If you know anything about me after following me for years, you know that I have always been obsessed with miniature art.  I collect it myself, and I love the challenge of creating miniature paintings, too!

I follow a few artists who do HUGE paintings of what is normally a small subject, like a hummingbird for example.  I thought...WHAT IF...what if I could take a HUGE SUBJECT, like my Big Skies, and create it in tiny format?  And that's exactly what I'm doing!

These miniature white box frames are custom crafted and were originally painted plain white.  The original paint had issues, however, so I have sanded these mini frames down and I am repainting them in my secret signature color slightly off white paint I love.  That's a job in itself!

The next challenge was creating one of my big sky scenes in soft pastel in such a tiny format!  I have many mini gesso boards here, but obviously pastel doesn't do well on those boards alone.  So....I have taken my Pastelmat paper, cut to fit the boards, mounted the paper, and then painted them. 

The super challenge came in when deciding what to do to protect these pastels.  Soft pastels have to be framed behind glass, normally.  But I have found an amazing product giving me the ability to coat these mini works of art with a matte finish which gives off the feel of a traditional painting, such as an oil painting would.  This finish protects the pastel, does not "gloss" it {which I absolutely hate glossy finishes on fine art}, and enables these to be displayed and handled all without the use of glass!

The completed painting is then permanently mounted into the handcrafted white box frame, and can effortlessly hang on a simple nail in the wall, or be displayed on a desk or tabletop.  I'm signing and dating each one on the back {because there's just no room on the front, and frankly I don't like some big signature taking away from the beauty of my scenes!}.  The first painting in this little mini series is titled "Turquoise Seas" and is available from my secure shop on my Daily Texture website by clicking the button below.   Shipping is free!  

 Note:  These are NOT being made available as prints, only the originals of these are available.  I have another series I'm starting work on simultaneously with these, and they will be available as originals and prints.  Keep an eye on the original paintings page here on the website for more of these petite masterpieces!

You know, getting your workspace just right is like laying the foundation for the most epic creative journey. For me, it's not just about having a space to create; it's about crafting an environment that fuels the artistic soul. In my previous redesign to this space, I was so focused on getting the easel set up right with my board so I could work in soft pastel on that easel {which previously I'd only used for canvases}, that I didn't realize how I screwed everything else up.  I had unintentionally set up a barricade between me and the outside world. Easel, storage cart, and all the big stuff acted like the Great Wall of Art, blocking my natural light and the sweet breeze that comes through my screen door.

I'm a nature enthusiast; I love listening to the melodious tunes of birds and watching the dance of leaves in the wind. Yet, in my quest to perfect my studio setup, I inadvertently closed myself off from these natural wonders. It's like I had caged myself in, missing out on the very inspiration I adore.
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In this basement studio, I started feeling like I was in a dungeon, which, let's be honest, is a common hazard of basement workspaces. Determined to break free from the creative confinement, I embarked on a mission to enlarge, lighten, brighten, and most importantly, bring the outdoors in.

Enter this gem I snagged from an antique mall – a slender table with a glass top, practically begging to hold my pastels and favorite tools. The best part? It's not this towering monolith; it's low enough that I can peer over it, soaking in all that glorious outside light and fresh air.

I played a bit of musical chairs with my other art gear, too. Easel took a sidestep, tall cart did a cha-cha to the other side of the easel, and voilà – my sightlines to the great outdoors are now unobstructed. It's like my workspace and nature decided to become BFFs.  My studio went from a creative hub to an artistic sanctuary!

Before I started this rearrangement, I had decided a console/sofa table would work best in this spot.  I went out searching for the perfect one, but so many were too small, or too big and chunky...nope I wasn't going to block myself in again!  I haven't shopped for furniture in a while, so I experienced a bit of sticker shock at the prices, too. 

After getting frustrated in the couple stores I visited, I finally headed back down south to one of my favorite antique malls.  I walked into this booth where a friendly lady was restocking her finds, and I spotted this table.  I knew right away it was the perfect length and height, but I measured just to be sure.  The booth owner and I started chatting and she told me she had just stripped this table down to it's original wood, getting rid of the dark brown color it had been before.  She said her original intention was to paint it, but she decided she liked the natural look.  And I liked it too!  My wood easel is natural, and I knew this would be sitting right next to it, so unpainted is perfect for me.  I also love how it has the glass top - easy to clean off pastel dust and I can see through it to the floor, which makes this sturdy gem from the past feel even lighter in profile than it is.  SOLD! :) And for a fraction of the price of the furniture store console tables!

Now, not only am I creating art with newfound vigor, but I'm also savoring the serenade of nature and keeping a watchful eye on my mischievous cat. No more surprise acrobatics as she attempts to climb the screen door!   My studio went from a creative hub to an artistic sanctuary with a built-in cat-watching station.  

​Lesson learned – a workspace isn't just a place; it's a dynamic, ever-evolving part of the creative process. Here's to breaking free, letting the light in, and inviting the great outdoors to dance with your creativity!  And to keeping an eye on feline shenanigans. :)

So why "Big Skies"?  And why soft pastel?  Let's talk about the second question first...

My studio is filled with so many art supplies, it's ridiculous!  For years I've been exploring an extreme mixed media approach {including digital painting} to create backgrounds for my wildlife photography subjects.  In fact, I created a whole business providing these backgrounds to other photographers! I'm the photographer, artist and designer behind DailyTexture.Com for the past 10 years.  I still create for that business today, and I still am a wildlife and nature photographer.

At the beginning of every new year, I love to challenge myself with something new.  I usually start my own personal challenge at the end of the year, trying to get things rolling before the new year actually hits. :)  My challenge usually comes about from asking myself questions, and this one came about by asking myself, if I could only use ONE MEDIUM to create with, which would it be?  Which is my favorite?

My answer:  SOFT PASTEL

I have always enjoyed the immediacy of both colored pencil and soft pastel.  But soft pastel has a certain look, a certain allure to it, which I've always been passionate about.  So at the end of 2023, I invested in higher quality soft pastel supplies, trying out many different brands of soft pastels and paper and tools.  You can see my final favorites list on the bottom of this page.

So why big skies, especially since I've been primarily a wildlife photographer and artist, with a large focus on birds, for almost 20 years?   

Part of my decision has to do with emotions.  One of my favorite things I've loved every time I go out and watch for wildlife with my camera is the big and beautiful skies I see and photograph in the many wide open spaces I visit.  When the quarantine time period hit, and we were ordered to stay home, I quickly began to feel stuck.  While I certainly wish my environment offered me peace, quiet and wide open spaces, it unfortunately does not.

I longed for my wide open spaces.  The more traffic noise, general neighborhood noise, sirens, dogs barking, kids screaming, lawn mowers and blowers, etc. that I heard every time I tried to sit out in my yard and garden, the more I longed for peace, quiet, nature and wide open spaces.  But we couldn't leave.  Even when we finally could leave, many places {such as restrooms, which us older folks desperately need!} were still closed.  I spent a lot of time inside thanks to the insane, obnoxious noises all around where I live, and during that time, I went through thousands of my photos.  I created a ton of new digital backgrounds for my Daily Texture folks during this time.  And I also noticed when reviewing my millions of photos, I have thousands of scenic photos I've taken, all featuring big skies and wide open spaces.

Finally, the world seemed to start getting back to normal and we were able to get out and away more.  I was happy -- everything was going back to "normal".   Until June 2022, the month of my emergency, life saving surgery ... and while I was in the hospital recovering, my husband was diagnosed with cancer.  Talk about a double whammy!  During my recovery {6 months or so} and his treatment time period, we were stuck at home again.  And once again, I longed for the beauty and serenity of wide open spaces and vast, beautiful skies.

Back to my end of year 2023 challenge...when it came to selecting my favorite one medium to paint with, my next question was WHAT to paint.  I know from creating wildlife, floral and still life art with pastel and colored pencil for many years in the past, that kind of work is very detailed and time consuming, and I find myself getting wrapped up in details to make sure everything is accurate.  I didn't want to do that again.  I wanted to be FREE...to FEEL free at least...with whatever I chose.

Because I have so many reference photos of skies and wide open spaces from my travels, and because it's the one thing I've longed most for in the past several years, I decided to give those a try with my soft pastels.

And that, my friends, is how and why the Big Skies series of paintings began.  I love creating each and every one!  The skies basically paint themselves!  I struggle with the ground level areas some, often finding myself becoming too rigid trying to make it look just perfect.  It's then I step away from my easel, take a break, loosen up and come back and finish the painting as fast and loosely as I possibly can.

I'm currently creating a lot of 8x8" {matted to 12x12"} and 8x10" scenes {matted to 11x14"} because these sizes are easiest to ship.  I have recently purchased some antique/vintage frames I'll also be creating big sky scenes to go into.  At some point, I may find a gallery to display in, but Jackson, TN is not known for it's arts and only has one little gallery I know of.  So my paintings are currently offered online only {via my store at DailyTexture.com} at this point.  Most are selling as fast as, or before, I get them online.  Which is a good problem to have, but I promise, there will be more available as time goes on!

I know this was a very long answer to "Why Big Skies", but it is what it is. :) Thanks for being here and for reading!  Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter to be notified about new paintings each month!  --Jai

Hello everyone!  Welcome to my new blog where I will be sharing and talking about my new original pastel works of art.  After many years of creating mixed media art, photography, and photo art, I have rediscovered the joy of painting exclusively with soft pastel.  My original paintings are now being published and made available through a special category in my store via The Daily Texture.  Prints are also available, links are on each listing.  Be sure to sign up for my art newsletter to introduce you to the newest original pastel paintings, as well as inform you of special events. --Jai