April 8, 2025
Good morning everyone! I know I missed the last Studio Notes from traveling lots, so we have a lot to catch up on today!
First and foremost, I have VERY exciting news to share with you all!! I’ve been accepted into a longer-term market, running once a week from May to September!! (More details below!)
I will talso go over my current (and very simple) plein air sketching setup. I’ve been having a lot of fun with this, and I’m excited to share it with you all!
Next, I have a very exciting update: I tried pottery on a wheel for the first time! I’ve been wanting to do this for a very long time, and I was lucky enough to do it on one of my recent trips!!
And finally, I’ll talk about what I’m planning while I’m at home for a while and what I’m looking forward to in April.
So settle in, relax, and read all about what I’ve been up to this last month!
Big news everyone!! I am so excited to announce that I will be a vendor for this year’s Kendall Yards Night Market. This is a recurring weekly farmers market here in Spokane, held every Wednesday evening from 5-8:30, where I will have a booth selling my artwork. This is such an incredible opportunity, and I am so grateful to have been chosen as one of the vendors.
As this is a farmers market, I will have a different audience than my art markets, and I am so excited to dive into this new atmosphere and see where it takes me.
The first market is on May 21st, and I have so much to do to get it all ready. I have an idea for a new collection, as well as new products to sell my art on. I will definitely keep you all updated, especially as we get closer! The markets go all the way into September, and I will be at almost every one (except for when I am in Alaska this summer!)
With the warmer weather, I went on my first couple of camping trips of the year, and they were incredible. Filled with good times with family, great food, and lots of hiking. And through that, I’ve come to a conclusion. If I want to consistently make art plein air (which means on location), I need a simple setup that fits in my pocket. Of course, there is something truly amazing and fun with having a whole painting kit, packable palette, and a larger-sized watercolor sketchbook. However, there is something so simple and easy about pulling out my pocket notebook and doing a quick, low-pressure sketch with my brush or fountain pen.
If I need to capture a scene or subject quickly, I will use a brush pen. I prefer a smaller nib, but with a more flexible tip. Or, if I have a subject that is completely stationary, with many details, and plenty of time, I will use my very fine-tipped fountain pen.
With this setup, I’ve been plein air sketching more and more, not just in nature either. I will pull my little sketchbook out anywhere, and I love drawing people. It is so hard, and a real challenge, as people move a lot. (I’ve found it’s easiest to draw sleeping people and people on their phones, cause they move a lot less).
This is such good practice, too, for accurate sketching. Since I’m just using ink, and usually have to work quickly, I’ve grown a lot more confident with my brushstrokes, and more accurate as well. It’s also an incredible way to memorialize a moment: I can look at any sketch, no matter how messy or “bad” it is, I am immediately transported back to that moment.
With this pocket notebook, I’ve been working really hard to always have it with me. So not only can I sketch a tree that’s caught my eye outside the grocery store, but I can also keep track of any ideas that cross my mind, important notes, everything. It’s combining my great love of creativity with my journaling obsession, and I love that.
When I get around to actually plein air painting, not just sketching, I will let you know. But for now, I am absolutely loving the simplicity of this setup.
This is something I’ve been wanting to do for a very long time. Like, pretty much for as long as I can remember. And as soon as I had clay in my hands, spinning in front of me, I felt right at home.
I’ve always loved getting my hands dirty, and so I’ve always been drawn to this form of art. And finally, I was able to try it for the first time. Something just clicked, and I was in my own little world with my hands in the clay. I threw three bowls my first day in the studio, and the next day I trimmed my three bowls and threw one more. And ah! It was incredible! Just writing about it here makes me want to be back at the wheel.
I have a feeling this is a big moment in my creative career. So, what’s next? I am looking into local pottery studios near my home. I don’t know if I want to do lessons, or go at it like I did with my painting and teach myself. All I know is I need to do more of this.
After traveling for about a month on smaller trips (mostly visiting family and camping), I am so excited to be at home for a while. To settle into my routines and let my creativity flourish. I know last year, I got a lot of painting done in April. There is something about the spring, getting those gardens planted, walking around the warming landscapes, that just makes me feel so inspired and creative.
I will also be working full-speed ahead on prepping everything and creating new artwork for the markets starting on May 21st!
All in all, my priority this month is to focus on my creative practice. Getting in the studio consistently and painting! While also continuing my daily creative practice and plein air sketching. And maybe another camping trip or two?
Thank you so much for reading through my Studio Notes! Lots of exciting news in here this week! As always, if you have any thoughts about anything I’ve written in here, please reply to this email and let me know. I love hearing back from you all!
Other than that, I think that’s about it! Have a great April, enjoy the spring, and I hope you have a wonderful, creative week ahead of you!
~Anna
