Studio Chat: Painting Clouds and Making Time for What Lights You Up

In this ‘Studio Chat’ I’m painting a vibrant sunset sky with expressive clouds. The real subject? Permission. Permission to take time for yourself, to embrace the messy stages, and to let your brush move without overthinking every stroke.

The Layering Process

I started with a bright yellow ground colour, which is something I do often for sunset scenes or landscapes with lots of warmth. That underpainting gives everything above it a glow, a unity that ties the whole piece together.

From there, it’s all about layering. Blocking in the main colour shapes first, getting rid of that glaring white surface, then gradually building depth. I work around the entire painting rather than finishing one section at a time because colours look different depending on what they’re sitting next to. It’s all relative.

The clouds go through stages – that awkward middle bit where you think “what is happening here?” before they start to sing. That’s normal. That’s part of the process. When you know that, you stop panicking and trust the journey.

The Real Conversation

But here’s what I really wanted to talk about whilst I was painting – how hard it is to carve out time for ourselves.

I’m one of those people who feels guilty about everything. Saturday mornings at the gym whilst my daughters are at their activities? Guilt. Taking a few hours on a Tuesday to paint? Guilt. Even though logically I know that having that time makes me a better mum, a better teacher, a better person.

We live in such a fast-paced world. We’re rushing around constantly, and somehow making time for the things that light us up feels selfish. But it’s not. It’s essential.

I’ve learned to set painting days aside – Tuesdays are sacred, Fridays when I can, sometimes Wednesdays. Just knowing that time is there waiting for me makes everything else feel more manageable.

What Painting Teaches Us About Patience

When you’ve been painting for a while, you learn that every piece has to go through the ugly stage. You become more forgiving with yourself because you understand it’s not you – it’s just part of the process.

But when you’re starting out, you don’t know that yet. You think the mess means you’re doing something wrong. You compare yourself to others and wonder why it’s not coming together faster.

The truth? We live in a world that’s conditioned us to expect instant results. But painting teaches us patience. It teaches us that beautiful things take time to build, layer by layer.

The Joy of Getting Lost

There’s something magical about getting lost in your painting – not lost as in confused, but lost as in time disappears and the outside world fades away. All the things you need to do later, all the worries – they just quiet down for a while.

That’s when painting becomes more than just creating something. It becomes breathing space. It becomes therapy. It becomes joy.

My Challenge to You

What if you gave yourself permission? Not to create a masterpiece, but simply to show up with your paints and play for just 10 minutes.

Not next week when things calm down. Not when you feel more ready. Now.

You get one life. Your creative voice deserves to be heard. And the world genuinely needs more people who see beauty and have the courage to capture it.

So set aside that time. Feel the guilt if it comes, but paint anyway. Because you matter. Your art matters. And sometimes the most revolutionary thing you can do is choose yourself.

Happy painting,

Michelle ✨