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.
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.
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.
Why I Stopped Chasing Approval and Started Painting for Myself Again
This is the story of how I stopped chasing approval, started trusting my creative instincts again, and accidentally began a whole new series of paintings.