Revisiting My Old Painting Style to Find My New One | Studio Journaling & Painting Vlog

This week I went back to a painting style I haven’t touched in years — and it taught me more about where my practice is headed than I expected. A past client came back wanting a new commission in the abstract floral style I’m best known for online — the rainbow palette, the loose intuitive mark-making. Rather than just getting it done, I decided to treat the whole process as a bit of research into my own history as an artist. I journaled the entire way through: printing out photos of old paintings, sticking them into my notebook, writing down what I noticed about my body, my colour choices, and the kind of freedom that comes through when I work prolifically in a familiar style. Once the commission mockups were finished and sent off, I switched gears and took everything I’d noticed straight into my current studio practice. I’ve been working on canvases I’ve denuded and repainted with coloured gesso to mimic the tone of linen — it helps me feel less precious and more willing to experiment. Three new paintings came out of this: one revisiting that tree from my Scotland forest experience; one purely in neo-colour II's of a local gum tree and one of the beautiful spotted gum at my parents’ property, using oil sticks and R&F drawing oils layered over wax pastel and acrylic underpaintings. The biggest realisation? I think I need to step away from my photo references earlier in the process and let my imagination fill in more of the gaps — that’s when my mark-making feels most like me. I also recognised I’ve been a bit rigid about mixing media, when actually that’s always come naturally to me. I’d genuinely love to know which painting in this video speaks to you most — let me know in the comments. And if you’ve got your own tips for analysing your past work to grow your practice, I’d love to hear those too. You can follow the full Masters of Visual Art journey here:    • The dance of practice-led research | MFA p...   Thanks to everyone who chooses to support me and these videos through buying some art, a print, or an e-course — it is hugely appreciated: Art, prints, e-courses, podcast: https://www.susannethercote.com/ Join my newsletter: https://catchy-frost-81401.myflodesk.... Instagram:   / susan.nethercote   Music via Soundstripe: Prologue, Shimmer, PEIC9MI6YIHRBUK4 Subscriber count at time of publication: 3,024