More True, Raw, and Human

    I have my comfort zone, and it isn't the enemy; it's a foundation. Comfort doesn't arrive suddenly. It increases over time, as skills improve through the repetition of showing up, failing, and trying again. You just keep going. And the zone expands. 
     I've watched many experienced artists, talented ones, make the same kind of painting over and over again. Each subsequent piece is lovely, or thoughtful, or perfectly composed. But after a while, something feels dull. The work is still accomplished, but the spark that gave it life is dim. I can feel it when that happens in my own work. I notice a sense of expectation instead of exploration. Ooof. That's a deadly signal I definitely pay attention to. 
      For me, pushing beyond that "too comfortable" signal isn't about chasing shock value. It's about staying alive to curiosity and a sense of wonder. 
     I'm process-focused and almost always paint with zero plans or sketches,  so one way I can zip out of my comfort zone is by sketching a plan to follow. Switching scale, large to small and vice versa, or even a unique underpainting color, can also be openings. If you're a planner and sketcher, try the opposite. Just go. Trust the moment more than the map. Be open to whatever happens. 
     Another method I use is to narrow my palette to only black and white, experimenting with oil, watercolor, graphite, charcoal, or ink, instead of my usual acrylic. A  few of the pieces are posted above.
     Going through multiple stages of uncertainty and awkwardness help me to let go of expectation. It brings forward lines and forms and rhythms that breathe, the ones that remind me why I make art. I let them surprise me, and beauty doesn't vanish, it expands. It starts feeling more true, raw, and human, and that feeling flows  generously into my work and life. 
     I see that same determination in art aficionados who choose a piece not because it matches their walls, but because it stirs something inside them. Hooray! That's embracing curiosity, too. It's saying, I want to live with something that challenges me. It's motivation. It's trust. Well done!
     Art can be lovely and feral at the same time. Everything in the world changes, and personal style reflects that evolution—or not.  For me, the most meaningful work in art and in life exists in the zone between comfort and surrender, between knowing your craft and letting it lead you to an unfamiliar place. 
     So enjoy your comfort zone because you've earned it with your persistence. Then step outside of it. 

It feels impossible to look at the world without feeling the weight of its sorrow and the constant churn of violence, grief, and uncertainty that seeps into every quiet moment. I'm not ignoring it; that would feel dishonest. These posts and paintings are my small attempt to keep creating, to find meaning through art, not as an escape, but as a way to breathe through the heaviness and notice beauty even when everything feels ripped apart. 

See all my available work here