This painting was made for the 3rd edition of my print club in July 2025:

When I committed to this print club, I mentally decided I was going to make a new painting every month. As someone whose work is fairly detailed, I knew this was a big ask of myself; the hours spent painting, paired with printing, packing, and many other boring but necessary admin tasks, mean I spend every day of the month in my studio (I’m not complaining).

I was especially anxious about the arrival of July because several social commitments I had made before the accidental birth of this print club meant that I would be away from my studio for the better part of the month.

At some point towards the end of June, I took a walk and contemplated cancelling my travels or using an older painting I had already made. Both decisions felt extremely wrong. I decided to be very hopeful in my compromise by packing a small set of gouache paints, some good watercolor paper, and a couple of pencils and brushes in my purse. 

For the first half of the month, I painted at whatever chance I got, while waiting to board my flight, on the flight, in train cars, park benches, in restaurants before the appetizers arrived, you get the picture. 

At the end of two weeks, I was surprised that all these little in-between moments of painting had led me to holding an almost completed piece. 

I now only had the background left and decided to use it to depict another in-between moment, the contemplative walk I took before July started,  (during which I decided to create a new painting despite being away from my studio)  was at the very end of the day, a transitional time when the last drops of sunlight were about to turn blue, I remember it being oddly silent besides the heavy buzz of insects that made me feel like the warm evening air was vibrating around each blade of grass. I wanted to convey this warm buzzing texture in my piece, and managed to do so by switching my medium from a smooth gouache (used on the flowers) to a soft water-based pencil paired with an extra light hand for the sky.  

In many ways, this is my most favorite piece I have created for the print club to date. I think being out of my studio and continually interacting with the outside world while creating it enhanced its character in unexpected ways. 

As an anxious 20-something, I often feel like I have to pick between working on building my future or collecting fun memories while I’m still young. July showed me that both things are possible at once; sometimes, we don’t have to choose.