TODAY'S FEATURED POST

The Power of Preliminary Studies

Julie Beck

Preliminary studies are crucial to my process. Each artist approaches prep work different but as someone who teaches both technical skills as well as the importance of design and composition, I emphasize the importance of massaging the design before you get into the nitty gritty. Preliminary thumbnails help in a multitude of ways: Planning: Sketches help you organize ideas and create a clear roadmap, saving time and reducing frustration. Problem Solving: They allow you to…

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EVERYDAY ORIGINAL

Baxter, The Porcupine

YESTERDAY’S POST

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Creative Process – Character in Context

Sarah Finnigan

April 22, 2025 - Next week is the opening for Character in Context, a show in Trinidad, CO at the A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art. Character in Context emphasizes process by also exhibiting the preliminary work and making those artifacts of creation available. Last time on Muddy Colors I explored the early part of my process for this show, and today we open the floor to several other exhibiting artists to discuss their creative processes.   Tawny Fritz Tawny Fritz is an ink artist drawing women and macabre subjects inspired by mythology. Her childhood in New Orleans influenced a particular interest in voodoo and magic, and how those practices explore connections between the physical and spiritual worlds. Her ink drawing for this show is larger than her usual, and integrates gold leaf with tasteful restraint, showing up as…

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