Sketching in South Pointe Park
I'm in the middle of a few ongoing projects, and have been feeling a little bit out-of-whack recently. Just a bit unorganized, a bit cluttered in my headspace, a bit anxious as I make work.
To combat this I decided to take all of today off. I know, it seems totally counter-intuitive to block off an entire day off from making work, when I'm growing increasingly anxious about my timeframe to make said work - but it's exactly what I needed to get back to baseline.
I packed up my usual travel supplies (sketchbook, camera(s), watercolor pencils, graphite sticks and ipod), slathered myself in sunscreen and hopped on my bike. I had no idea where I wanted to go, just that I needed to go somewhere.
Intuitive biking.
I rode over to the beach, taking turns when they felt correct and going straight if I didn't feel like turning, literally no goal in mind and happy as a clam. Eventually I ended up at South Pointe Park before I decided to lock up my bike and walk around. The whole trip out there was mirroring very much how I felt about some of the work I was making: starting out with no clear picture of the end goal. However, on the bike it was freeing and not anxiety-inducing. The moment that analogy popped into my mind I immediately felt a sense of calm return. I could fix this.
Focusing on that, on allowing myself to meander (both in my work and on the beach) I found a nice quiet spot to sit down and sketch. I watched the boats come and go, watched rollerbladers and kite-flyers and soaked in the beach vibes of the park.
I'm not sure if anything could have been as helpful as taking that full day out of the studio. When I returned home I made a nice big slooow dinner, careful to stay mindful of the peace I found while navigating the beach on my bike.
I’m not going to pick up my brushes tonight either, but start fresh in the morning.
<3
Can't be stressed looking at this.
Perspectiv Miami 2016
Super excited to announce that I'll be showing 5 new works at this year's Perspectiv Miami show on October 8th! I've been working on these pieces for awhile as sort of a love-letter to Miami - and am so psyched for the event. Music, food, drinks and art will rule the night!
I'll be there the entire evening, make sure to let me know if you stop by - I'd love to chat!
Color Studies at Miami Madness 2016
One of the many great parts about living in Miami is our local access to some seriously world class craft beer. J.Wakefield’s has been a favorite of ours since they opened their doors, and this Saturday was the annual Miami Madness event - a limited edition release at noon.
So of course we were there, in line at 7 am.
We have a blast at these things; we get to meet other people excited about the Miami beer scene, Dan gets to share his latest homebrew and get some valuable feedback, and I get to post up in a corner and paint until the line starts moving.
Luckily this year our spot in line came with a handy-dandy discarded pallet, so I had a place to set the little paintings as they dried that wasn’t dirty sidewalk. (Maybe someday we'll bring chairs... but today is not that day.)
We met so. many. great people and had so much fun hanging out in line before the release. On top of that, I worked through a few color palettes that I had been considering playing with all week.
<<And of course after we had our beer-quarry we went home and straight to bed.>>
Successful Saturday <3
Sunrise Runs and Painting Clouds
If you follow me on Instagram, then you know how my morning went. Here's a quick synoposis if you don't (but you should!) ::
Woke up two hours before my alarm. Not unusual, as I generally *think* myself back to sleep. I'll imagine colors, palettes, forms I want to create when I wake at the correct time - and the gentle undulation of pigments and hues lulls me back into dreams. This particular morning, I knew it wasn't possible.
Too many things on my plate, too many ideas to think through.
So I threw on my shoes and popped outside for a run. I was just crossing the bridge to the beach as the pink sun broke through the clouds, illuminating the sky with fiery reds and oranges. Sure the traffic can be rough, but the sky in Miami is unlike no other.
After stopping periodically to take about a bajillion photos (I certainly wasn't aiming for a PR on this run!) and to breathe in the cool (ish) morning ocean air, I returned home full of inspiration and pretty much drenched in sweat.
It was wonderful.
Once in the studio, I decided to make a few quick cloud-inspired studies, then set work to a new linen canvas with my liquid acrylics.
I'm really enjoying playing with the sample set of liquid acrylics I purchased... will definitely have to pick up a few more colors (and an industrial sized bottle of indigo!)
And now, it's time for a nap.
<3
EH Sherman Art at Madewell
This last week I had the honor of having my art hosted as a pop-up event at the Miami Beach Madewell.
The day was wonderful - filled with old friends, new friends and delicious cookies! I arrived on the earlier side, but took my time setting up and chatting with the Madewell team. Some seriously lovely ladies over there!
As most of my business is conducted via the gloriousness that is the internet, actually meeting the people who buy my work face-to-face is such a treat! I love getting to talk about their plans for the pieces, why they chose that one in particular and what drew them to my work in the first place. It's a different interaction from selling my work behind a computer screen, and one that I relish whenever the opportunity comes along.
I also began an email list for those interested in prints of two originals on display: Abalone and On the Wing. Both were created too near to the event for prints, but as things settle here I've got plans to release them both as limited editions. Sign up below or shoot me an email if you'd like to be among the first to know when they are available for purchase! More Information to follow :)
HUGE thanks to everyone who came out, your support and good vibes made the day what it was! <3