​When I am feeling a little stuck, stale, or just want to shake things up a bit in my studio practice I have been turning to a wonderfully freeing painting exercise.

​The purpose is to paint without expectations for the outcome, and in so doing removing any perceived pressure to create a “good” work of art. Which usually results in something fresh and exciting!

Sometimes a change or a shift in the art making process is intentional. Like when you realize things are getting a bit stale, or you want to tackle a new technique or color palette. And then there are the changes that just show up and surprise you. When this happens, you are faced with a choice of either returning to your usual comfortable pattern of art making or allowing for the change to guide you to new places.

​I felt a shift was coming in my work along with the seasonal shift from summer to autumn. I was making small paintings on paper that I began in my usual way with expressive marks and large swatches of color. I already had the intention of limiting my palette and using more subdued color to allow for a sense of cohesiveness. However, I stopped short of my usual completion process because I felt a strong connection to the immediacy I found there. These were bolder and more expressive than my previous work. Could I allow for that?