Sometimes my art practice looks all over the place. Right now my Instagram tells this story: there are florals, there are doodles, and there are reportage pieces. Thrown in among them are workshop announcements, collage experiments, and drawings from online sessions.
But I’ve come to trust that this mix is what I need and ideas and solutions come out of experimenting “sideways”, and playing with no intention to solve a problem or make a beautiful piece. It’s all practice, it’s a lot of play. And there’s a 3rd part to the mix: community.
Community can come in so many shapes and forms. I am lucky to have trusted artist friends with whom I can articulate my challenges and pans as we sketch together. My year as Creative Ambassador in San Jose also introduced me to local artists across different mediums. Looking beyond the visual arts has broadened how I think. I use Zoom to keep in touch with artist friends who live far away. Lately, there are many of you that I meet once a month in a Sketching-Together session. All of this not only makes me happy, but it also enriches my work.
• This post is one example of how all the disparate bits of work share a common thread.
If you have any wisdom to share on play, practice, and community or tips on how to stay motivated and creative, write in a comment, because that’s what community is about: sharing and learning, and being inspired by each other.
Sketching Together
Last week, the Sketching-Together group met to sketch a colorful scene from Mexico. I muddled my first take and went straight into this second one. To receive a recording of this month’s session and join future sessions live, upgrade your membership, let’s sketch together!
• The “Gateway to India” Sketching Adventure 2025 is full. If you want to be put on the waitlist for 2025 or on the Early Bird list for 2026, write to me at suhita@gmail.com and let me know.
• Next week, I am in Santa Fe co-teaching a color-based workshop with Maru Godas. The workshop is full, but if you missed out, we hope to teach it again in 2025.
I love your oranges (?) collage. Strong. Abstracted. Intriguing. And inspiring one to experiment! Thank you.
Ooh! I really like this second version of your balloon seller. It reads so clearly. The inktense pencil on the watercolour washes was a great idea.