A retrospective reflection written in October 2026 · Why I'm starting a journal
A photograph can show you what a piece of artwork looks like. It usually can't tell you how many times I painted over it, how the idea changed or what was happening around me while I worked.
That's part of why I wanted Jaime's Journal. I want a place for the stories that don't fit on a caption beneath an image.
Some posts will be about materials and techniques. Some will be about exhibitions or works in progress. Others will be about what art has meant to me at different moments of my life.
I don't intend to write formal critiques of my own paintings. I'd rather invite you into the studio, where some things are finished, some are being reconsidered and some are still a mystery.
This website is a way to do a better job sharing the creative gifts I've been given. The journal is where I get to tell a little more of the story.
There are pieces that started because I loved a particular shade of blue, and others that were inspired by flowers or a texture I wanted to try. There are also paintings I set aside for ages and finally understood how to finish only after coming back to them.
I want to write about those moments, along with the people who have encouraged me. My boyfriend, my kids and friends have helped make this chapter feel possible. And I hope the stories make the artwork more approachable. You don't need a degree in art history to enjoy an abstract painting or a handmade piece of jewelry.
I've been grateful for friends who ask what I'm making and genuinely want to hear the answer. Those little conversations often give me the confidence to share another unfinished idea or tell the story behind a piece.
— Jaime