Sketchbook: Getting Comfortable with Creative Play
Stone Studies in Hydra, Greece | September 2026 | Photograph by Jobi Manson
In some ways, it’s easier to be an artist at an artist immersion in Greece — when you have nothing but yourself and ancient stones to consider.
I’m not going to describe every detail of the daily ruckus that’s part of being in a committed partnership, navigating life with a teenager, tending pets and cleaning up their vomit, and draining cups of cold coffee left behind in a flurry of obligations.
But I do think that deep attachment to my work can co-exist with the deep attachments in my life.
Today I pulled out the portable watercolor kit and pad of watercolor paper that Jobi provided for me to experiment with during our immersion. I didn’t end up using it while I was there, so I unwrapped each individual square of Winsor & Newton watercolor pigment and placed them in the palette. I filled the small brush and began to experiment with all of the colors — to see what each one looked like when brought to life with water.
Watercolor Play | September 21, 2026
During my art immersion in Hydra, I noticed how much of a stranger I was to creative play.
My studio days are usually spent working on Something, capital S.
When I work on color palettes or “warm up” I do it on the canvas or wood panel that I’m working on.
Inspiration, ideas, images remain in the Cloud or in my mind. Every so often I make a digital mood board that I print and hang on my studio wall to guide a piece or a collection. Once in a while I draw with a pencil in a sketchbook, testing out small thumbnails — squares of composition ideas — before committing to the large sheet of canvas in front of me.
I can remember when my days were all about experimentation. Or even before that, when sketching lines or patterns was truly a form of meditation for me. Something that helped relieve anxiety. A balm at the end of a seemingly endless day spent wrestling with the mind.
But actually feeling how unfamiliar play felt in Hydra was interesting.
I experimented with dragging charcoal and pastel over ancient textured stone, hoping to transfer some of the details onto different types of paper. I felt frustrated that it didn’t work. Sure, it was later in the day, at a time when I don’t typically create art, but why the frustration? Just because an experiment didn’t work out the way I’d imagined? It’s an experiment — that’s part of the creative process. Typically.
Stone Studies in Hydra, Greece | September 2026
The day before, we visited a wonderful bookstore, Hydra Book Club, and selected a beautiful magazine. Then we returned to our Airbnb and I ripped out colors, shapes + lines that called to me. I combined these with a selection of papers that Jobi brought along for me to choose from.
I created my first collage on stone tile in the courtyard — a large, tree-shape of color and pattern, held together by stones from the land and sea.
And I felt amazed and energized by the process.
Paper and Stone Collage on Stone in Hydra, Greece | September 2026
Physically moving ideas of color and shape around with stone somehow felt like getting my brain out and physically playing with it.
Different from painting, in my world, as the painting is always a PAINTING.
One of the most important things I realized during this immersion was the importance of giving myself physical space to encounter my inspiration, ideas, and materials.
And I loved being introduced to the excavation table.
Excavation Table | September 18, 2026
Polaroid photos by Jobi Manson and me
I saw that Immerse, Reflect, Distill, Share (more on that later) doesn’t have to and should not always be a finished product.
I want to get more comfortable with experimentation because it opens me.
It feels important. This morning’s watercolor sketch was a way of practicing it.
Notes From The Studio
If you’re drawn to artwork shaped by atmosphere, memory, and the emotional experience of place, I share personal and studio reflections along with early previews of available work through Notes From the Studio.
