Art. Work. Delight.
Hi dear readers,
I’m writing you from a morning of snow flurries in Nashville on a very gray day.
Every other month, I spend 3 days making art. There’s always something a bit new that emerges, but this weekend felt different.
Photo credit Beth Richardson.
This time, some of the usual elements of my art emerged - the concentric circles and spirals - but new shapes and colors emerged.
In December, I had worked on exploring a new color palette. Instead of fluorescent pink, it included fluorescent magenta, green gold, dark violet, baby blue, baby pink and gold. Those colors came together in a new and different way.
What you can’t tell from the photos is how the painting glows. Yes, it looks bright, but depending on the lighting and how the light hits the piece, different parts of the painting literally glow, reflecting light back at you, the viewer.
Luminosity was the theme I wanted to explore this weekend. How do I make something that reflects light? How do I do that with layers of acrylic paint? How do I do that while incorporating fluorescent paint, which is notoriously flat, even the “semigloss” versions of it?
Photo credit Beth Richardson.
The process felt different. Building up layers of paint and medium created quite a different result, one that I want to keep exploring over the coming months. My at-home studio space should start to be warm enough in the next few weeks to use it before it becomes so warm it’s too uncomfortable to use.
The process felt fun. It felt delightful. And for the first time in over a year, I was able to work the entire weekend without having a chronic illness flare.
Your delight is already insisting on itself.
-Maria Bowler
I took a quote from Maria Bowler into the weekend - delight, your delight, is already insisting on itself. Where and how and when can you bring it into your work, your life?
Delight is a tricky thing. We, in America, do not want to appear like we enjoy things too much, are too happy, or have too much fun.
We don’t want to appear like we enjoy our work too much, or that it comes too easy for us. We don’t want to
Questions I’m Holding
What would make your work life 10% more delightful?
Where can you incorporate delight into dinner this week?
Where can you find something you really enjoy this month?
When was the last time you found something delightful?
Paying Attention To
Link bouquet - send a loved one a bouquet of links.
This video from Rick Rubin talking about following flow.
Upcoming Offerings
In conjunction with Art and Soul Nashville, I will be teaching an art journaling class starting on July 11, 2026. Registration is open! A Zoom option is available. If you are interested in the Zoom option, just let me know!
Registration is open for my upcoming Product Group Coaching. Group kicks off Tuesday, May 12th at 4PM Central Time.
Images of God Workshop - if you are in Nashville, I’d love to see you. We will explore texture, shape, color and more. Attendees get a zine guide and a sticker.
That’s it! Thanks, everyone.
