April Updates

Wanted to finish this before the month ended

Apr 24, 2025

A small sketch of a woman wearing a corset.

I’m going to keep this newsletter short and sweet. I began this year with a specific goal in mind. I’m sticking to it. I’m finishing my semester at the Art Students League and have been happy with my progress. I wanted to focus on drawing—I’ve been doing some light research, but my primary aim this year is to develop my technical skills.

This is the first time I’ve truly focused on one medium. It has been good for me—there’s a lot of pressure to diversify one’s skillset in the digital era, but I find this makes me increasingly scatterbrained. I still want to become adept across a variety of media. However, the best strategy may be to hone in on one technique/ medium for a few months. Drawing is immediate, which seems appropriate for the social and political context. It is grounding in a world where everything feels unhinged.

I also feel that focusing on “softness” and “femininity” (I’m cringing as I write this, but I don’t exactly know how to explain it without leaning into stereotypes) and delicacy in rendering can help to convey complex ideas without being too heavy-handed.

One of my figure drawings I completed at the Art Students League.

This month has reaffirmed my desire to continue making art. I’ve had more discussions about political engagement and what artists should do in our current climate, and I think it may be best for me to organize/ canvas/ participate in community-oriented activities when it makes sense. I also need time to research candidates before I choose them.

This is a non-sequitur, but in an era where DEI is under attack, I’ve been thinking about the underlying concepts of my practice. There’s a lot more to my work than race. I like philosophy, politics, literature, ecology, geometry, geology, writing, music, journalism, film, and many other things that aren’t grounded in “Blackness” (whatever that means).

I’m enjoying drawing and sitting with my amorphous thoughts for now.