Out of Studio Collection, Summer 2024

Summer has always been my favorite season. I feel like the warm weather forces us all to collectively slow down a bit, and between Summer Fridays and family vacations, I spend less time in the studio in June, July and August than I do the rest of the year.  In anticipation of this past summer’s trips (we go to Bethany Beach each year with my family, and Lake Michigan with my in-laws), I thought a lot about what I could work on that 1) travels well and 2) could be at least partially inspired by summer vacation.

My original artwork collections almost always stem from artwork that I first make for myself or my family and friends. My sister snapped a Polaroid of Bryn and I on our first night in Bethany in June, and it got me thinking- what if I painted a few summer “snapshots” to look like Polaroids? I painted a few photos I took of Bryn for our home, and really loved working on them, and so I decided to continue working on the idea through this collection.

The “Out of Studio” collection  is, simply put, inspired by time spent out of office- think outdoor showers, playing cards on the back of a boogie board, piles of flip flops on sand dunes, wet swimsuits hanging on a line, PBJ sandwiches on the beach, etc. While in Michigan, I painted some summer “souvenirs” to add to the series- flowers, seashells, fruits, and butterflies “collected,” or photographed, over the summer, between trips to the farmer’s market, the beach, and the apple orchard.

As we transition into cooler temperatures and back to a faster pace of work and life, I share this collection as a snapshot of this past summer, and each of these pieces as small reminders to briefly pause and to return to the summer “state of mind.”

I look forward to continuing to explore these ideas in summers to come!