Autumn 2023 Mood Board

Spider web in a branch covered in dew, with a color swatch example.

How many Pinterest addicts do I know? Don’t be scared, I fall into that website like a rabbit down a hole and I’m not ashamed to admit it! One of the things I have learned over the years, in research, from school, and by creating my own practice is that the collecting of materials and inspiration is probably the MOST important part of my creative ritual.

Green Grey Lichen on a Grey Tree.

Neil Gaiman among others calls it the compost heap. Even things that aren’t a perfect idea all their own go on the heap to feed something else. A photo of lichen near the lake at Fall Creek Falls might not be the whole of my painting, but it’s a great start and excellent fodder for color, texture, etc. Mark Bradley-Shoup taught me about the different ways to create an archive of reference and thought provoking materials and why it is important. It could be a digital folder, a physical accordion file case, a website, a collection of books on a shelf, a shoe box of clippings and paint chips and treasures. However you want to gather your materials, be it physical or digital, have them as close to one place as you can so you can get in up to your elbows and immerse yourself. It may change over time, pieces may come and go, but the habit of collecting materials and references becomes an important ritual.

Artist wearing backpack, stooped to take up close photo of flowers over a stone wall.

Lots of us already have a bit of this practice ingrained in us as chronic photo takers. Most of us have a smart phone with a camera on our person most waking hours and are already decent at documenting our lives, to whatever end. Most artists I know snap photos of little things that catch our eye everywhere we go, or even sit and have a little sketch when the opportunity presents itself. All of this is the start of a great archive practice. Making amazing compost. From there we can be slightly more selective about what we’d like to keep or even start a whole new folder or collection based around one idea or one photo out of the bunch.

One of my favorite ways to create collections is mixed media journaling. I can save bits from wherever I go- pictures, sketches, color swatches, printed clippings, paper napkins, pressed leaves and flowers- and stick them in a box to collage in later. *Remember poachers ruined feathers for us and it’s illegal to keep the feathers of native birds, even if you found them on the ground* -but this becomes an excellent opportunity to try your hand at a sketch, maybe with some watercolor, or a nice up close photo of them for your collection.

As we acquire more bits, things that could be mixed and matched to different projects down the road, I have found it is the most helpful for me to see things and be able to rearrange them. As absolutely handy as digital archives and mood boards are, in fact some people use them exclusively, I prefer a mix, with the ability to have things physically before me. I can ask a program to create a digital color palette for me (here I’ve used the free Canva palette generator) but swatching and color matching on my own from references I have collected or printed is one of my favorites.

Photo of lichen on a grey rock, used to create digital color palette.

In my Enchanted Forest series that I’ve been working on the last two years, I’ve used mainly three colors: Prussien blue from Liquitex, yellow ochre from Arteza or Golden, and Crimson Red from Arteza. The palette they create is a mostly earthy/jewel toned spectrum and although it was just supposed to be a brief limited palette challenge, I fell in love. I finally swatched it out with the addition of Burnt Umber and white last week and not only had fun, but found some new color combinations I didn’t realize I could make with just those three-five colors.

From here I’ll either make a selection of the colors I created while swatching that give me what I’m looking for for this Autumn Mood Board/ Collection, or I can try new colors until I can get exactly what I’m looking for. You can do this with photos, magazine clippings, interior design or other books, recipe books, anything that could offer you a little selection of colors that resonate well together. Play around with some favorites!

Pages from my mixed media journal with a watercolor sketch, printed and clipped materials, and swatch of paint from a new set, which doesn’t match the spread at all, but it made me happy.

Photo of St Dunstan-in-the-East church window and Rubens’ Three Graces, 1635, with matching watercolor swatches on a paint spattered desk.

Not only are swatches fun to make, but they make choosing colors easier. For this Autumn Mood Board I’m making I’ll mix and match some, but will try to narrow it down a bit so things are a little more cohesive. Like with the three-color palette I worked with on the Enchanted Forest (and still do) limiting the number of starting colors not only helps a series blend and anchor each other, but also takes away some decision making on my part by offering only what it is capable of mixing.

Another thing I love to do is turn my studio into a mood room. Like walking into my mood board or planning archive. Try making a playlist for your current project- here’s mine! Autumn 2023 Mood Playlist

You could find a specific candle that fits the atmosphere you want. I’m burning Forest Forager by Amber & Oak right now and despite 80 degree heat, it smells a little like falling leaves in here.

I have vials of Cathedral and Ancient Cedar scents by Moonlight Cove Finery so I can smell like resin and trees and old places, or I can dab it between the pages of a mixed media journal.

Sometimes I clip the scent sample flaps from a magazine if I like the offerings and tape them open into a journal for a while, so there’s a ghost of a waft when someone turns the pages.

Whatever you choose, I hope you get a chance to include some other senses. Textured papers, handmade layers, pressed natural materials like leaves and textiles could make cool additions for the tactile inclined folks.

Collage on an old map, 2020 (minus feather, whoops!)

Above is the collage I made for a class in 2020 I think, that ended up being the jumping off point for an entire semester’s work. It revolved around history and historical places, nature and the imprints humans have left, and the emotions and experiences that make us human. It ended up getting very dark for me, particularly amidst the pandemic, but I still refer back to that period for tidbits, mining the compost for treasures, pretty frequently.

This is the new Autumn 2023 Mood Board I finished while writing this today. It’s about 40” long on recycled cardboard. If you want a closer look at this mixed media process and some hands on experience, go check out my mixed media kit and workshop! I’ll be scheduling them throughout the Autumn, so stay in touch and see you soon!