Behind the Scenes: My Painting Process for The Quiet Collection
There’s something quietly magical about small paintings. They ask you to come closer, to pause and to notice. For me, creating these pieces for The Quiet Collection is a grounding ritual as well as a way of honoring color, light, and stillness in just a few brushstrokes.
Each week’s painting begins with an idea. Sometimes it’s a flower I passed on a walk, or a soft memory stirred by a page in gardening magazine. Other times, it’s a photo tucked away in my camera roll, or something simple and striking that someone has shared, like a old friend's orange tree photo from Greece that I haven’t stopped thinking about.
Once I have a reference or feeling I want to translate, I sketch very loosely with pastel...just enough to find the right placement. From there, it’s all about flow. These paintings are done alla prima (wet into wet), using artist-grade paints for their richness and longevity. I work on canvas panels as they’re approachable, easy to frame, and a great fit for those just beginning to collect original art.
My brush collection is a mix of well-loved tools: flats and brights for these quicker small pieces, filberts for larger, more layered works. And while I value good materials, what matters most is presence. I paint best when I’m rooted in the moment, noticing subtle shifts in light, the pull of a certain color, the small marks that make a subject come alive. I also often listen to an earthy playlist that helps me move more fluidly.
What I love most about these paintings is their intimacy. They’re not meant to dominate a space, but to quietly enrich it. Each one becomes part of a larger story, whether on a eclectically curated gallery wall or resting on a bookshelf next to well-loved books or a vase of fresh picked flowers. In that way, it’s a kind of collaboration: between my hands and yours, my vision and yours.
If you’d like to see how one of these pieces comes together, I’ve included a few behind-the-scenes photos below. And of course, you can explore available works from The Quiet Collection here. New paintings release every Thursday at 12pm EST with early preview to subscribers (Subscribe HERE)
