A Glimpse Inside My Studio: What a Typical Painting Day Looks Like

Posted on: 23/06/2026

People often ask me, “What does a typical day in the studio actually look like?” And I think they expect a romantic, dramatic scene—me in a paint-splattered smock, passionately throwing paint at a massive canvas with brooding music playing in the background.

The reality? It’s a lot quieter, a lot more disciplined, and involves far more coffee than you’d imagine.

But it’s also pure magic. Let me walk you through a typical painting day so you can see exactly how those oils go from tubes on my shelf to the artwork that hangs on your wall.

Morning: Setting the Stage

My day starts early, usually around 7:00 AM, with a strong cup of coffee and a walk through my studio space. I like to greet the pieces I’m currently working on—they look different in the morning light, and that often tells me what they need next.

Before I even pick up a brush, I spend about 30 minutes on preparation.

• I lay out my palette and squeeze fresh oil paints (I’m obsessive about keeping my colors organized).
• I check my brushes and clean any that need attention.
• I prepare my surfaces—whether that means priming a fresh archival board for a new study or giving a stretched canvas its first thin wash of color.

I firmly believe that a clean, organized workspace respects the art you’re about to create. You can’t make a mess if you’re afraid of making a mess, right?

Mid-Morning: The Warm-Up (Board Studies)

Once my workspace is ready, I dive straight into my studies on board. These are my warm-ups—my visual journaling.

I never start with the big canvas. That would be like running a marathon without stretching. Instead, I grab a small rigid board and let myself be free. I might paint a quick floral sketch from a vase on my windowsill, a loose color study exploring a new palette, or a tiny landscape based on a photo I took on my phone.

Here’s the secret: these aren’t “just practice.” These board studies often become the blueprints for my larger works. And when they turn out particularly beautiful on their own, I set them aside to offer in my “Small Studies” collection. They are my rawest, most honest moments of the day, and collectors love them because they feel that energy.

Afternoon: The Deep Work (Canvas Originals)

After lunch—and another cup of coffee—is when the real heavy lifting begins. This is when I switch to my stretched canvases.

This is the focused, demanding part of my day. I work on my large-scale originals, layering oil paints slowly and deliberately. Oil paint is patient—it takes time to dry, which gives me the luxury of blending, scraping back, and reworking areas until they feel alive.

On a typical afternoon, I might spend:

• 2 hours building up the background of a landscape, creating atmospheric depth.
• 1 hour obsessing over a single highlight in a floral petal.
• 30 minutes just stepping back, squinting, and looking—because sometimes the most important work happens when I’m not touching the canvas at all.

No music, no podcasts. Just me, the smell of linseed oil, and the conversation between the brush and the surface. I know a painting is going well when I lose track of time completely.

Late Afternoon: The Admin & Photography

Around 4:00 PM, I force myself to stop. There’s a dangerous thing about painting—you can always add “one more stroke.” But I’ve learned that fresh eyes are a painter’s best tool. If I push too far, I can easily overwork a piece.

So, I clean my brushes (a sacred ritual I never skip) and switch into my other hat: the artrepreneur.

On a typical day, this means:

• Photographing finished pieces using my professional setup. This is crucial because my digital photos become the faithful prints you buy in my shop. I never rush this step—good lighting and accurate color matching take patience.
• Updating my inventory, writing descriptions, and listing new pieces on my website.
• Editing product photos to ensure they look exactly like the real thing when you see them on your screen.

Evening: Rest & Reflection

By 7:00 PM, the brushes are clean, the palette is scraped, and the studio is tidy again. I step away completely. I believe art needs space to breathe, and so do I. I might scroll through Pinterest for new inspiration, read an art book, or just watch the sunset and let my mind wander.

Because inspiration doesn’t only happen in the studio—it happens in the quiet moments in between.

The Bottom Line

A typical painting day is equal parts discipline and instinct, sweat and surrender. It’s messy, repetitive, and sometimes frustrating. But it’s also endlessly rewarding.

And the best part? When I finally step back and look at a finished canvas or a cherished board study, I know that every single hour—every brushstroke, every coffee break, every moment of doubt and triumph—is right there on that surface, ready to find a new home with someone like you.

Thank you for caring enough to look inside my world. And if you’ve ever wondered what goes into the art on your wall—now you know.

Curious to see what came out of a recent painting day? Browse my latest originals here.