Studio Update — July 2026
The last time I checked in, the studio was finally settling after a long stretch of moves, resets, and life detours. Since then, things haven’t just stabilized, they’ve started to grow again. The momentum I talked about last year has turned into actual motion, and the studio feels more alive now than it has in a long time.
This isn’t a relaunch or a grand announcement. Just another checkpoint. A “here’s where things stand” moment before I dive into the backlog and start sharing new work again.
Creative Engine — Running Steady
The studio’s been busy in the best way.
- A new commission is in progress, with another lined up behind it. If you’ve been thinking about commissioning a piece, now’s a great time to reach out.
- Twitch streams are still happening about once a week. Nothing rigid, nothing over‑planned. Just enough to keep the brushes moving and the community connected. Also a good source of social media content.
- I’m still working through backlogged shop listings, getting older pieces photographed, cataloged, and ready for the store.
- Social media continues to be the never‑ending treadmill, but I’m keeping a steady trickle of updates flowing.
And on top of all that, the past year brought some new milestones:
- Art festivals — getting the work out in front of real people again.
- Gallery exhibits — including some pieces I never expected to see hanging in a formal space.
- Workshops and private lessons — teaching has become a bigger part of my world than I ever planned, and I’m grateful for it.
It’s been a full year; in a good way.
What’s Cooking — Ideas Turning Into Action
A lot of the ideas that were “simmering” last year have finally started to take shape.
- Off‑canvas concepts are still alive, and I’ve started experimenting with new formats and materials.
- Custom matting is officially underway, and I invested in an art printer so I can produce my own prints in‑house.
- Creative experiments continue, from color studies to technique tests to “let’s just see what happens” sessions.
- Video content is still rolling, even though my old hard drive decided to self‑destruct. The streams, clips, and process videos keep coming.
- Video‑game‑inspired work is expanding, too. I finished a new Halo piece, and artist proofs are now available.
This phase is less about executing a rigid plan and more about following curiosity wherever it leads.
What’s on the Horizon — A New Way of Using the Blog
Now that every old post has been revised and updated, I finally have room to think about what the blog can be instead of what it was.
I’m considering the idea of the blog as a sketchbook:
- quick check‑ins
- studio snapshots
- works‑in‑progress
- experiments
- notes that don’t need to be polished
- thoughts that don’t need a perfect bow on top
I’ll also be catching up on finished pieces that never made it to the site, adding tutorials as they come together, and maybe carving out a space for a proper sketchbook or experiment gallery.
No promises, no schedule, just forward motion.
Wrap‑Up — Still Here, Still Painting
That’s the state of things. The studio’s active, the ideas are flowing, and the road ahead feels open again. Thanks for sticking around through the quiet stretches and the noisy ones.
If you want to see things as they happen — real‑time sketches, shop drops, or odd studio moments — I’m most active on socials. You can also check out the shop, browse the latest work, or catch a stream when it pops up. I also have a newsletter that I send out monthly. If interested, join my email list.
🎨 Peek into the gallery to see past work
📖 Read the blog for process thoughts and inspiration
🎥 Catch a Twitch stream to watch the art come together live
🛒 Visit my Etsy shop until the on‑site shop is fully up and running
📹 Hop over to YouTube for process videos and stream highlights
What’s your social media of choice these days?
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, TikTok, Pinterest…
Stop in anywhere and say hi. I’ll say it back.
Until next time… Happy Painting, and Kizzle OUT.
Update — July 2025
The studio’s back in motion. Here’s what’s changed, what’s in progress, and what’s bubbling beneath the surface. [Read the full update ↓]
State of the Studio – Check-In
“It’s Been a Minute”
I won’t dress it up—this blog’s been quiet for a bit. Between the big retirement, the new civilian job plate-spinning, and keeping the studio and associated efforts moving, writing here just fell to the bottom of the stack. No dramatic reason. Just life doing what it does.
Now that the dust’s settled (literally and figuratively), I’ve carved out space to keep this page active again. Nothing too structured for now. Before I get too involved, my main effort is to keep the site warm and let everyone know I’m here.
Previously on… (A Quick Recap)
This site started about eight years ago while I was recovering from hernia surgery and finally decided to take my hobby seriously. Back then, I was still active duty and living in Florida. But really, the painting habit took root earlier—during quiet nights off while stationed in England. It was a side pursuit at first, then became a way to stay grounded once I transitioned into a mentally demanding role in Florida.
A few years later, the military sent us cross-country to California. I went in optimistic—new place, new energy, fresh inspiration. California gave me some great moments, but it also brought its share of stress. I wrapped up my military career out there and dove into civilian life with a fast-paced job and new responsibilities. I kept the art going—sporadically—and chipped away at the site when I could.
Then I lost that civilian job. But we’d held onto our Florida home, and the pull of the original studio was strong. So I moved again—back across the country, back to where this all really started. Now I’m settled, grounded, and steering my own future. The studio’s mine again—and I’ve got plans.
Right Now in the Studio
The last few months have been about catching up more than charging forward, getting the studio in order—unpacking, resetting the space, organizing materials, and easing back into a rhythm. There’s still a little chaos in the background, but it’s fading. I’ve got more space, better flow, and honestly, I appreciate the studio more this time around.
The creative engine’s turning over again:
- A commission is in progress.
- Weekly Twitch streams are back (Wednesdays for now), just enough to shake off the rust.
- Revisiting some old work to list in the shop.
- Building momentum on social media.
It’s not all perfectly dialed in yet, but the momentum’s real. This isn’t just a restart—it feels more like I finally have room to build forward without outside noise.
What’s Cooking
There’s no formal roadmap right now—just ideas percolating, some fuzzy around the edges, others starting to take shape. This is more of a “let’s see where it goes” list and that’s completely the point. Here’s what’s floating to the top lately:
- New product ideas: exploring ways to take the work off the canvas—craft-style pieces, custom matting for prints, maybe even some functional art down the line.
- Creative experiments: chasing mood, color, style, or technique without overthinking it. Freeing myself up to explore and have fun.
- Video content—process glimpses, slice-of-studio, or even hilarious clips from the streams.
- Video game-inspired infusions: not fan art—more like visual riffs. Expanding on my Halo and Sea of Thieves series and kicking around ideas pulled from other games and retro classics.
This is more about following curiosity than executing a tight plan. Letting the ideas breathe. Seeing what sticks. Truth is, a lot of this has been simmering in the background for years—but between the relocations, career shifts, and everything else, I haven’t had the space to really follow through. Now I do.
What’s on the Horizon
I’m not locking into a schedule or laying out some polished mission statement. That’s never really been the point. But I am open to sharing more—and maybe doing it a little differently this time.
Think: blog-as-sketchbook. Posts that don’t need to be polished or framed with a neat bow. Check-ins. Notes on unfinished work. Snapshots of studio experiments that may or may not go anywhere—but say something in the moment.
I’m also eyeing the older posts—some could use a cleanup for clarity or utility. While I’m at it, I’ll be blogging about finished work that never made it to the site, catching up to where things are now, and possibly carving out a space for a proper sketchbook or experiment gallery. No promises, just forward motion.
The destination isn’t set, but I’m back behind the wheel—and the road ahead is long and open.
Wrap-Up: Still Here, Still Painting
That’s the state of things. No grand relaunch, no big declarations—just a quiet checkpoint and a reminder that the lights are still on and the brushes are moving.
Thanks for riding this slow train. More dust, more color, and maybe a few surprises ahead.
Until then, if you want to see things as they happen—real-time sketches, shop drops, or odd studio moments—I’m most active on socials. You can also check out the shop, browse the latest work, or catch a stream or two when they pop up. All the links are just a click away.
👀 Peek into the gallery to see past work.
📖 Read the blog for process thoughts and inspiration.
🎥 Catch a stream on Twitch to watch the art come together live.
Until my shop here gets fully up and running, visit my Etsy shop if you’re looking to give a piece a new home.
📹 Hop over to YouTube for process videos and catch hilarious moments from my art or game streams.
And hey—what’s your social media of choice these days?
or maybe you tend to get sucked down the Pinterest rabbit hole.
Stop in at anyone and say hi! I’ll be sure to say it back! Until next time, Happy Painting and Kizzle OUT!
Hi! I’m Craig! I’d like to welcome you to my website.
I’m certainly glad you could join me today! I’m happy to share with you my art journey. My journey began at the turn of the new year of 2017. That’s when I received the Bob Ross Master Paint Set for Christmas and attempted my first oil painting. Prior to that, I had not ever painted with oil paints and only had a couple of art classes in grade school. (See here for the full story.)
It turned out that I wasn’t half bad at it. That initial success kept me going and I painted every day until I ran out of canvases. I think I completed around 10 paintings in two weeks. I showed them around on FB and received a lot of positive feedback. Someone suggested that I start a FB page for my artwork so I did. I soon found out that not everyone has a FB and a few people suggested a website. So that’s what I did around 2018.
To date, I’ve probably done over 100 paintings. Some I’ve even sold! So this art blog is playing catch up with past work and rewriting old posts to make them more informative and engaging. Each blog post will be about a picture I painted, in the order I painted it and then I’ll add a photo of it to my gallery. Follow the journey of an artist with virtually zero art training other than YouTube. The journey takes me from following Bob Ross videos on YouTube, to trying my own original paintings. You’ll learn about my first commissions and venturing out to different styles. It’s been quite the journey and still going!
The purpose of this blog is to inform and inspire. Every artist has a different path and this blog is mine. The entire time, I have been learning as I go. If I can do it, anyone can do it! Perhaps I can inspire you to pick up a paintbrush yourself!
This website includes a gallery of my work, my blog about each painting, my Etsy shop, and ways of contacting me. If you’re feeling brave and inspired to pick up a brush, I even have a page with everything you need to get started.
If you’re interested in purchasing a painting, my Art Store is back!
Be sure to follow me on your preferred social media site for more real time updates of my work and studio life.
