Studio Note 07/25

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Hello Reader,

Hard to believe half of the year is over, and we're on the downward slope towards the winter, isn't it? I'm normally drawn to moodier themes in the fall, after the weather turns and temperatures are cool and crisp, but I find myself itching to explore some darker themes in my work. I've been wanting to paint swords and armor for ages (reading "The Knight and the Moth" by Rachel Gillig isn't helping), but I've held back because of that nagging voice that says, "But what if no one likes it?"

I've been hearing a lot of that voice lately, more on that later...

Art Notes

I finished up another Anime x Classical Art piece. This one features the scene where Kagome finds Inuyasha pinned to a tree and in a state of stasis. The pose was loosely inspired by Bernini's St. Sebastian and I took a lot of liberties with my own interpretation of the scene from the anime. Details can be found on Patreon and a Youtube video is coming!

I've been sketching a lot again, too. Working on small, low-pressure pieces is pulling me away from the edge of the burn-out cliff. I've been drawing so many animals lately, I feel like I've neglected the human form so my sketchbook is filling up with portraits again. I like using what I call my "blue pencil" for sketching. It's just a mechanical pencil with blue lead in it. It's harder to erase than regular graphite, so I find it useful for literally learning from my mistakes.

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Shop Notes

I'm aiming for a late August / early September update, and I'll announce a hard date when I have one picked out. There will be new prints available featuring works I have created this year, as well as originals! Subscribers will have early shopping privileges for original pieces.
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I debated on whether to include "Dryad" in this update, but in the end decided not to. I want to retackle her depiction as I'm not satisfied with the quality of work I produced. I'll launch prints of her when she's ready, and she will join her sister works "Selkie" and "Mermaid" later on.

Psst... if you have any other ideas of earth or land based mythical ladies I could illustrate, hit reply and let me know!

A Note on Disconnection

I'm not quite sure what the cause is, but lately I feel distant from my work. Goals with a plan that I had set out to accomplish at the beginning of the year haven't manifested into results. I find myself dissatisfied with things I make. I find it really hard to even just pick up a pen and sketch something crappy in a sketchbook that no one is going to even see but myself.

If I had to analyze a cause, I don't think one specific thing could be blamed. The world is on fire, the dark shadow of A.I. is ever looming, and I've had pain flare-ups that make basic movements like walking or standing difficult. There's been more creative demand from my day job (we are very busy with many new books this summer) and that leaves my tank a little empty at the end of the day. I also am a fairly slow painter when it comes to my own pieces, and that doesn't mesh well with pressure to keep updating my social accounts with my newest painting or WIPs. Even the idea of posting on a platform just sucks the willpower to share right out of my body.

I think when we feel disconnection like this, we need to step back, take a deep breath, and look at all the pieces. Much like a puzzle, we should consider each element that factors into this feeling. Is it responsibilities at home or work? Is it health? Is it something self-imposed? The next thing I think we should do is ask ourselves whether we have control over these factors, and what can we do about them? We also need to remember why we create in the first place. If no one was watching and if no one had their wallets out, would you still create? What would you make if there was no pressure to preform, and you were just free?

I remember the things I made back in middle school and high school - a lot of fan art of whatever I was into at the time, a lot of butterflies (because I love their wings), animals, and still-life scenes, in a variety of mediums. They weren't great, but the connection to the work was there. I created in an environment completely free of expectation and pressure beyond finishing the work, and it was just me playing with mediums and concepts that interested me.

I want to get back to that feeling of freedom and curiosity. My grand plans for the year may have flopped, but there are 5 months left in 2025. Let's make the best of them and reconnect with ourselves and our creativity.