Making and Doing 2025 Recap

Summer and Fall Explorations

I dedicated this past summer to exploring many ideas in painting. Rather than focusing on one subject matter, I dabbled in still life, landscape, portrait sketching practice, and figurative painting. The still life painting in particular was one that I had a strong vision for. Read more about this piece by clicking the button below:

Futility and Fertility
Still life painting with various objects including a beaker, hand, and old scale. Two chickadees are flying around the scale, which holds birdseed.

Futility and Fertility, Oil on Canvas, 2025

Drawings of heads in sienna colored pencil on two sketchbook pages.

Sketchbook Portrait Practice

Painting of women's head with head tilting back and a white flower in front. The background is green and blue, and the paint is scratched off and rough across the painting.

Portrait Exploration


One of my explorations outside of the studio this summer was in the Ozarks of Arkansas. We visited Bentonville, Mountain View, and Mirror Lake. While most of the time was spent seeing art (both actual art and the art of nature), we took a little time on our last day at Mirror Lake to capture a few colors of nature. I suspect that this will influence my painting (especially landscape) in the future.

Lake and hills in Mirror Lake, Arkansas.

Mirror Lake, Arkansas

Loose watercolor study in blue, green, and brown of a lake scene.

Watercolor color study of Mirror Lake


Old and New Directions

Taking time in 2025 to explore new artwork ideas has shaped my vision for future artworks. One of my long abiding interests has been in “old” things, from functional kitchenware to decorative tchotchkes. Growing up, I was surrounded by old furniture, technically antiques, but in our home they were as well-loved hand-me-downs from family. As a child I created narratives for objects, such as my Mom’s perfume bottles. All of this has led to my love of perusing antique malls and booths, considering the origins of each piece and waiting for something to interest me. I have recently been interested in painting some of these historied objects. I am excited to see where this new direction will take me!

Antique post office bank box on a shelf.