Reverie: Painting through Stress

I paint differently when I'm stressed.

Normally, my process moves in bursts — big surges of energy followed by long stretches of editing, refining, correcting. It's a push-and-pull kind of rhythm, full of decisions and redecisions. But when stress creeps in, something in me shifts, and so does the way I paint.

In August, our HVAC went out (it was 36 years old- cue a new furnace, new compressor and all new ductwork), the fridge went out (it was 8 years old 😭), the dog needed $1200 in vet bills (all to come back clear and just be chalked up to his own version of stress (fireworks), my annual breast MRI took 10 days to be reviewed (all clear for another 6 months) and my husband got laid off. I’ll be honest- I am tired of the hustle.. that was a lot of stuff that happened in a week. One week. Hammered. Stress level on 11.

To try to get back into the swing of things, I painted “Reverie”. Instead of reaching for bold shapes and sharp gestures, I find myself leaning into something softer and more amorphous. I let go of structure and lean instead into color — layering it, shifting it, mixing it slowly until it finds its own form. There's less "fixing" and more "becoming." This is how I began painting almost 22 years ago.

Paintings born this way tend to come easier to me. That might sound strange, given how much time they take — layer after layer, each one needing to dry, settle, and be considered before the next begins. But time isn't the same as difficulty. These pieces ask for patience, not problem-solving. There's far less troubleshooting involved than in my more abstract, shape-driven work, where every line and form has to be negotiated into place.

With Reverie, I wasn't negotiating. I was just... layering. I referenced prior favorite palettes and mix the same colors- a little blue here and a little more green here. Repeat.

I felt good while making this one, regardless of all the extra curricular bleh that was floating around my household at this time. I also just want to say — I appreciate you taking the time to read this and to support this little business of mine. This is a small small business, nowhere near CEO money, and every bit of support means more than you know. 🩵

“Reverie”, Julie Prichard 2026. Please tap the image if you are interested in purchasing this original painting.