Studio Practice

When it comes to art, all of the concepts and philosophies in the world amount to nothing if the artist does not eventually enter a space and physically create. With that in mind, I would like to bring you into my painting studio.

My studio is located in a second floor room of my home. The studio is painted white, has two north facing windows, is filled with things that inspire my art, and tools I use to create. Even though I admire the minimalist studios of other artists, I have found that stark minimalism is  not an environment I feel creative in. I tend to hoard things, strange objects, tools, bits and pieces of materials, a scrap of paper that could be glued to a piece of art, anything I find inspiring.

Currently, my basic art making process entails many layers. These layers consist of different colors and different materials. Into my base material, often thick modeling paste or acrylic gel, I mix color, clay, soil, leaves.

Though I consider these pieces to be paintings, I do not typically use a paint brush. My tool of choice is a palette knife which allows me to spread and scrape the thick materials as I work. Typically these layers will be sanded down to reveal  textures and otherwise hidden colors.

“Though I consider these pieces to be paintings, I do not typically use a paint brush.”

As we continue releasing works for our Forget | Remember project, we plan to share more about our creative process. For more exclusive Vanora content—including rough drafts of poems and more extensive process shots of paintings—join us on Patreon.