I’m feeling that spring productivity. Those of you who subscribe to my newsletter already know this. From deep cleaning my house, to tackling business goals head on, I’m on fire. When I was pondering things to write about, I realized I probably don’t give you all enough updates on what I’m up to behind the scenes. I love getting the inside scoop as to what other artists are up to, so that’s what I want to cover today.

My Subscription Service

So many artists are working on a subscription program right now. Most of these subscription programs are based on the idea that we all want to make art similar to one another. While I love a good technique video from another artist, I don’t always find it helpful in improving my work. In fact, it’s often confusing and counterproductive for me. I want to make unique art, so why would I closely study what other artists do?

This leads me to the type of program I’m working on - one that will give artists the tools to make their best work. While I plan to include some behind the scenes content, I want to focus on exercises and prompts that will inspire you to make art you love. To me, that’s priceless and well worth the $5.99 cost I’m considering (which is basically the cost of a monthly latte).

I’m hoping to launch my subscription program this summer. I’m just working on how to best execute it. I’m going to call the program The Green Paint Society, because green is my favorite color and I can’t get enough of it in my work. Green paint truly lights me up, and this program is all about finding what gets you excited about your work.

My First Course

I know I’ve talked about this for years, but I’ve finally started developing a course plan. I’m going to call my first course Level Up Your Art. It will be comprised of 10 segments to help you close the gap between the art you’re making now and the kind of art you want to be making. I’m going to share personal experiences in the course, as well as all the exercises that have helped me improve my work.

I’m thinking of this course as a good lead-in to my subscription program because they have the same mission - I want to help you make your best work using my past experiences to save you time and energy.

New and Old Art

I’ve still been busy working on new pieces. In fact, I recently sketched a lagoon filled with swimmers on my iPad (as shown to the right). I’m almost embarrassed to share, because the sketch is so quick and loose, but here it is.

It’s weird, this isn’t something I would normally paint, except that I had a dream about painting it. I don’t always listen to my dreams, but this one seemed pretty easy to execute, so why not?

After a long break, I’ve returned to Procreate as a way of sketching out future art. I forgot how helpful it is in nailing down colors and composition. Sketching is pretty much the only thing I use my iPad for, since I don’t like digital art as a final piece. Personal preference. I’m not judging any of you who are amazing at digital art. It’s just not the best way for me to showcase my skills.

I’ve also been posting old art online. I did a series back in 2021, where I released a small number of signed and numbered 5x7 prints. Lately, I’ve been working on getting the full range of sizes posted for the more popular prints from the series. I recently listed my Tiger Fête print on Etsy in four different colors (as shown below).

Selling Misprints & Gift Cards

I have a huge stack of prints in my studio that have little imperfections to them. Prints that are pretty darn close to perfect, but that I feel bad giving someone who paid a premium price point. Whether it be a little speck in the paper, or an ink splatter, I pay attention to these things. I often just let my family and friends sift through this stack to pick out what they want. However, I know that’s probably not sustainable. I’m wasting a lot of supplies on these prints because I’m too much of a perfectionist to send. One of my latest endeavors is to start listing these prints on Etsy at wholesale price, versus letting them waste away on the shelf. Figuring out the quickest way to do this is my most recent challenge, since I need to take quick photos of the imperfections.

I’ve recently noticed artists on Etsy selling gift cards to their shop, and this is another thing I want to start offering. Many of my prints are purchased for nurseries, so a gift card would be a great baby shower gift. Or I could see it as the perfect housewarming present. It sounds like this may be a complicated endeavor, so I’m not sure if I can make it happen yet or not.

Grey Boulevard

As some of you may know, I launched a shop of black and white art downloads on Etsy earlier this year. I named it Grey Boulevard. Since posting, I’ve only gotten a few sales, which is to be expected. I know how hard it is to get an Etsy shop off the ground. However, I also know the only way up is to add more prints.

Currently, I’m looking through old work to see what I can pull. It’s weird starting from ground zero again, but I do love a challenge. If I can’t get this thing off the ground, I have no problem abandoning the idea either. I’m all about testing to see what works, and getting out quickly if I don’t see growth. I’ve had so many failed endeavors at this point, they don’t sting like they used to.

More Playful Studio Time

We all have things we struggle with as artists. For a while, I’ve started to feel like my art practice has become too rigid. This is probably a byproduct of turning my passion into a business.

I realized I don’t really play around much anymore. I don’t make things for my own amusement. I’m so obsessed with making the most out of my time that I don’t really experiment anymore. I haven’t made art just for myself in a really long time. So this is a general goal I’m working on. To make more things no one sees. To not be afraid of making bad or incomplete art.

Whether it be making art with a new medium, doodling on scrap paper, or wasting time searching for inspiration online, I want to give myself the freedom to cut loose a little. I think my art will be better for it.

What are you working on right now? Let me know in the comments below!