Yosemite Recap & an Instagram Hiatus
In which I share all the gloriousness of teaching in Yosemite and take a break from Instagram, because Meta sucks.
Our trip to Yosemite National Park has come and gone. We spent another beautiful week in the park so I could teach morning watercolor classes through the Yosemite Conservancy and then we played every afternoon. We brought a couple of friends to join in the fun and introduce them to this magical wonderland. Parking the car and leaving it there, riding your bike throughout the park, gazing up at Half Dome from our campsite, lounging in the Merced River, eating dinner at the Ahwanhee - it was all beautiful. I am already looking forward to when we go again in 2026.
I am regularly expounding on how people should go to Yosemite (and all of our national parks really). They are without a doubt a national treasure and even though they might be crowded and touristy and perhaps even cliche, they are spectacular. If you can, go for a week. Go for a long enough that you have time to lounge in the sun on the banks of the river. Go for long enough that you find your favorite biking trail, or view of Half Dome, or the best sunset spot, or the best spot to enjoy your morning coffee. Go for so long that you have time to take an art class and eat up all the food in your cooler so you have to eat dinner out. Go for so long you forget what it’s like to check your social media, the news, the weather at home, or whatever else you’re addicted to on your phone. Go so you forget what day of the week it is and you can tell the time by the light on the canyon walls.
Monday through Friday, I taught a class from 9 am to 1 pm, just long enough to wear people out from using all their senses and doing something they may not regularly do while still enjoying nature. New people every day, but the same lessons throughout - important watercolor skills and ways to tell a story about what you see. Art to me is about telling a story and giving people a reason to wonder more about the scene before them. As a painter, I am not trying to create the scene perfectly, realistically, or faithfully. I am trying to create a feeling, draw you in, or highlight something interesting. There are an infinite number of ways to do it, but no matter what, I am always striving to have my unique voice show through, so I can tell the story from my perspective.
Through my teaching, I am trying to help my students find their own voice, their own path, their own talents. I’m a big believer that you’ll be at your best when you’re being you and let your quirks shine through rather than trying to hide them. I had this really lovely moment with a woman near the end of the week while my students were all free painting. During this time, I walk around to each person and answer questions, and offer suggestions about techniques, color mixing, composition, and their own voice. On my second visit to this woman, she said, “As I’m getting older, my hands are starting to shake more, and it’s affecting the painting. Do you have an advice to help with this?”
My heart melted at that question - it was so vulnerable and honest that I wanted to hug her right then and there for being brave enough to ask about it. I told her that I had often considered how I was going to make art as I aged, that I worried arthritis might affect me some day in the future, so it wasn’t something to be afraid of, but to acknowledge and adapt with. Then I gave her three answers.
First, I knew she was asking about technical matters that would actually help her paint, so I said, “When you go home, I want you to buy some bigger brushes and some bigger paper. With your little sketchbook and tiny brush, you’re trying to pack everything into a small area, gripping your brush, and the shaking might feel more exaggerated. A bigger brush and painting surface will give you more room to move and you can paint with your arm more and less with your hand.” PS. I tell all beginner watercolorists to get bigger brushes - it’s one of the most common problems. A size 10 round is a great start.
The second suggestion was about letting go. I recommended focussing more on feelings and big ideas rather than trying to create a faithful representation. Maybe even try more abstractly painting, because then you’re not trying to paint anything specifically and you don’t have to make it look like a real-life scene. Finally, the third suggestion I had was to embrace the shaking, that only when we stop fighting ourselves, do we really become what we’re meant to. Embracing our quirks means embodying ourselves, which makes us wholly unique and wonderful. And who knows, you might really find your rhythm and voice with it.
I wonder if I got more from that conversation than even she did. I hope she felt encouraged at least, but I felt emboldened and powerful and it had me wondering what my quirks were, what parts of me made me uniquely me and how I could explore that further. I know my equally left and right brain inner workings allow me to think well spatially in 3D and in time. I’m really good at planning, thinking things through and thinking things backwards (a good skill for a watercolorist). I see colors very brightly and boldly and have a very deep appreciation for the natural world around me. And I am insanely curious and want to know all the things, all the time.
Many days in a row of teaching has given me a lot more experience in assisting artists find their path. From beginners to experienced, I know I’m getting better at finding the words they need to help them let go of some fears, try new things, and be more themselves. I’m very grateful to the Yosemite Conservancy for hosting such an amazing art program - in fact there’s nothing like it anywhere else. I’m also grateful to all the brave students who attended my classes and who dedicated some of their precious time in the park to making art.
If you want to bone up on your watercolor skills, I offer 12 on demand virtual classes that cover a whole range of painting techniques through my Virtual Art Practice. Classes are $15 al la carte or $75 for a series of 6.
︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾
Announcing an Instagram Hiatus
︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾
I’ll be taking a break from posting on Instagram for the time being. Usually announcements like this make me cringe, but I feel like I should speak up regarding the reasons - namely that Meta has begun using our images to train their AI models, and I do not condone their use of my own artwork to do so. There’s nothing really to be done about it - I’ve submitted a request to not be included and I’m perfectly aware that they have all my 4,000+ posts already in their database. Deleting them now will do nothing as they have backups and it just goes to show that these big corporations have no respect for the people that use their platforms. At this time, I am no longer willing to be complicit in their BS.
If you’ve been following along, you already know I have a number of problems with social media and have long struggled with it. I’m so grateful that this wasn’t around when I was a teenager, or else I would have been one of those kids who couldn’t handle it well. And maybe I’m one of those adults who can’t handle it well. I don’t know what the answer is going forward - this break may totally be horrible for my career, but then again, with engagement as low as it is already, maybe it doesn’t even matter. Honestly, maybe I was just looking for a good enough excuse to stop the hamster wheel.
I will be posting here on Substack more often - announcements, new art, what I’m working on, ideas on art, etc. I understand that some of you already have enough emails to read, and so this may not be of any interest to you. Although I will offer this as a suggestion - for those of you also trying to cut down on your social media habit, horde newsletters like this and save them for those 5 minutes you’re waiting in line or need something to look at. Scroll a Substack newsletter instead - at least you’re reading and not mindlessly scrolling…
(Also I am also keenly aware that all of these platforms are problematic on some level. I’m just trying to figure out the next thing that works for me. Who knows, maybe it will be Cara, an app that promises they won’t use your images for anything - read more here.)
Another reason I am glad to be taking a break is my overall frustration with the fact that some of the smartest people in tech are spending their time figuring out how to keep us addicted to our phones. There are SO many problems out there in the world right now - climate change, genocide, wars, health care, racial equality, poverty, etc - take your pick. It blows me away that we’re spending so much time and resources on social media - let’s solve some other problems instead. I feel complicit for continuing to participate. For many years, Instagram was a boon to my career and really did help introduce my work to loads of new people, but I can’t and won’t keep up with an algorithm that constantly changes. There was a short time where I was actually getting paid for views of my reels, and so I felt slightly justified in the effort, but the platform is no longer serving me.
If Instagram/Meta start to make an effort to protect their content creators, then maybe I’ll consider a return, but until then find me via this newsletter or my own website. If you know someone who might enjoy this or you want to share my art - please pass this along. And if you’re a friend - please, just text or call. We’re probably due for a catch up anyhow.
︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾
Other News & Tidbits
︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾︽︾
Kai got neutered this last week and hates his “Cone of Protection” TM. We tried the inflatable doughnut, borrowed from a neighbor, but maybe it’s too small, because he could still reach his nether regions. We are on the mend, slowly but surely. The boys, or KaiBoone!, as we are calling them, are becoming buds.
I’ve got a lovely inclusion in an article about encaustic art in the July 2024 edition of American Art Collector. You can read the article for free here by signing up.
Finally, I’ll be teaching another watercolor class on July 25th from 6-8pm at the Summit Community Gardens here in Park City, Utah. I believe there are a few more spots open. It’ll be a lovely evening of art in the gardens! Bring snacks, libations, and a friend. Find out more here.
