The Freedom of Small Studies: Where Big Paintings Begin

A number of years ago, I had the privilege of living in a live-work artist residency for several years. One of the most meaningful parts of that experience was all the artists I got to meet and learn from.

I remember one artist in particular who was working toward a large-scale installation exhibition. All throughout his studio were these beautiful miniature models—tiny, to-scale versions of the sculpture concepts that would eventually become much larger works.

At the time, the concept of creating small studies before fully realizing an idea was completely new to me, and something about it really stayed with me. It positively influenced my practice in a lasting way.

Right now, I’m continuing a series called Where We Meet, which explores the balance between our own sovereignty and the ways we connect with and influence one another.

Recently, I became inspired to explore some new colour palettes and aesthetics within the series, so instead of jumping immediately into larger works, I went back to creating small studies first—the ones you're seeing here in this studio process image.

Honestly, it's really fun to work this way.

There's something freeing about experimenting on a smaller scale. You begin to get a feeling for whether a concept, colour relationship, or texture language is going to work before expanding it into something larger and more immersive.

Sometimes the small pieces quietly teach you where the bigger work wants to go.

To see my available work, both large and small, my Portfolio Overview is a great place to start.

If something resonates or you'd like to connect, I'd love to hear from you. My studio is open by appointment, so do reach out via my Contact page if you're in the area.

PS: This is the latest in a series of posts about my new painting series and my creative practice. Read the previous post here if you missed it.

What Nourishes Me and My Artwork

Something that is foundational to my practice of cultivating well-being—and something that naturally spills into my artwork—is reading books that sustain, inspire, and support me to think and feel in positive ways.

I'm currently reading Serpent of Light by Drunvalo Melchizedek.

When I'm reading, I really sit with the book. If I own the book, I underline passages, write notes in the margins, and spend time reflecting on ideas that resonate most deeply.

Lately I've begun taking sentences or quotes that truly speak to me and transcribing them into hand-lettered ink word art. I then place these writings into short nature videos that I share on Instagram.

The process itself feels very devotional.

Writing the words slowly by hand allows me to pause with them, think about what I’m learning, and integrate the ideas more deeply within myself. I then get to extend that experience outward, sharing it with others who are also drawn to these kinds of thoughtful, uplifting perspectives.

I thought I would share this image from the outdoor section of my studio patio, showing some of the ink writings before they eventually become part of those videos.

As much as these pieces are not directly paintings or part of a "productive" body of work in the traditional sense, they are absolutely part of my practice. They are part of my self-care, my creative rhythm, and my way of staying connected to inspiration.

My hope is that if something feels nourishing and grounding to me, perhaps that feeling will spill over to you too.

To see my available work, my Portfolio Overview is a great place to start.

If something resonates or you'd like to connect, I'd love to hear from you. My studio is open by appointment, so do reach out via my Contact page if you're in the area.

PS: This is the latest in a series of posts about my new painting series and my creative practice. Read the previous post here if you missed it.

When Previous Work Informs Current Creations

The other day I found myself sitting in the meditation corner of my room, looking at two paintings I have displayed there: Kindness and Perseverance. Both have dominant yellow tones, but Perseverance was speaking to me today. It's this soft, subtle butter yellow that feels incredibly calming and alive at the same time.

Something that often happens in my artistic practice is that previous work begins to gently guide the new series. I'll look closely at an earlier painting and suddenly notice something that wants to continue forward into the current series.

This morning, in addition to the colour itself, I started noticing the smaller details inside Perseverance—gestural chocolate coffee-brown marks, earthy textures, and hints of ultramarine violet in layers that are grounded and organic. It felt deeply connected to the direction of the paintings I'm working on now.

I became really excited about letting this soft yellow become the dominant tone in the next pieces.

I went straight into the studio and began experimenting with coffee grounds to create a warm light-brown foundation for four new paintings. Once this first surface dries, I'll slowly begin building upward with translucent yellows, earthy textures, and inspiration borrowed from past work.

I love when previous work informs and inspires the current work.

If you're interested in collecting an original painting, explore my available works here.

PS: This is the latest in a series of posts about my new painting series. Read the previous post here if you missed it.

This Is Where The Painting Begins to Change

Starting with the grid

As noted in my previous post, every piece in this series begins the same way—a pencil grid laid down on the surface, creating the structure for everything else. It's a quiet, methodical start. The grid doesn't change, but what happens within it does.

Choosing the background colour

Once the grid is in place, my next decision is the background colour. This might seem like a small thing, but it sets the tone for everything that follows. It's the foundation that will support all the colours eventually living within each square—so it has to be right.

For this piece I chose purple. I knew I wanted to explore bright pinks and fluorescent tones, and I felt a purple base would hold and balance that energy without competing with it.

How the process keeps evolving

What's been really interesting to me is how much the process keeps evolving, even within a consistent structure. Each painting teaches me something new as I adjust how I apply the paint, experiment with different approaches, and notice what feels most alive.

There's a rhythm forming across the series. Repeating, shifting, refining. The structure stays the same; everything else is in motion.

If you're interested in collecting original paintings or prints, you can explore my available works here.

PS: This is the second in a series of posts about my new painting series and my creative practice. Read the first post here if you missed it.

How a Painting Series Begins

Drawing a grid in pencil on the canvas getS things started.

Where This Series Begins

I've been wanting to share what's been happening in the studio lately and this new series feels ready to step into the light.

Every painting in this series starts the same way—with a pencil grid.

Once I land on a colour direction that excites me, I draw out this simple structure on the canvas. It becomes a quiet guide—a container that holds everything that comes next.

Freedom Within Limits

I've been thinking a lot about how, in creativity, having some form of limitation can actually open things up. Even with this grid in place, there's a sense of freedom within it. I get to explore, play, and respond without needing to solve the whole painting all at once.

This series really began with curiosity—an idea sparked by blocks of colour and how they might connect—and it continues to unfold from there.

More to come as it evolves.

Until then, feel free to explore my available original artwork.

Only 1 Left in This Beautiful Series of Delights

The Delight of Words and Paint iii of iii by Deb Chaney (9” x 12”)

I’m delighted to share that my original abstract painting The Delight of Words and Paint iii of iii has been sold. 

I am so honoured and thrilled just knowing that it is now part of someone’s personal art collection.

About this painting

As you can probably tell by the title, this original artwork is part of a series. It is the third of 3 paintings, 2 of which have now been sold.

Working with collage, acrylic paint, and new stencils inspired this process. An array of shades of light and dark greens dominate this abstract painting. Along with photocopied cutouts, strips of pages have been cut from books and collaged around the canvas.

This contemporary art painting is part of my Little Gems Series. These pieces are inspired by practice and play. Particularly the interplay between collage words and paint. These pieces are my practice and are so much fun to create.

The original painting measures 9” x 12” and is a mixed media artwork of acrylics and collaged book pages on paper.

Original Artwork and Prints for Sale Online

While the original has been purchased, you can buy high-quality prints of The Delight of Words and Paint iii of iii online at Saatchi Art here:

https://www.saatchiart.com/print/Painting-The-Delight-of-Words-and-Paint-iii-of-iii/499285/3231598/view

The Delight of Words and Paint i of iii has also been sold, but prints are available here:

https://www.saatchiart.com/print/Painting-The-Delight-of-Words-and-Paint-i-of-iii/499285/3231564/view 

The original painting of The Delight of Words and Paint ii of iii is still available and can be added to your art collection here: 

https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-The-delight-of-Words-and-Paint-ii-of-iii/499285/3231586/view 

Reproduction prints on Saatchi Art are available in 3 formats:

Fine Art Paper

310 GSM, 100% cotton linters, archival quality, natural white finish with a slightly structured, soft-textured surface.

Metal

Specialized inks infused into specially coated, thin, high gloss aluminum sheets. Exhibit mounted on 2mm black Styrene and finished with a black Metal Inset Frame.

Canvas

Museum grade, matte textured (20.5 mil), bright white, poly-cotton blend with no additives or agents.

Independent and Connected Paintings: An Artistic Challenge

Free to Flow by Deb Chaney (36” x 24”)

It’s always good to challenge oneself. And I would like to share a fun challenge I gave myself a while ago.

The exercise resulted in a series of 8 abstract paintings called Free to Flow and they are now available on Saatchi Art.

Getting things started

I received an email from Saatchi Online Gallery recently asking me to update my inventory. So I went through each one of my paintings on the website and updated information about my artwork. 

I undertook the project with the intention of bringing some new magic to my collection. And I think the magic that I experienced was seeing my artwork with fresh eyes. It truly gave me a deeper appreciation of what I’ve created.

A small series study and exploration

This was an artistic experiment I did years ago and it was done as an exercise to stretch myself creatively and challenge myself as a painter.

What I did was give myself a set of 3 parameters to push both my mind and my painting abilities. The rules for this artistic study were as follows:

First, I was going to paint a series of 8 individual paintings and each one had to stand alone on its own.

However, all 8 paintings also had to connect together.

And finally, I limited myself to a monochromatic colour palette, meaning 1 colour plus black and white.

There are 8 paintings in total and they’re collectively and individually called Free to Flow. I have combined all the paintings together for the feature image in this week’s blog post. This shows you what the full image would look like if you were to get all of them together.

My Little Gems Series

This painting series is also part of my Little Gems Series, which I use for testing new techniques and practicing old ones.

Prints and Original Artwork for Sale Online

All of the originals are available for purchase and there are now prints on the Saatchi website as usual. 

You can buy them individually or get the whole set and put them together and make one big cool painting (as seen in the featured image of this post).

• Free to Flow 1 of 8

• Free to Flow 2 of 8

• Free to Flow 3 of 8

• Free to Flow 4 of 8

• Free to Flow 5 of 8

• Free to Flow 6 of 8

• Free to Flow 7 of 8

• Free to Flow 8 of 8

You can see more paintings in the Little Gems series here:

https://www.saatchiart.com/art-collection/painting/Litte-Gems-Small-works-on-paper-and-loose-canvas/499285/160111/view

Reproduction prints on Saatchi Art are available in 3 formats:

Fine Art Paper

310 GSM, 100% cotton linters, archival quality, natural white finish with a slightly structured, soft-textured surface.

Metal

Specialized inks infused into specially coated, thin, high gloss aluminum sheets. Exhibit mounted on 2mm black Styrene and finished with a black Metal Inset Frame.

Canvas

Museum grade, matte textured (20.5 mil), bright white, poly-cotton blend with no additives and no agents.

My Interview on "Conversations Worth Having" with Adrian Starks and Michelle Falcone

Deb Chaney at work in her studio

I was interviewed by Adrian Starks and Michelle Falcone back in May, for their show Conversations Worth Having. It took place on Facebook Live and a recording of the video is available on their Facebook page.

Who are Adrian Starks and Michelle Falcone?

My art is inspired by my own healing and personal journey, and both Adrian and Michelle share this passion for personal growth.

Adrian Starks is a motivational speaker, author, and personal growth trainer based in Seattle. He founded Champion Up with the goal of helping people recognize and realize their own power and courage for personal change. He focuses on managing mental health and encouraging positive growth and success and he certainly has the testimonials to back him up.

“I love seeing people simply become better and happier human beings by creating fulfilling realities from their ideas or visions.”

— Adrian Starks

Michelle Falcone is a Vancouver-based entrepreneur and certified life coach who is committed to “helping those she works with to obtain a life full of passion and peace.” She offers coaching services, speaking engagements, and programs & retreats – including an enthralling-looking small group retreat called Sailboat Coaching.   

In addition to being incredibly passionate about mental health, Michelle is an extraordinary supporter of the arts and artists. She is currently working with another artist and musician on developing a program that supports youth and their mental health. Michelle’s testimonials speak for themselves as well.

Source: Conversations Worth Having

The Honour of Being a Conversation Worth Having

It’s certainly a compliment and honour to be considered the focal point of a “conversation worth having”, and I’d like to extend my thanks and appreciation to Adrian and Michelle for their time and interest.

Early in the interview, I reflect on the first series I painted 20 years ago. It consisted of 16 paintings – and a lot of red. I recalled a good friend of mine looking at the paintings and saying how angry they looked. And I look back now with my gained wisdom and realize how great it was that I could move from depression to anxiety to anger. I wasn’t conscious of it then, but I knew I was frustrated and had all this emotion, and I could turn it into creation. And that was really the beginning of art being a key component to my healing journey as well as my own transformational journey.

The main focus of the interview turns to the Drishti Paintings Series that I’m currently working on – but haven’t revealed too much about. I’ve been hunkered down in my creative cave, focused on creating these large, very layered and meaningful works of art, and that was the crux of what we discussed. We talk about the 3 concepts guiding my creation of these paintings – how they are the inspiration behind the Drishti Paintings as well as the inspiration for my own personal journey to find mental wellness.

I’ve alluded to the Drishti Series online, but the artwork will be fully revealed during Gabriola Island’s (incredible) Thanksgiving Studio Tour, which takes place on October 8-10th.

Check out the Conversations Worth Having Facebook page for past episodes and more about the program and its inspiring hosts.

Original Artwork and Prints for Sale

This section usually has links to where you can buy the original or prints of the painting mentioned in the post. But in this case, as mentioned above, the Drishti Paintings Series is still in process and won’t be revealed until the island’s studio tour in October.

However, you can browse through my collection at Saatchi Art’s online gallery. 

Saatchi Art offers multiple options to suit your personal tastes or needs. Prints can be on paper or canvas and are typically available in 4 sizes to best fit your room. You can also choose to have it framed in white, black, or natural wood.

The “View In A Room” image gives you an idea of its size and lets you see what it looks like on a wall. But take it one step further with the “View in My Room” tool that lets you see what it looks like on your wall.