Note from the Atelier October 10, 2026 Hi There Reader... Lately, I’ve been thinking about what makes us want to keep making art. Is it the medium? The process? The finished piece? Or simply how we feel while we’re doing it? This month, I’m sharing some thoughts prompted by a conversation about pastels, along with my latest adventures in linocuts. I’ve also rounded up a few of October’s best exhibitions, including one right here in Grand Rapids that I was lucky enough to preview. Here’s to...
10 days ago • 5 min read
Note from the Atelier October 3, 2026 Hi There Reader... October is here, which means Fall is here! My favorite season! I love the colors, the blue sky, the crisp air and those glorious days when a sweatshirt and shorts can be my standard OOTD. And, of course, football. This month, I’m sharing four destinations that are especially worth visiting in October, from fall color in New England to autumn in Kyoto. I’m also giving you a peek at my latest art experiment: turning some of my prints into...
17 days ago • 3 min read
Note from the Atelier September 26, 2026 Hi There Reader... I started this week's article thinking it would be a two-parter. I'd make my little art book, send it off to be printed and report back later on whether the experiment actually worked. But lo and behold, the shipping stars aligned. The book arrived exactly one week after I ordered it, just in time for me to finish the story before this newsletter went out. And since we seem to be talking about books this week, I'm continuing the...
24 days ago • 6 min read
Note from the Atelier September 19, 2026 Hi There Reader... This week's edition is a little different. With the exception of a small handful of people who have seen Conditions of Employment in person, this is the first time I've shared the completed series. Anywhere. I've made plenty of work that has some piece of me in it, but this one is different. It's my mom's photographs, her documents, her stories and a very specific part of her life. And because of that, sharing it feels a little more...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Note from the Atelier September 12, 2026 Hi There Reader... I know, I know. It's only September and I'm already talking about October. But I'm sharing the October Art Challenge now so you have a couple weeks to decide what you want to work with, gather your supplies and get ready to start on October 1st. In the meantime, there's still plenty of September left to enjoy, including a few places that are particularly worth visiting this month. If you're anywhere near Grand Rapids, Michigan, I'd...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Note from the Atelier September 5, 2026 Hi There Reader... I've recently started looking at jigsaw puzzles as potential collage material. Not whole puzzles, mind you. I'm much more interested in fragments of the puzzle: a tiny figure, an animal, a building or some other little fragment that might become much more interesting when it lands somewhere it doesn't belong. I have no idea what I'm going to do with them yet, which, frankly, is part of the fun. Stay tuned... Meanwhile, enjoy...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Note from the Atelier August 29, 2026 Hi There Reader... This week, we're heading a little further inside the Atelier. Turns out, making art involves a surprising amount of figuring out what to do with all the stuff you accumulate along the way. Scraps of painted paper too interesting to throw away. Marks you might want to use again. Ideas you want to try without actually committing to them. So this week's newsletter is devoted to two little systems I've created that are making my life in the...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Note from the Atelier August 22, 2026 Hi There Reader... Last week, I wasn't done with my back-to-school shopping. This week, I'm apparently not done thinking about artistic style. In my last newsletter, I wrote about where to look for clues that might help us find our style. This week, I'm taking that thought a little further. We'll look for clues about how it makes us (and hopefully someone else) feel. And speaking of feelings...I spent two days this week playing with gouache, a medium I'd...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Note from the Atelier August 15, 2026 Hi There Reader... Apparently, I'm not quite finished with my back-to-school shopping. I bought a box of 64 crayons today. Did I need crayons? Probably not. Did I need the box with the built-in sharpener? Yes. Yes, I did. I also couldn't resist Crayola's Colors of the World crayons AND colored pencils, with 24 different skin tones in each box. I'm not entirely sure what I'll do with all of them yet, but that's half the fun. And, they were on sale. I...
2 months ago • 5 min read