March 15, 2026 Issue 3

It’s Just Shapes: A Diary of Painting

E. Kindig Art Quarterly Newsletter

Cheeky Little Monkey

In late February I started an oil pastel portrait of my daughter based on a photograph from when she was about three years old. It’s been ages since I’ve painted a portrait, or even a figure for that matter, so I was a bit nervous to do it. I figured it would be hard, frustrating enough that I ‘d just abandon it altogether. It’s all just shapes, though, right?! So I gave it a go.

What I didn’t expect to happen is to have this be one of the most joy inducing paintings I’ve possibly ever made. As I have sought to capture every subtle curve of her baby face, every highlight, every tiny quirk of her little grin, I have found myself grinning and giggling often and saying out loud to absolutely no one, “Oh, you cheeky little monkey!”

Cheeky Little Monkey, in progress

December

Does anyone get anything done in December? It’s definitely hard to squeeze in any serious work amidst all the holiday preparations. I did manage to complete a pastel piece and an acrylic piece, both of the same subject matter–CORN! This was an interesting and fruitful exercise.

The pastel piece came first. I worked from a photograph I had taken, and it was an effort to get the shapes pulled out of the mess of cornstalks in order to find a focused and interesting composition. I decided, then, to attempt another piece of the same subject with acrylics. For this piece, I began working almost solely from the pastel piece I had completed, drawing from the composition and shapes I had already established with the pastel. I also like to work from black and white versions of my photographs, as this allows me more freedom to play with color. As long as the values (lights to darks) are correct, the color can really go anywhere you like! Both pieces are available!

Shades of Afternoon, 18.5” x 24.5” framed soft pastel, available

Waiting for Harvest, 18” x 24” acrylic on canvas, available

January

The start of a new year is always a good time to reflect. I spend a lot of time thinking about how I envision my future artist self. At the core of this vision is that I am IN THE CONVERSATION.

What does it mean to be in the conversation? What does it look like for ME? What even IS art now? What is painting now? What does it mean to make art in this time that we live in right now? What do I owe to painters who came before me? What must I learn from them?

I know I want deeply to belong and contribute in a meaningful way to the continuing trajectory of art. Even if it’s just a small contribution, I want to make it. And I want to keep engaging with all of these questions.


Cupcakes for Andrea, 16” x 12” acrylic on canvas, available

During the month, I completed the cupcakes, which felt like a nice little saccharine escape from the terribleness of the world which I was needing in January. In the spirit of being IN THE CONVERSATION, it was also as an opportunity to emulate Wayne Thiebaud, a favorite painter of mine who is known for his decadent paintings of cakes and other deli sweets.

I also completed a commissioned piece for the same client as I had done “Don’s Jacket.” This was a much smaller piece, only 8 x 10. Family heirlooms continue to intrigue me and indulge my curiosity about the past.

Don’s Note Pad, 8” x 10” acrylic on canvas, commission

February

Bright and early on Sunday, February 1, I loaded up my car with almost all my paintings and hauled them over to David’s Delicatessen in New Buffalo, Michigan. I had been working diligently since the end of October to make enough paintings to fill the space there, and it was both a relief and a little bittersweet to come to the end of that challenge. Driving back home that afternoon and leaving all my hard work in this new place, I felt a little like I had felt when dropping my daughter off at Kindergarten.


I had foolishly thought that once I met the deadline for David’s that I would suddenly feel very free to just go hog wild and make all kinds of paintings. Turns out the opposite happened. I spun my wheels and felt pretty stuck for most of February. Unfortunately, I had been unable to get into the weekly class I had been in up until the holidays, and it became very evident to me how important having a weekly class was for my focus and motivation. Thankfully, toward the end of the month, the Yellow House Artists held a Paint Together event that I went to, and that gave me the jumpstart I was needing. There I began an oil pastel piece that I’ll be showing in the YHA’s spring show, which I’ve titled “New Life Beckons.” I also finished another small commissioned piece in acrylics, titled “A Little Chat.”

New Life Beckons, 20” x 24” framed oil pastel, available

A Little Chat, 7” x 5” acrylic on canvas, commission

Please spring, Spring!

The spring months will find me back in class, thankfully! I’ll be back at the Fine Line for pastel class with Carol Zack, and I’ll be at the Palette & Chisel taking my first class with Lenin Del Sol. The Palette & Chisel is in Chicago and is one of the oldest continuously operating arts organizations in the US. In this class, I’ll be working from a model and getting reacquainted with my oil paints. I’m very excited to get initiated there and to learn all that I can. I’m also excited that I’ll be getting back into the city once a week, especially as spring awakens. Chicago in the springtime is one of my favorite things, watching the tulips pop up in abundance around the Water Tower and the trees bud over the boulevards. I’m also back to weekly figure drawing sessions at the St. Charles Arts Resource Center. As the days get warmer, I anticipate I will be taking my materials back outside again to work en plein air. In May I’ll be participating in my first fine art show, which will be in St. Charles. In July I’ll be participating in my second in Geneva!

Let Spring spring!

Thank you for following along on my journey!

Upcoming exhibitions/fairs:

Follow me on Instagram!