Studio Journal
The Studio Journal documents the evolution of my work as an artist.
Sometimes a painting begins with a simple observation: a flower blooming in winter, fallen fruit glowing against dark grass, fog rolling across the land. These entries follow the ideas that grow from those moments and the paintings that emerge from them.
The Assignment That Changed Everything
Sometimes your life changes and you don't recognize it in the moment. A typography assignment, a mentor's advice, and a portrait of Einstein unexpectedly became the beginning of my word portraits.
Confessionalism | How Writing Changed My Art Forever
After writing a letter over a portrait of my father, words became an essential part of my paintings. At first I used them to confront people. Over time I realized they could do something far more powerful: invite people into the conversation.
Drawing From the Well | How Old Ideas Became New Again
I used to think every series I created was separate. Art is Life is Art. Confessionalism. Abstract Cities. Word Portraits. Lately I've started to realize they were never separate at all. They were all different ways of asking the same questions.
When Paint Wasn't Enough | The Origins of My Word Portraits
People often ask where my word portraits came from. I wish there were one answer. There isn't. They grew out of years of experiments until one watercolor portrait showed me that paint could capture a face, but words could capture a history.
Creating Order from Chaos | The First Question That Led to My Word Portraits
Sometimes the most important discoveries don’t happen because inspiration strikes. They happen because you keep working long enough to ask a better question. This is the story of the sketchbook page that changed everything.
Building an Art Career One Promise at a Time
An unexpected commission forced me to choose between inspiration and a promise I’d already made. It became one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned about building an art career.
When Your Work Becomes Your Identity
A vacation should have helped me relax. Instead it reminded me how deeply painting has become part of my identity, and why time away from the studio can feel strangely unsettling.
Five Portraits, Two Years of Growth
A commission to create five word portraits over two years became something neither my client nor I expected; a record of my own evolution as an artist.
Painting Memories
My recent flower paintings have become less about documenting nature and more about preserving memories before they disappear.
Art Addiction
After painting a piece about alcohol addiction, I realized the most important addiction in my life might be the one I’ve never painted.
I’ll Always Be an Artist
A reflection on creativity, work, and the realization that no matter what job I’ve had, I’ve always been an artist.
The Painting I’m Avoiding
A reflection on artistic growth, sobriety, and the self-portrait I’ve been avoiding for over a year.
Back in Motion
Two weeks of twelve-hour days on a rice farm left me feeling strangely disconnected from my life and my art. What started as a temporary job became an unexpected lesson in attention, momentum, and learning to stop forcing things.
Predestination: Painting, Memory, and the Illusion of Control
A reflection on art, belief, and whether our creative path is chosen or revealed through the process of painting.
Transcendence: When an Abstract Painting Becomes a Story
A studio journal entry about how the abstract painting Transcendence evolved from roots and figures into a narrative of struggle, transformation, and energy.
Inner Connected: Letting Go of Control in the Creative Process
A reflection on abstract painting, artistic risk, and the realization that years of creative exploration are deeply interconnected.
Why We Endure: Painting the Many Forms of Love
After exploring endurance in his fog paintings, artist Phil Vance begins a series exploring the many forms of love and how connection shapes our lives.
What the Fog Taught Me About Failure and Endurance
While painting fallen oranges and reflecting on life cycles, the fog rolling across the hills sparked new questions about failure, endurance, and the creative process.
When the Ground Looked Painted: Finding Meaning in Fallen Oranges
A quiet walk past a fallen orange tree led to a series of paintings about life cycles, rebirth, and the beauty that can appear even in decay.
The Camellia Bloom: How a Winter Flower Restarted My Creative Journey
A quiet walk with my dog led me to a camellia flower blooming in winter, and that moment sparked a series of paintings about rebirth, creativity, and rediscovering the joy of making art.