Every lesson in art school feels less like technique and more like uncovering a new layer of who I am as an artist.
Learning Beyond Technique
When I first started art school, I thought it would be all about oil painting technique — how to create value and tone with color, how to draw and paint from life. And yes, I’ve been learning those things (and wow, do they make a difference!). But what I didn’t expect was how much art school would challenge the way I think about myself in relation to the art I create.
Letting Go of Perfection
At first, this felt uncomfortable — I didn’t understand how my personality and my art connect. But the more I lean into the creative process, the more I realize that experimenting with new techniques helps me discover the ones that fit. I’ve started giving myself permission to explore instead of rushing for perfection. My underpainting may look completely wrong, but I keep going just to see what happens if I push through.
Exploring My Artistic Voice
Right now, I’m working through the “voice” section of the program, which is all about discovering how I want to lay down paint. Do I use inks? Collage? Oil paints? Something else entirely? I’ve been giving myself the freedom to experiment with different mixed media mediums, taking my time to see what feels the most natural. What I’m finding is that it often depends on the piece itself — not every artwork wants to be created in the same way. Some call for layers and texture, while others want to stay loose and fluid.
Feeling the Shift
The exciting part is that I can feel something shifting. I don’t have it all figured out yet, but I know that my art is slowly finding its flow. The process feels different, the results look different, and I hope that, over time, my work will have more to say than it does right now. It feels like a slow unfolding — and that’s okay.
Bringing It Into My Practice
As I keep learning, I can see these lessons weaving into my current art practice. My brushstrokes are more relaxed, my colors feel more intentional, and my paintings carry more of me. And while I’m still growing (and probably always will be), I’m grateful for the ways art school keeps shaping not just my paintings, but also how I see myself as an artist.
✨ If you’d like to follow along with my art journey, I’d love to share it with you. You can find my latest work on Instagram, YouTube and right here on my blog.
Written with the help of AI because I don’t have free time. Don’t come at me, bro. 😉
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