Behind the Scenes of “One With The Air”
- Kristen Dorsey
- Aug 17
- 2 min read
Every painting has its own rhythm. Some begin fast and loose, others take their time. My newest piece, One With The Air, started with soft washes and grew into the bright, lively blue jay you see perched on its weathered post. This watercolor on canvas (12x24) will be part of my December 2025 solo exhibition, Reverence, at the Leland Cultural Arts Center.
When people see a finished painting, they often don’t get to see what happens along the way. For me, that “behind the scenes” part is where the real magic lives.
The Studio Mess
Here’s a peek at the reality behind the easel: jars of cloudy water, brushes everywhere, tiny dishes of paint in every shade of blue and brown, and a towel dotted with color. It may look chaotic, but it’s organized chaos — every brush and puddle of pigment has its purpose.
The Painting Diary
I also keep what I call a “painting diary.” It’s a page where I test out colors, experiment with mixes, and make little notes before committing anything to the canvas. For One With The Air, I spent time choosing just the right blues for the jay’s feathers and layering soft earth tones for the post. By the end, the diary becomes a kind of map of the whole journey — full of swatches, scribbles, and happy accidents.
The Journey
Here's how the painting unfolded: starting with the early layers, adding depth to the feathers, and finally bringing the bird to life on its perch. I love that each stage has its own beauty, even if it isn’t “done” yet. Click on each photo to expand to full size.
Thank you for following along with my process and for joining me on this creative path. I look forward to sharing One With The Air — and many other new works — with you in person this December.
— Kristen
More details here, too, on Facebook.
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