Art Process: Floating Forest Series

Finally writing this after a long 2 weeks of prepping and trying to create new work for an art market this weekend (9/22)! I started this series earlier this year and after much trial and error, I’ve finally settled of the set 12 pieces of artwork for this collection. I haven’t created a cohesive collection of art in a while, and with my growing frame shop experience, I can now frame artwork archivally and actually be able to put it up somewhere! At least I hope so. I’m aiming to finish this entire series by November, with hopes of displaying it in a coffee shop or gallery somewhere as the colors used have a very wintery feel without much of it being winter themed. I wanted to express the calm and peaceful feeling that comes from a dark forest, but still retain some sort of mystery.

I got the idea for this series in January and February, and have been revising it throughout the summer. Which includes me reworking a 16x20 piece entirely after it was almost done. I’ve tweaked the color palette, images used, painting process, references used, and made a specific playlist perfectly timed to remind my self that I need to take breaks. I hope you enjoy this little peek into my artmaking process! and for more up to date progress on the entire series, I’ll be posting it in my Instagram stories, and posting full framed pieced on my feed as there completed. I’ll be making prints of some of these, but not all of them. I’ll post when those are available too! Enjoy!

I started off with a mood board, and collecting images that expressed how I was feeling at the time. It was dark and cold out, and I was longing to be outdoors.

Made a playlist to listen to while I work. Click the button below to listen if you wish :)

My sketchbook thumbnail page :) 

Finally settled on a watercolor palette!

Fantasy illustration reference materials.

Watercolor sketch of one of my thumbnails.

Line drawing ready to be transferred to watercolor paper.

Finished piece ready to be scanned for prints!

Fully framed little trees :) Trees are "floating" on top of the matboard with some being lifted to give it more depth. All of the pieces will have floating aspects to it when fully framed. Hence "Floating Forests".

Thank you for reading!!!