Studio Notes: There’s no clear moment where everything changes.
I’ve been struggling with focus lately. Not because I’m distracted, but because I’m working in a few different directions at once.
I’ve been bouncing between small collage experiments and much larger paintings. I like collage a lot. Painted paper. Cutting and tearing things up. Moving pieces around until something clicks. It feels like a puzzle that produces something original, something that’s clearly my own.
I don’t think this is great art, but it was fun to put together. Can you see the abstract connection to the sea at some level?
At the same time, I keep wanting to make simpler paintings that don’t lean on anything else. Just color, texture, and whatever feeling is there. It’s a different kind of energy. The process takes more patience and time.
Trying to do both has been fun, challenging, and a little frustrating. Part of me wants the freedom to experiment without worrying about the bigger picture. Another part wants some sense of direction, something that builds toward a body of work. I don’t know yet if this mix is helping or slowing me down. Right now, it just feels unsettled. I’m trying to give it the time it needs instead of forcing an answer just to make that feeling go away.
This is a work in progress… (Painted paper collage - approx 36x36 on canvas)
This is an example of the simple seascape paintings that I enjoy creating as well…
This brings me to a simple thought. The ocean doesn’t evolve quickly either. Damage rarely comes from one dramatic event. And real improvement doesn’t, either. Change happens through small, ordinary things, accumulating quietly over time.
There’s almost never a clean moment where everything shifts, and you can point to it. Progress looks less like reacting and more like paying attention. Learning. Making small adjustments. Staying with it even when nothing obvious seems to be working, and even when it feels like we might be drifting the wrong way.
I feel that same tension in the studio. Wanting clarity. Wanting momentum. And knowing the work doesn’t move on command. Lately, I’m trying to slow down and be more deliberate about what I’m exploring and why. That feels better than pretending I’ll solve this anytime soon.
Related things I’m exploring:
Why ocean literacy matters more than awareness alone
Quiet but meaningful progress in coral restoration
