Studio update and winter ritual
Logbook entry 24 July 2025
Translating my illustration work from paper to canvas, swapping pencil and pastels for acrylic paint, as been quite transformative, not only in revealing how intricate it is to articulate your artistic vision but also grounding the creative process in reality—it flourishes only in the moment’s flow and moves slower
than my planned schedule! Yet, I realise this process was vital for defining both my work and my voice. When I explored my recurring themes, I distilled them to a few core ideas: unapologetic fragility, emotional truth, vulnerability, a sense of un-belonging—all universal ideas yet deeply personal.
Through my lens of illustrator, these themes now take shape from book pages to canvas. This self-directed brainstorming session left me exhilarated—this is my art’s essence. I feel relieved, able to sum up my painting’s purpose in a single, clear sentence. It feels like a homecoming of sorts; I wrap up my day at the studio on this positive note, wondering if tomorrow I’ll reread these words and feel disappointed.
The day ends at the beach, a crisp winter afternoon, for a winter ritual. My feet dig in the sand, on my way to the ocean’s edge. I dive in, the cold tenses my body and wipes my mind clean, thinking of nothing I glide through the water, there is happiness in this icy discomfort. I don’t know how long I stayed, but I could feel my lips going purple. I swim back to shore, drape my damp towel over the weathered wooden fence, and tug a soft fleece sweater over my head, my skin still tingling from the ocean’s chill. I feel awake, alive, electric. The cold plunge is a familiar thing; years ago, while living in Russia, I embraced the sauna, birch leaves, and icy dips as a cherished wellness ritual - sans vodka. Yet, there is an unexpected delight and resilience in each plunge. And there is also a hot latte secured in the sand, waiting for me. Right now, this is enough, it is all I want. It was such a good day.
Later, that week I created the painting in the photo, titled Mademoiselle se baigne (Mademoiselle takes a dip). Layers of acrylic paint, and traces of charcoal peeping through like pentimento - traces of the past an ode to my pencil lines, it is inspired by the serenity after my chilly swim; I created it to capture the quiet joy we feel when we connect with the element. I hope it encourages you to pause and embrace life more deeply, feeling at home, wherever you are on your journey.
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