Notes from the Studio: October 2025

Collecting New References

Most of my West Virginia prints are more than six years old and painted at small scale. I'd like to paint a new series capturing the beauty of the Tucker County area, so we planned a trip last month to capture reference images of some of the state's most scenic locations in their fall glory. 

The first day, we stayed close to Davis, WV. We explored Blackwater Falls, Elakala Falls, Lindy Point Overlook Trail, and Freeland Boardwalk Trail in Canaan Valley. The falls were on the drier side, but I’ve only seen them either frozen or under flooded conditions before.

On our second day, we got an early start to hike the small loop at the top of Spruce Knob. We caught some sun on one side of the mountaintop and got to experience a cloud moving in on the other side. My son enjoyed being the “tallest person in West Virginia” for a minute on top of the lookout tower.

We stopped at Seneca Rocks for a picnic lunch, then headed to our next stop at Dolly Sods. I have never been to the Sods when the blueberry bushes turn red—usually we miss the window by about a month. We hiked the Bear Rocks Loop Trail for its famous sweeping vistas at the beginning. Near the end of the trail, we stumbled upon the most beautiful field of cottongrass.

In the Studio

I finished painting Peppermint and Chamomile herbs. I wrapped up sketches for Echinacea and Calendula, but then decided I want to add Cilantro instead of Calendula, so I need to photograph and sketch that one. Maybe Calendula will be a bonus print? These herbs will soon become prints and notecards. I'm also considering one large print with all 12 herbs on it. I plan to hang either one big print or a few of the individual prints in my kitchen.

Tips for Taking Reference Photos

I try to take lots of photos when I’m on site. If I see something that strikes me, I take lots of different angles then review everything later at home so I stay present on my hike.

Tips for iPhone:

• Use the 0.5 zoom setting to capture more of the scene - you can crop it later.
• Flip your phone upside down so the lens is closest to the ground. This can give more focus to things in the foreground.
• Take photos in both horizontal and vertical orientations.
• Edit your photos later. Even the editing tools in the Photos app can help the lens match what your eye saw, like more vivid colors. I like editing with Adobe Lightroom or Snapseed apps.
• Feel like your camera roll is full? Delete the not-so-good ones later at home.

Work in Progress

Something seasonal is coming! 🎄 I'm experimenting with a new approach to an old favorite. I have been hesitant to talk about these until I was sure I could deliver but I made a batch of samples that turned out beautifully. More on that coming this week on my social media!

I have been dreaming of ways to bring back ornaments that didn't require months of me painting in every spare moment. 

This year's ornament will feature an original hand-painted West Virginia design which I will then make prints of and heat press on to each ceramic blank. The end product is a beautiful smudge-proof and waterproof ceramic ornament.

This year I'm starting with one design, but the plan is to have multiple designs next year . I love that I'll be able to share lots of different paintings in a much more sustainable way for my time and health - and that they'll be watercolor designs as well.