Summer’s in full swing — dog days, they’re called. Here in the high desert, days are hot, nights are cool, and the tourist rush is over ’til autumn. Plus it’s monsoon season, which means swoon-worthy skies. Being a sky person, it’s all good in my book.

But I’m also an ocean person. After nearly eight great years in the Southwest, I still miss the Atlantic and spontaneous trips “down the shore,” where sun, sand, and gulls mingle with tides that swiftly wash your troubles away (followed by ice cream, always). Sigh…

Either way, inspiration’s never in short supply. Lately I’ve been creating small abstracts for a gallery, but I’m itching to balance that with large works — some in progress, others waiting their turn. The wheels never stop.

(Warning: philosophical ramble ahead.)

Occasionally though, my passion bumps up against the outside world. With AI gaining all sorts of momentum, questions bubble up. Questions like: Will people continue to value art made by hand? The union of mind, spirit, and brush that creates one-of-a-kind expressions — will those become relics as AI grows more proficient at mimicking what was previously only achieved by the human touch?

We seem to be perched on a collective edge. The stuff of science fiction is sitting squarely on our doorstep, and AI’s potential is astounding, opening worlds beyond imagination. But what does it mean for us?

I believe — whether realized or not — that right now people are craving the real, the genuine: bare toes on grass, hands in dirt tending deliciously imperfect tomatoes, strumming a guitar, reading original literature, slathering paint on canvas. Things that make our souls feel alive, in ways quick fixes and constant electronic connection cannot.

Because at the heart of it, the value of human-made work isn’t just in the finished piece, it’s in the lived moments embedded there. The smell of rain before a monsoon, the salty sting of the sea, the way love can lift you or break you — these experiences seep into a brushstroke, a note, a line of prose. You may not be able to name it, but you can feel the hand behind it and the spirit within it — signatures in every piece of art, carrying the imprint of a soul that has been somewhere.

And here’s a fun twist: I asked AI what it thought about all this. In its words: “AI can reproduce beauty, cleverness, even emotional resonance — but it can’t have been there. It reflects what’s already in the room. Human creativity, at its best, builds the room and invites you in. And maybe that’s the crux: AI can give output, but humans give presence.” 

And presence, after all, is what we fall in love with. 

Yes, every era fears new technology. Maybe it’s just the speed of this change that feels unsettling — as if we’re living in the remnants of a world already past, being asked to catch up. And I can’t help but wonder if future generations will even have a tangible sense of humanity’s creative fabric … versus perfect simulation. 

Time will tell.

For now, I say, indulge your senses with real art. Make it. Visit it. Buy it. Show it. Share it. Love it. We may need it more than ever.

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SPEAKING OF PAINT SLATHERING:

I’ve got two (already filled) single day workshops in October, but there are openings for November’s version of my 3-day Unleashing Your Creativity workshop. And just added, a 6-week Oil Painting Immersion class in early 2026; details coming soon.

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Til next time – remember:
“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread.” —John Muir

The post Dog Days, AI, and the Soul of Art appeared first on saxtonstudio blog.

I’ve been migrating my blog posts over to my newsletter format, which you should be receiving via saxton@patriciaaxton.com (and which is why that last email may have seemed like a duplicate from earlier this year). Clearly it’s not become an exact science yet.

PS: And then there are folks telling me to switch over to Substack. So many options. Too many. Thank you for hanging in there while I navigate the various terrains.

The post Apologies for that last “Spring Things” email! appeared first on saxtonstudio blog.

So, in between larger works in progress, I’m expanding my mini Golden Hour Series with a fresh color palette, like those shown above. Bold, bright, and a little bit sassy – because the golden hour can make you feel that full of life! 

Sometimes the light on the land here is soul-moving, washing over you with a sense of the divine. Other times it simply smacks of joy. These are about that joy, woven into small paintings of Sedona’s famous red rocks.

More Creativity Please

Bring it on! I love seeing people stretch their creative wings and discover new expressions. It’s like watching flower petals unfurl, and I’m always impressed by what comes through my students.

My next “Unleashing Your Creativity” workshop will be on May 21, 22 & 23. In addition to prompts and other inspirations, I’ve been sharing more live demos using different mediums (a few shown below). Fun + informative = good stuff.

I would love to have you join us!

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And some surprises . . .

I’ve got a couple of secret projects up my sleeve. Oh the mystery… But saying it out loud keeps me committed to following through. So, you’ve heard it here. Updates to come when revealing is ready.

– until next time –

“Creativity is magic. Don’t examine it too closely.”

The post Spring Things appeared first on saxtonstudio blog.

We sure live in wild times, huh. Some good, some ugly, some filled with hope and promise and possibility.

And while I may not know how to speed up the good stuff or how to solve the world’s ills, I do know a little something about creativity. Much of that is from decades of experience (oh but how quickly they go by!) as a creative professional. Like a muscle that grows stronger with use, creativity only expands.

An artist is never done. Ideas are never gone. The drive, and the thrill, for creating something from nothing never stops. There are different stages, of course – some “less exciting” but satisfying nonetheless, where practice happens and skills are honed; some “more exciting”, like when breakthroughs break through, when plateaus are crossed and newly inspired worlds open up that leave you wonder-filled and giddy.

Another part of what I know is that we humans are incredibly creative beings, each and every one of us, whose creativity can be expressed in a multitude of ways from language to science to the broad spectrum of the arts, and on and on and on.

Whatever it is, these seeds of imagination, these inspired thoughts and actions that lead to creations of all kinds ­– I find all of it irresistible! Give me a pencil point and I’ll create a thousand visual versions. Give me a blank canvas and there’ll be twenty more waiting their turn.

But there’s something else I truly love about creativity… which is seeing what others create. How amazing we can be! And I have a special soft spot for those who don’t think they’re “creative”; especially seeing them accomplish something that an hour before wasn’t an inkling in their thinking.

And beyond that – the very act of making something with your hands is good for your soul. In fact, there’s actual scientific reasoning behind it, which escapes me at the moment so I’ll leave that for another day – but I do know it to be true.

ALL THAT SAID …

UNLEASHING YOUR CREATIVITY

I welcome you to join my 4–part “Unleashing Your Creativity” class, meeting each Friday afternoon in February at the Sedona Arts Center. Painting with acrylic, oil, or watercolor, you’ll be encouraged, nurtured, and guided every step of the way. 

Beginner? – that’s great! Experienced? – that’s great, too! 

Whatever your artistic level, this class is an invitation to expand your imagination, experiment, ask questions, find answers, and make art in a supportive environment. It’s about permission to play and freedom to explore. It’s about tools to learn and rules to break!

There will be prompts and direction (and maybe even some homework!). There will be color and collaboration and camaraderie and lots of creating. Getting messy is optional, but welcome. Every Friday afternoon, leave your cares at the door and prepare for fresh possibility. REGISTER HERE!

PS: Let me know if you’d like this kind of class offered again as a consecutive-day workshop (as opposed to once a week). A little slow out of the 2025 gate, I’m now getting around to planning ahead! Private mentoring is also available.

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—  visit patriciasaxton.com to see my full fine art portfolio  —

The post Creativity! appeared first on saxtonstudio blog.

WHAT STORIES WILL WE WRITE?

The post Stepping Into 2025 appeared first on saxtonstudio blog.

With my Drawing Class over, Illustration Workshop complete, and my Creativity Workshop on the horizon, part of me is in teacher mode, so I thought it a good time to answer a pressing question some of you have asked! … which is:

What’s the difference between drawing and illustration?

Aren’t they the same thing? … Well, yes and no.

UPCOMING CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS

The post When Pencils Meet Ideas appeared first on saxtonstudio blog.

First, a note: Something is amiss with my blog. Recent posts that I’ve shared with you have (for the most part, I believe) arrived in your email inbox without the accompanying pictures (also with fonts changing, which you may not notice, but I definitely do!). Finding the solution has been harder than expected and is most frustrating – so my apologies for the less interesting visuals you might be seeing. Your patience is appreciated! For the fully pictured as-intended version, please visit the blog itself.  

The post Postcards from Austria appeared first on saxtonstudio blog.

At five years old, this little girl with sparkly glasses from the small town of Warren, New Jersey, was about to embark on the trip of a lifetime.

She would travel with her family across the Atlantic on board the original Queen Mary ocean liner (where, among many other adventures, she’d befriend a waiter named Tony, who would sneak her extra boxes of Sugar Pops, her then favorite cereal), landing on the shores of Southampton, England. From there the six-some would travel by train to Karlsruhe, Germany. (Of note, one brother was inadvertently delivered elsewhere, after strolling onto a car of the train that broke off and headed to France. Fortunately, despite initial panic, he was found and the family remained in tact!)

Once settled into a little house on a street called Gretelweg, she would walk a cobblestoned path to the bus that brought her to kindergarten, where she mostly remembers drawing a lot. She would also play with the neighborhood children, develop a fondness for Toblerone chocolate, visit castles and lap up their lore, travel on winding alpine roads, gape at tulip fields, and collect a doll from each of the umpteen countries they’d visit before arriving home a year later, by then fluent in German.

It was an impressionable age and may very well, as her father suggested, have unwittingly sparked her love for seeing other parts of the world.

While it wasn’t a long stay, Austria had been one of the family’s travel stops. Twenty something years later, she would again visit Germany (and their old house on Gretelweg, which looked even smaller then!) and would again see Austria, noting the similarly striking beauty of both countries. And now, about 60 years later, she’s off once more to Austria – this time to lead an art retreat in the Alps.

Life works in mysterious ways, doesn’t it? I kind of like that. It’s not exactly where it started, but close enough. And part of me will bring the spirit of “little me” along on this next adventure, where I’ll also, no doubt, be drawing a lot and playing with friends.

Side note: I wrote this pre–Austria trip, and have since come and gone (it was glorious), but am just now getting caught up here on my blog. Retreat details coming next!

The post Where It Began appeared first on saxtonstudio blog.

IT’S TIME!

I’ve been drawing as long as I can remember. And those of you who’ve known me a long time, know that I’ve been professionally designing, illustrating, writing and painting for decades! All in all, pretty much a lifetime of creating. And I dearly love what I’m able to do – but something felt missing. That element? Sharing what I know in a more official way – and maybe, just maybe, helping you to tap into your own magic.

Soooo, in early September I’ll be teaching a class in Drawing at the Sedona Arts Center in my beautiful town of Sedona, Arizona. In October I’ll lead a 3-day Illustration Workshop, followed in November by a 3-day workshop that I’m calling Unleashing Your Creativity. In January I’ll teach a Writing & Illustration a Children’s Book class, and in February a class version of Unleashing Your Creativity.

Beginner as well as intermediate level artists are encouraged to join in. Whatever your experience, my goal for each offering is to help you explore and expand both your skills and your creativity. To stretch, play and grow. To feel inspired, build confidence and honor your own artistic expression. And to enjoy the process while receiving plenty of individualized attention.

Registration is now open! You’ll find full descriptions, pricing and dates at the Sedona Arts Center website – this link will take you to my instructor page – just click on any of the classes you’re interested in.

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THE TRUTH IS, WHEN YOU DRAW SOMETHING, YOU SEE IT DIFFERENTLY AND SOMEHOW MORE PROFOUNDLY. AND WHEN YOU PAINT SOMETHING, YOU CONNECT TO A WORLD YOU NEVER KNEW EXISTED. IN ALL FORMS OF CREATIVITY, YOU’RE MAKING SOMETHING FROM NOTHING – AS IF BY MAGIC. BUT THE MAGIC IS ALREADY IN YOU, JUST WAITING TO BE TAPPED.

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The post Let’s Be Creative Together appeared first on saxtonstudio blog.

Does anyone else feel like time is moving at warp speed? Every year it seems faster, but, so far 2024 feels crazy fast. Like a relentless, churning sea rushing against an invisible clock.

One of these days I’d like to master time. It’s been said that time exists so that everything doesn’t happen at once. Which sort of leads to another line of thinking that the past, present and future are actually occurring at the same time – which is a hard concept to wrap one’s head around, which can then leave us with the classic wisdom of the present moment being the only one that matters – the only one where we have any tangible influence – and that that is where we should bestow our precious attention.

It’s pretty fair to say that I don’t always know where the time goes, but there’s lots of attention on creativity over here, so I’ll share some of what’s been happening around the studio.

ART COMMISSIONS continue to be flowing. (Including a work in progress that aligns with this Year of the Dragon, making for the ethereal company of marvelous, fantastical beasts while I paint!) Not all artists like commission work, as there’s an extra pressure involved painting for someone rather than painting whatever flows. That said, I appreciate my commissioning clientele – they respect an intrinsic need for artistic freedom; they understand that while I can produce what they’ve asked for, there’s very much an element of “as the spirit moves” to my work. (After many long years at the proverbial drawing table, this was inevitable.) “Passion or bust!” another someone once said, and I concur.

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APRIL saw a nice feature article on yours truly in Sedona Monthly, a well-respected and beautifully produced magazine. (Read the feature here.) There’s a lot of talent in this town, so I extend many thanks to the team over there for including mine.

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IN MAY Sedona was graced by the Aurora Borealis.(wow!) The wildflowers and cacti are blooming now, and the golden sun on the red rocks continues to hold my heart hostage.

IN OTHER NEWS, I’ll be teaching several classes/workshops this fall at the Sedona Arts Center. I’m not sure what took me so long to offer these, but I’m looking forward to them all. Lots of planning … stay tuned for announcements on those!

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THE MOUNTAINS ARE CALLING AND I MUST GO . . .

Also stay tuned for postcards from Austria. (Maybe not actual postcards? Although I like the idea now that I think of it …) Considering how quickly the months are flying by, our Art Retreat in Austria is just around the corner. August 4 – 10 to be precise, and it’s going to be grand. I see it as a bit of a “life, art and the universe” experience where everyone can not only expand their creative expression but, in the process, just might infuse some hand-and-heart-made love, joy and beauty into this very messy world we live in. Cheers to that, I say!

The post Passion or Bust! appeared first on saxtonstudio blog.