Happy December Everyone! I have new paintings ​on my website, a painting in a group show at the Emerald Art Center in Springfield OR, and thoughts on the creative process to share this month.

In addition, I added many of my older paintings to my "studio sale" category in my Etsy shop and I'm continuing free shipping to the continental United States and Canada through the end of the year. If you have been eyeing something, now is a good time to make it yours. When a painting finds a home, there is a special feeling of completion for the artist. If you need a payment plan to make that happen, reach out!

​Visit my Etsy Shop - Studio Sale​

Emerald Art Center Show

One of my landscape paintings, "Spencer Butte from High Street" (below) is currently on view at the Emerald Art Center in Springfield, Oregon, as part of the "Plein Air Painters of Lane County" group show. If you are in town, I hope to see you at the opening!

Plein Air Adventures

Dec 2nd - Jan 2nd 2026

​Opening Reception - Friday Dec 12th 5pm-7pm

​Emerald Art Center, 500 Main Street, Springfield OR

Featured Painting

​Winter Bouquet on Blue​

Oil on Canvas

16" x 12"

$385

I loved making this painting last winter. It was one of those rare times when the work flowed freely without a lot of resistance and I was able to capture the asymmetrical balance I was after. The blue background was added several months later (it was originally more of a gray hue) and it is what makes the painting work for me. I needed that strong color contrast to bring the warm yellows and golds to life.

Works on Paper

Over the last few years I transitioned back into art-making after a long time focused on home and family. My kids are still school-age and take up a lot of my time (my daughter is 14 and my twins are now 7). One thing that helped me get back into the studio is working small and painting on paper. I have boxes of paintings, many sketchbooks and journals, dozens of drawings, and I'm starting to document them. I made a new section on my website for "Works on Paper." I hope you take a look! I sell my works on paper "as-is" to keep the cost down (no mats or frames), but I offer help custom framing if you are interested. You can find out more on my "purchase" information page.

Here is a little preview:

Thoughts on the Creative Process

As mentioned above, picking up a paint brush again after years away from the studio raising little kids was challenging for me. Two other things helped make my creative work a high priority again. The first was doing The Artist’s Way for the first time. This classic guide to unblocking creativity has been used by countless creative people for over 40 years. I gained so much from following the program. One aspect of having a creative vocation is that professional progress is often accompanied by emotional and spiritual growth. The Artist’s Way guides that process and helps you identify in which areas of your life you have unwittingly blocked creative energy. For me, even though I’ve been surrounded by young children for years, an element I had blocked was being playful. Doing things just for the sake of enjoying them, rather than staying laser focused on being productive at all costs. This insight has helped me remember the things I love to do - bike riding, browsing bookstores, getting cozy with a blanket and a stack of art books, painting from imagination - and actually start doing them again. What do you like to do for pure enjoyment? Do you let yourself do it without guilt?

The second thing that has helped me this year is joining two painting groups. One is the Plein Air Painters of Lane County. Meeting local artists who are committed to working directly from the landscape in all kinds of weather has helped me figure out the logistics of painting outdoors and given me a safe group to meet up with, so I don't paint alone.

The other group I joined is called Growth Studio​ and is led by the talented painter and artist-coach Antrese Wood. This group is international, with painters at every stage of their career. It has only been a few months since I joined, but I feel the magic already. Seriously, I am pinching myself that I get to be part of this amazing group of artists every week. If you have never heard of Antrese before, and you are interested in painting and the creative process, check out ​The Savvy Painter Podcast​ or click the link below. Finding supportive, positive communities has made all the difference this year as I challenge myself to find the home-life/studio balance that works at this stage of my life.

*Note - I make no profit from sharing books, podcasts, or other website with you. My only goal is to share my love and excitement for the things that have touched my life in positive ways.

Trust Challenge

Recently in Growth Studio each member created a challenge for themselves. The challenge was about self-trust and how to strengthen our authentic connection to our work as artists. I embarked on making quick paintings in acrylic or gouache relying on my memory or a loose sketch of something I had seen in the landscape that filled me with awe or sparked my curiosity. To make it a daily challenge I could stick to, I worked for only about 20 minutes on each painting on average. Part of the challenge was reserving judgement and allowing playfulness and experimentation into the work. These little paintings are leading me forward in the studio right now. I don’t have them all documented yet, but here are a few:

Help My Newsletter Grow

One of my goals right now is to find the joy in sharing my work again and to connect with fellow artists, collectors, and anyone who loves the creative arts. If you know someone who loves painting, needs art for their home, and/or is interested in thoughts on the creative process, would you pass this along to them? If you are not already a subscriber, here is the link to sign up for my Newsletter. I promise to keep my paintings and writing human-made only, no AI - no judgement of those who use it, but it is the right choice for me. And I promise to share honestly the beauty and the struggle of being a creative person in a world that often devalues this path. If you have been meaning to get back to something creative in your life, do it today, even if only for 10 minutes! I know you will feel the power of that small move.

Wishing you a happy holiday season!

Warmly,

Gabriella Soraci

PS. Remember I am offering free shipping through December 31st!​

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