’t have been happier. We’re planning a watercolor date this week and it’s going to be the best time.

I hope you all found time for something creative this past week, and if not, maybe make some time for it this week. That’s all I’ve got for now! Have a great week, everyone!

-Jenna