The BoldBrush Show

The Path Of Drawing — Patricia Watwood

September 13, 2022 BoldBrush Season 2 Episode 18
The BoldBrush Show
The Path Of Drawing — Patricia Watwood
Show Notes Transcript

For this episode we sat down with narrative figurative artist Patricia Watwood to discuss her inspiration and what it's like working in the magical niche of myth and allegory. We also spoke about great marketing and business advice for artists who are starting out on their creative path. And speaking of paths, we finally chat about her amazing upcoming book "The Path of Drawing: Lessons for Everyday Creativity and Mindfulness". It's a book not only about technique but also about soothing inner chaos in order to reach your creative potential.

Preorder Patricia's book!
https://amzn.to/3CYQWFC

Follow Patricia on Instagram and Facebook:
https://www.instagram.com/patriciawatwood/

https://www.facebook.com/patriciawatwoodstudio

Visit Patricia's website:
https://patriciawatwood.com/

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Patricia Watwood:

When we're making our work, when you're feeling energized, when you're feeling like that creativity is flowing and it's flowing in that direction. You just have to trust it, you just have to go in whatever that direction is, once people give themselves a little bit of permission to just in their own way, whatever that means to freely just enjoy the work that they're doing. It creates a feedback loop. And then they're like painting more and more.

Laura Arango Baier:

Welcome to the BoldBrush podcast where we believe that fortune favors the bold brush. My name is Laura Arango Baier. and I'm your host. For this episode, I sat down with narrative figurative artists Patricia Lockwood, to discuss her inspiration and what it's like working in the magical niche of myth and allegory. We also spoke about great marketing and business advice for artists who are starting out on their creative path. And speaking of paths, we finally chat about her amazing upcoming book, the path of drawing lessons for everyday creativity and mindfulness. It's a book not only about technique, but also about soothing inner chaos in order to reach your creative potential. Welcome, Patricia to the BoldBrush podcast. How are you today?

Patricia Watwood:

Oh, I am great. It's really nice to meet you. And thank you for inviting me.

Laura Arango Baier:

You too. Yeah. And I'm so happy you were able to finally come on after we were trying to catch each other. It was oh, I'm so sorry about that.

Patricia Watwood:

Not at all. I've had a really busy summer. And it's been a really special I was in Ireland and England traveling and then Pennsylvania painting, and I just visited my family. So I'm really happy to have had a really busy summer. But I'm really also glad to be back at my studio and getting ready for the fall.

Laura Arango Baier:

I can imagine. Yeah. But at least you had fun.

Patricia Watwood:

It was great. And a combination of painting and doing some teaching and then some like travel. It was really special. So it's been a really great summer.

Laura Arango Baier:

Oh, it sounds magical, especially like England, and must be so nice.

Patricia Watwood:

Yeah. And I'd never been to Ireland before. It was great.

Laura Arango Baier:

Oh, awesome. sounds really nice. So do you mind giving us a little bit of about your background and what you do and who you are? Yeah.

Patricia Watwood:

Thank you. So I am a figurative artist based in Brooklyn, New York, I got a classical training. So when I was in my 20s, I learned about artists like Jacob Collins, or Tony writer, and became so in love with this style of painting and drawing and learning how to draw really well. I got interested in portraiture and figure drawing right away. So that was my introduction, I was doing life drawing, and draw starting to learn portrait portrait painting. And I wanted to really fully immerse myself in that kind of education. So I was in Seattle at the time, started studying out in Seattle at what is now gage Academy. And that's how I got to know Tony Ryder and started studying with him. And then I came to New York, and I studied with Jacob Collins at the Water Street Italia, which was the precursor to the Grand Central tell you, and that was really spent about four years studying with Jacob and I also went to New York Academy of Art and did my masters at New York Academy, which at that time, was specifically a figurative program. It didn't also do other types. It was very narrowly focused. And I did figurative painting at New York Academy and just absolutely loved the education that I got there. And I've stayed in New York, I'm based in Brooklyn, and I do a lot of still do a lot of figure drawing. I work from life as much as I can, especially doing life drawing with models. I do portrait work, and commissioned portraiture and I also then do my own paintings for gallery shows that often has that more narrative or mythological or allegorical theme when I'm able to build my own paintings for my own, in my own mad mind, just for for showing the gallery.

Laura Arango Baier:

So why did you pick miss an allegory as your go to for painting?

Patricia Watwood:

You know, um, I liked that question. I think that actually my first love was theater. So when I was in high school and college actually majored in theater design in college, and I did a lot of theater that whole time of my life acting, directing, then I got interested in scenic design because it was more visual art and it felt like a really good combination. And I loved how we were always telling stories. In college I was studying also even just Greek plays, shakes theory in place, all of these grand archetypal stories of love and loss and jealousy and death and rage. And so I was always interested in those narratives that explore who we are as people, why we feel the way we do what we are. And so when I got interested in painting, I think my interest in all of those stories, kind of stayed with me and I was, I went to New York Academy, I had two really influential teachers, Martha Errol, Dr. Martha Mayer, Errol Bakker, who was the only female professor that I had at that time in my life. And she was a really important role model. And then also Vincent desert, Dario, also at New York Academy. And they really introduced me to the world of narrative painting and thinking about how, with composition, combining figures, you can explore themes like love, passion, death, with Martha, you know, she really had a philosophy that everything in life or every all of the stories we tell her either about sex or death. And then everything is about the what is the great human experience of being alive. And that painting should be part of that should be part of that exploration, I think I was always really attracted to that idea about what painting could be. I also love just fiction and poetry. And then from my background in theater, I think it all kind of woven together to make me the painter that I am with the interests that I have in my subject matter.

Laura Arango Baier:

Yeah, totally. And I think the other really nice thing about narrative painting is, for one, it's pretty uncommon these days to see many narrative painters. And actually, I think it's it's one of the most difficult niches to be in today. So I wanted to ask you, how have you found success in the specific niche of narrative painting? All

Patricia Watwood:

right. It's funny, it has changed, even just in the time that I've been doing it, I really started being interested in this in around 2000. And even then, there just were very few people doing that. And it almost seemed archaic or silly or like, just not a relevant way to paint in this day and age. But also, they tell you, as an artist, to just follow the thing that you love the most, and don't pay attention to what's popular, right. So with that, I think that there is not as big an audience for, in like real in, in painting for narrative. But the audience that there is for it is actually very passionate, and actually well informed. Because a lot of the people who are interested in figurative painting or drawing, actually know, know a fair amount about art or art history, they love going to art museums, they know about those artists. And so then they're very interested to see contemporary artists who are part of the lineage of figurative art through that, you know, through the centuries, that it's not a dead tradition, it's a living tradition. So it's not as easy there aren't as many collectors and people don't necessarily buy a figurative piece and then just stick it in their kitchen or, or like when they read or decorate their house, like we decorate like, you know, they're making a commitment, because they care about the art, or they care about the artist, or they care about the ideas within it. It's not sort of a it's not a decorative commitment. Like it's not they're not looking for something that goes over their couch. They're there. The collectors are very passionate, and you often well informed about, about figurative art or why people do this.

Laura Arango Baier:

Right? Yeah. And I guess it is what you said at the beginning. It's following you love. And I feel that that's also what leads to success. It's you people don't don't paint narrative, because it's the market, they paint it because they love it. And I can tell that you absolutely love it. And I love it as well. So it's so

Patricia Watwood:

I love it. And I've gotten better as I've developed as a painter and develop my skills and learning how to maybe invent backgrounds or kind of create whole settings. And that also is really fun for me. So now that I have more experience with that if I'm making a bigger work and just inventing like a big sky or a big background, then that really feels like I'm very creatively alive. And it's also just fun to push the colors and round or make up the design, and it's very liberating and energizing. And I think that we all as painters have to follow. When we're making our work, when you're feeling energized, when you're feeling like that creativity is flowing, and it's flowing in that direction, you just have to trust it, you just have to go in that in whatever that direction is. And so fortunately, I've had enough, you know, good feedback from peers, or I've had collectors, I've had shows to kind of encourage me on this path. But then also, as I'm doing it more, I feel more and more at home or like that is creatively what I'm that is what my personal voice is. And so I should just be try to be myself and be happy and my creativity, and then take follow that where it leads me.

Laura Arango Baier:

Yes, absolutely. It's, you know, following that authentic calling to the thing that brings you joy. Yeah. All right.

Patricia Watwood:

And as artists, I think we're all freelancers. Basically, we're all small business owners. And it you know, working in a less popular or less easily marketable niche. I've had to kind of do a lot of things. And fortunately, I'm lucky, I actually really love portraiture, because I love painting people and my subject, whether it's a figurative painting or a portrait, I love that engagement. So I've been able to do portrait or portrait drawings, and really enjoy those, and they all kind of feed together, you know, and then, you know, like, everyone does a little bit of teaching or other other things as well. Yeah, sometimes you just have to persist in what you want to do, and don't quit.

Laura Arango Baier:

Yes, yes, I was actually about to ask what advice you would give to young artists, in terms of marketing and selling their work.

Patricia Watwood:

So you have to be patient. And it takes time. So I've been working on my own, you know, as a professional artist, I've been doing it for 20 years, I've had a website for almost that, you know, so you have to have a website, you want to be you have to communicate about what you're doing. And you have to communicate more than you think you should and more than maybe you want to, you have to tell people, and then you have to repeat it, and then just tell them again. And that doesn't come naturally. I think for a lot of artists who are more introverted, and it's it's much easier to talk about somebody else's work and to talk about your own work. So over time, I've just gotten better through frankly, practice and just will at being trying to communicate well and often about my work, whether it's and I do have a email listserv. So that's part of my website, and you go to my website, sign up for my email list. And I do rely on social media like Instagram, definitely Facebook. But all of those, you know, you're not in control of your own business there because it's controlled by the algorithm. Since I do figurative work, I've had my pages shut down, I had my facebook page shut down like the week of a big solo show, because I do figurative work. And the algorithm can't tell the difference between a photo of a naked person and a painting. And it happens all the time. And a lot of figurative artists really struggle with that. So it's even more important to be in control of your own communications and business separate from that. So that's not, you're not the only thing you're relying on. So I send out emails using an email listserv. I also tried to, especially when I have a show coming up, I tried to communicate directly with my collectors, or even like, send them a hand like a postcard with a small note. So I'm not going to do that to 1000s of people. But honestly, the people who your collectors, it's not that not for me, it's not 1000s it's like, you know, it's dozens and so over, try to stay in good communication with the people who who support you who follow you. They like to hear from you. And so that's always been part of my strategy of helping, you know, making sure people know about my shows or follow me.

Laura Arango Baier:

Right. Yeah. Yeah. And like you said, you know, having that email subscription on your website, so people can stay updated to through email, and then you can show those explicit figurative images. Oh, my God, I can't believe you went through that.

Patricia Watwood:

I know I it's I've had a lot of trouble with social media because of the algorithm and figurative work and I know a lot of other artists who really struggled with it too. So it's a real disadvantage. And some people will then maybe move over to a platform like Patreon or something where it's not blocked. But the big you know, the big Facebook, Instagram, those are really big audiences. And so you sort of have to figure out how to kind of do both. And because you really want to keep a presence in the big social media platforms,

Laura Arango Baier:

that's a very good point. You just left me speechless with that, because I can only imagine how many pictures you have taken down a week. Because of that,

Patricia Watwood:

you'll find that like drawings tend to do, okay, because they don't trigger sort of the photo, you know, of the figures. But the paintings really are problematic. And so then people will edit them, or I'll crop or just show more portraits. So I definitely am very conscious about what I'm sharing on social media so that I don't necessarily get blocked as a figurative artists. But it's definitely harder in those platforms as a figurative painter to kind of get the same kind of audiences somebody who does something that's universally beloved, like, I don't know, birds, or Yeah, then sometimes, like, just the landscapes are still lifes, like they're, you're never gonna get a, you know, an Instagram block from any of those things. So

Laura Arango Baier:

I actually heard about a painter who painted bread, and their page got taken down because the bread looked very human like.

Patricia Watwood:

That's hilarious. So wrong.

Laura Arango Baier:

I know. The algorithm is terrible. It's frustrating. Yeah, but it was there. Yeah. Imagine just these loaves of bread and algorithms things. It's like, loops or something. Oh, man, building your artists website can be a hassle. But with FASO, they make it easy to get online, sell more of your work and promote your art. Right now for our BoldBrush podcast listeners, you can get over 50% off your first year on FASO with our special link, simply visit faso.com forward slash podcast. FASO is a leading provider of fine art websites, they have online marketing tips that you get every week, as well as online workshops and other tips and tricks to help you sell your work. So remember, use our link faster.com forward slash podcast to get over 50% off right now. That's f a s o.com. Forward slash podcast. I'd also like to give a huge thank you and shout out to Chelsea classical studio for their continued support in this podcast. If you're looking for archival painting supplies that are handmade with a lot of patients, then check them out at Chelsea classical studio.com. But aside from that, since you mentioned you also do teaching, I heard from your page that you have a book.

Patricia Watwood:

Oh my gosh, I do. I'm very excited about it. I'm, I'm thrilled. I'm nervous about it. It's my first book I it's at the printers now it comes out in December. It is called the path of drawing lessons and everyday creativity and mindfulness. And it's an art instructional book focusing on drawing and realistic drawing. But it's not so much a book about how to draw as a book about why to draw, and how artists or just beginners or just, it's it's not narrowly focused for people who really are seeking up full time professional training, it's more broad in its target. With more general, simple lessons with more still life or things that are readily available. Like you don't need to go to a figure studio or have access to a long pose for anything that's in that book. It's how we use drawing as creative people to find our personal voice, and frankly, to just steal our mind so that we can even hear our purse creative voice. I think that there's a lot of books on creativity. One of the well known ones is the artists way by Julia Cameron. She talks about common obstacles to creativity, like you know if you'd have a writer's block or a creative block, but her method is all about writing and using like morning pages. And my insight was that for visual artists, that the written word is not the natural form, that we as artists actually just like to lose ourselves in moving our pencil around on the paper. And that it's in that practice. You know, focusing your mind on the pencil, the pencil on the paper, getting engrossed in that activity. It pulls us into this really liberating supportive space and space of quiet a space of calm, that then if you are going to then kind of pursue a creative life, that's the space where creative ideas, a feeling about what you're personally drawn to, that's the space where those kinds of ideas can emerge. So I wanted to write a book that shows how to build a creative habit, how to just make creativity, even if it's just 30 minutes a day, a regular part of your life, not just once, but on an ongoing way. In the same way, you might have a practice of yoga, or meditation. But for so we're hearing about, like how great meditation is right, it can really cure anxiety, it's really important to help you focus, especially in this hyper technological age, like nobody can focus. So meditation has all these benefits can really help be significant in alleviating depression. But for a lot of people, the idea of sitting still for 20 minutes on a cushion, sounds like torture. But if you give that same person, a pencil, you know, and like some paper or an activity in a way to use your hands, it's really then you can really access that those same benefits. So that's I went through kind of a long journey of in my own life of how I got to that. But in writing this book, that's what I wanted to share was how we use creativity in an ongoing way drawing for me, you know, just draw, I was always drawing for me, it's like, but, but whether it for other for other people, just a regular engagement with creativity is a really key aspect to developing wellness, and giving you access to skills of like visual literacy, spatial recognition, like creative visualization, skills that really can enrich our lives, help us problem, problem solve, and all sorts of areas of our life, even maybe you're a mechanic, maybe you're a school teacher, right. But those creative visualization, creative time they enrich your thinking, and your problem solving your experiences, and all of those areas not just drawn.

Laura Arango Baier:

That sounds like a very peaceful vote. So I'm really excited. Great. Yeah, yeah, it's very exciting, do you mind walking me through maybe one of the mindfulness exercises that you have in the book.

Patricia Watwood:

So there's one, that's just a beginning ritual that I like, that I just called, spiral your way in. So I think everyone is familiar with like, Okay, you want to sit down and draw, but maybe you're kind of a little antsy, or, like, you're not quite sure what to draw, or there's all of this anxiety, and, frankly, procrastination, that kind of somehow stalls you from actually starting. So a spiral your way in is very simply this picking up a pencil, putting it on the paper, and making a spiral. And kind of focusing your eyes on the spiral. And it's a dexterity ish, you know, skill to, like, try to like make the spiral, parallel, then expand. And I noticed that after about like, seven spirals, like I really can't, like my hand can't, you know, keep going and then you can change directions and go another direction. And so it's such a simple, abstract, kind of, it's, it's not, it doesn't require any skill. But this simple act for it, let's all have that anxiety of how to start the blank page. What am I going to do? Is it going to be important is it going to be good, like all none of that, like, you're just and you're drawing, and I find if you just had just for two minutes, and then other parts of my brain that are like, Oh my god, I love I love my pencils. I'm gonna sharpen it, you just, it engages this childlike self part of yourself that really loves to draw. And then you're drawing. And you're not worrying about drawing, you're just drawing. So that's one of the very beginning exercises, and I find that even though like I've been drawing for 20 years, all of that clatter of like, procrastination, and what am I supposed to do? Like? It just is still it's just a regular hurdle. I mean, it says it doesn't stop being a hurdle. So even you know, after all these years, I need these rituals to propel myself forward. And there's a couple other some of them are there's a lot have different approaches. And there are some of them are more specifically like lessons designed to teach you some skills. Like there's a how to draw a leaf lesson which helps teach you contour. And using first measurement and blocking an envelope to find the placement, and then focusing on the detail of contour. There are a couple lessons talking about value. So there are some really strong foundations in there. But then there's other things that are about to develop and creativity, like this thing called Creative compost, which is how do we as artists have an ongoing practice of bringing, like inspiration or ideas into our process. So it talks about that are like another one that's just like an a little like spiral, spiral your wagon, but then starts to use ink and watercolor that, again, is kind of just intuitive, as opposed to realist. And I was trained in an atelier and drawing from life and drawing from perception, where they're always pretty rigorous standards of is it right? Or is it wrong? Is it well done, is it, you know, and but ultimately, you have to move past that into space where you're allowed to where you can allow yourself to do things that are more creative and internal. And so I've found that I've had to writing this book, these other practices have been all part of the process for me of learning how to really bring that kind of freedom and imagination and creativity into the sort of rigor that I had with my training and an Italian.

Laura Arango Baier:

That sounds like a very healthy approach. Because absolutely training is like you said, it's so intense. It's it's always about right versus wrong. It's it's almost punitive. And I remember when I started at GCA, after two years there, I was an anxious wreck about my work. Yeah.

Patricia Watwood:

And it's all about judgment. And then we, as artists, then go into our own studios, and we judge ourselves, did I do a good job to do a bad job? Is it beautiful? Is it ugly? Is it right? Is it wrong? And ultimately, all of that judgment is actually not useful. Because it just blocks your creativity. You can't continue to like make things or even trust yourself to do something new and different. That isn't like what you saw, like, how would you do that? Is it right or wrong? Based on what, you know, you're working inside your imagination, there is no right and wrong. So letting go of the judgments of all of that, and learning to just experience your creativity as something that is just happening, and you are in it, and you're either practicing it or you're not practicing it. That's the only thing that matters. It's not if it's good, or if it's bad, you're either doing it or you're not doing it unless somebody else in the future worry about whether it's good or bad. So absolutely,

Laura Arango Baier:

yes. Oh my gosh, yeah. And you set the keywords there too, which it's trusting yourself. For some reason, after going through such a rigorous system of learning. It's, it's almost like you lose self trust. It's like, Can I trust that this line is right? Like, it doesn't matter? It's fine. It's hard to let yourself not worry about it.

Patricia Watwood:

And I think that's true in any creative field, whether it's sort of more traditional trains like we are or otherwise, I think that we received so many messages about it shouldn't be like this, or it should not be like that, or then we're like on Instagram, and it's what 3000 People liked that, but they didn't like my thing. So I don't know, I guess I should mean more like, you know, and there's so many rails that tell us to be like this or not like this. And ultimately you have to learn how to listen, to disrupt to disregard it, because it's not helpful, that ultimately will not lead you where you want to go. And you'll be creatively blocked and unhappy.

Laura Arango Baier:

Yes, definitely. And I think I heard somewhere that comparison is the death of the self. It's like once, once you start comparing, once you start comparing, that's when you absolutely lose sight of you, and you're now seeing through other people. So it's, it's important to bring yourself back to that center. And I think your book definitely has that vibe that it brings the creative back to you.

Patricia Watwood:

Yeah, I think that my book kind of arose out of all of these practices that I sort of I had to teach myself not quite knowing what I was doing sure I was doing it all wrong. But how did you know after my training after then developing as an artist and the development I think of yourself as an artist is a process of 1015 20 years, like 20 years and I'm like, Okay, guys, I think maybe I'm starting to get an idea. Like, it's been a long, it's a long process. And so over that, like, what were the things I was doing, drawing little making up little watercolors in my sketchbook that I never would show anybody. You know, we're, um, you know, that creative composts, like gathering ideas. And so those were all the things that I did to teach myself how to not have, ideally, to not compare myself, I think we all still, we still do that. But yes, to get better and better at following your own voice instead of the madding crowd that's doing something else.

Laura Arango Baier:

Absolutely. Very well. Sad. Oh, my gosh, I was actually going to ask if you had any last words of wisdom, but we've, we've heard so much wisdom.

Patricia Watwood:

Thank you appreciate it. I'm really excited this book is coming out. I've been working on it for two and a half years, you know, all of the lockdown and pandemic and, and then some. And I'm really excited to bring it out into the world, it has been a very, it reflects my own personal journey. I 567 years ago, just kind of went through a real doldrum of difficult time. Personal life, family life challenges life, sometimes it's just very difficult. And sometimes when life is difficult, it really is hard to find kind of the energy and joy or to make your work. But then also realizing that I had all of these things that were really not helping me, you know, like impostor syndrome, and perfectionism, or this idea about judgment, right? All of these things were inhibiting me from making the work that I really wanted to create. And so therapy therapy is great. Yes. You know, I struggled, there's a lot of depression in my family kind of man, you know, dealing with some depression. And so all the things I was learning about how to do that on my own life, then became a practice that then I've woven into this book, so and I hope it'll be helpful to others, because I'm so grateful for that all the things that I read that were really helpful to me.

Laura Arango Baier:

That's very beautiful. I think, definitely your book is one for everyone to read, especially since I know a lot of other artists who also suffer from anxiety and depression and finding a way to marry this therapeutic, holistic approach to doing what you love. I think that would change a lot of people's lives.

Patricia Watwood:

Yeah, yeah. And I think that once people give themselves a little bit of permission to just in their own way, whatever that means to freely just enjoy the work that they're doing. It creates a feedback loop. And then they're like painting more and more. And they're doing more and more. And suddenly, like, I have students sometimes that like, get back to me, they're like, I can't believe that. But like, I'm, I have my first solo show coming up. And it's really, it's amazing the power that like creativity, and a creative practice what that can make possible in your life. If you make time for it, if you value yourself enough to say that that time is worth it.

Laura Arango Baier:

Absolutely. Oh my gosh. Yeah. Well, um, if anyone wants to buy your book, where can they find it?

Patricia Watwood:

Right now, you can find it on Amazon and preorder and it comes out in December, it mailed to you just in time for Christmas. And for all your friends, please buy them one for Christmas. And it's the path of drawing, you can just Google a path of drawing on Amazon, or My name is Patricia outlet and you'll find it but also on my own website. I'm going to be doing some special activities coming up for this I'm actually going to be selling some special prints really affordably. I'm going to be giving away some drawings and Special Edition things for like followers who've been following me for in supporting me for the last year or two as I've been working on this. I've got two shows that I'm planning for the launch of this book. One is at the salmagundi Club of New York City, and that'll be in December from the 11th to the 24th. The salmagundi club is an Artist Club and I'm actually the first vice president of the salmagundi club. It's a really special beautiful place in New York City that supports traditional art and patrons and then I work with a gallery called that A gallery that is also in the Lower East Side in New York City. And I'm looking forward to having a show with them works on paper, probably in February, if you just follow me on Instagram or go to my website, Patricia wedgwood.com. I'm really excited about the things I have coming out in the next three or four months with the launch of this book.

Laura Arango Baier:

Wow, that sounds like you've been so busy. Oh my gosh.

Patricia Watwood:

It's been really busy. I know a lot of people during the pandemic are like, Oh, I had. So I learned I worked on my golf game. It has been like the busiest time in my life, but I just stayed inside.

Laura Arango Baier:

But the other great thing is, it sounds like you really enjoyed it. It doesn't feel like you were busy

Patricia Watwood:

writing it was really hard. And it was very interesting, because it made me wrestle with all of the same kind of creative demons of like, judgment, procrastinate, like all of those chickens came home to roost. And I was like, Wait, guys, like I thought I knew how to deal with you. And I had to deal with it all over again. And that was really, really hard. But then other parts, even just like the editing and layout, and getting all these wonderful pictures, illustrations from artists, I have some wonderful illustrations from artists that you know, and I know that I am so thrilled to be showing illustrations of their work in my book. And that was the real joy. So there was a lot about it. That was really fun, too. And I've learned a lot i It's really been I've grown and learned a lot. And when you write something you think that you write something because you are an expert on a subject. And I think it's the opposite. I think you write and then you figure out what you need to know. Right? Sort of yeah, don't you have to figure out you teach yourself what you think as you're in the process of writing?

Laura Arango Baier:

Yes, yes. Definitely. Oh, my gosh. Well, thank you so much, Patricia, for your time. This was a really informative, peaceful interview.

Patricia Watwood:

Thank you, I am so glad to finally meet you. I really love the BoldBrush podcast and you've just interviewed so many fantastic artists. It's just a joy. I love you know, listening to podcasts and my artists. Here's what while I'm working in the studio, so thank you for all that you're doing to make those happen. Oh, thank you

Laura Arango Baier:

so much. And of course, thank you for being here, and being part of these amazing artists. So if you'd like to purchase Patricia Wildwoods upcoming book, you can find the link in the show notes or you can go to amazon.com and look up the path of drawing lessons for everyday creativity and mindfulness. And to find the rest of our links are all in the show notes as well. Or you can visit Patricia walk with.com or look up Patricia Wedgwood on Instagram and Facebook