Tag Archives: Harry Stooshinoff

Let’s Talk Social

What are your thoughts about Instagram these days?
For me, it’s lost a lot of its luster in the last couple of years and, because I used to love it, I’ve been trying to put my finger on exactly why that is.

Jug & Vase

Jug & Vase ©2026 Elizabeth Fram, Gouache and stitching, 7.75 x 5.5 inches You may remember this from 2 posts ago. The stitching adds a whole new dimension, don’t you think?

I’ve stepped back quite a bit from it since last fall, curious to see how that would feel. Mostly I wanted to figure out why I use it and what I actually get out of it. Granted, the novelty has worn off and I’ve become more protective of my time. But by and large, I’ve decided I’m aggravated by the algorithm and its effects. Obviously, I’m not the first to complain about this issue.

Jug & Vase detail

Jug & Vase, detail © 2026 Elizabeth Fram I quite like the combination of the stitching with the paint marks, and the way the colors of both play off each other.

I’ve arrived at a point where I’m on the fence. I’m grateful for the art/artists Instagram introduces me to that I would never see otherwise (and if I’m honest, for the dog and travel videos that give me a lift after the news has fried my brain with its incessant bleakness). But on the other hand, many of the profiles I used to love to follow just don’t show up in my feed anymore. I have to remember who they were and try to seek them out, and that takes even more time, resulting in a diminishing of the sense of community that attracted me in the first place. And I haven’t even mentioned all the ads one has to wade through.

Blue Turtleneck 1

What I’m working on this week: Blue Turtleneck. First pass

So I’m curious — what are your thoughts about it all? How do you manage the time-suck? Do you find yourself taking more and more time to craft posts or stories with bells and whistles to make them more eye-catching? Have you found a way to get back to seeing the profiles you followed before the algorithm messed around with everything? And are you too feeling overrun by all the ads?

Blue Turtleneck 2

Blue Turtleneck As the paint builds up, patterns begin to emerge

Please share your thoughts. I’d like to think it’s possible to figure out a way to use Instagram again, rather than it using us.

Blue Turtleneck 3

Blue Turtleneck, The resist is removed and the painting is complete. Time to incorporate stitching

All that said, I’m much more likely to turn to Substack before Instagram these days. I particularly like that the folks who post there seem to be offering information, rather than just a show and tell. Most of what I’ve found at Substack is thought-provoking in a good way. Admittedly, it takes time to read, so I tend to concentrate on just one or two posts at a time rather than mindlessly scrolling through dozens. But I invariably come away with something meaty to think about, and I consider that a success.

Blue Turtleneck 4

Blue Turtleneck, Still far from complete, the stitching is just beginning to take shape. But even at this early stage, I think it adds a lot and I’m enjoying the way it plays off and with the background pattern.

Here are a handful of favorite artists/illustrators that I follow:

Harry Stooshinoff
Anna Wilson – A Bottle Full of Rain
Amy Allen – Palate & Palette
Eleanor Doughty – Hand to Paper
Amy Huntington – Blue Crow Studio
Lucia Leyfield – The Ink Pad

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On a completely different note:
Studio Place Arts is holding its annual “Art It Up!” silent auction to benefit SPA programs. A variety of artwork, created and donated by local artists, is on display in person at SPA but you can see the full catalog, make bids or buy outright online as well. Bidding concludes on Friday, June 5th at 4pm.
I can’t say enough good things about what SPA adds to our community, so this is a win/win opportunity to support them.

Leggiadro

Leggiadro (Graceful) ©2025 Elizabeth Fram, Watercolor and stitching on paper, 6″H x 6.25″W, in a 9×9″ mat with foam core backing. This could be yours! All proceeds benefit Studio Place Arts.

 

Carry On

Happy New Year!

My December break is over and I’m sure it won’t surprise you that removing this commitment from my plate during the busiest month of the year was revolutionary — enough so that I am planning to do it again next December. But with that said, it’s sweet to be back.

Watercolor Head

©2024 Elizabeth Fram, Watercolor, 14 x 12 inches. I’ve been working with watercolor during our live drawing sessions. It’s very humbling. I’ve learned from watching Portrait Artist of the Year that having a photo of the model during the session can be very helpful, if they’ll allow it. A picture on my phone allows me to zoom in on facial details – especially around the eyes – that I can’t see from 15-20 feet. Later, in the studio, having the photo gives me a shot at a second practice round, from which I often learn even more.

Before I go any further though, many thanks to those of you who sent notes in support of my pause and for expressing your hope that I would return. It meant more than you can know.

Head Layer 1

This and the following pictures follow a second attempt, this time back in the studio. Here, a quick wash maps out the general dark areas, giving me a basic structure to work from.

So now that we’ve all arrived on the fresh page of 2025, what’s up your sleeve for the year ahead? I’m sure you’ve been thinking and scheming about it.

Head Layer 2

I used a Pitt Oil-base extra soft pencil by Faber Castell to loosely rough in features. Its rich black marks are much like charcoal, yet glide on the paper and over the watercolor without any dust.

While I mull over my own future projects, most of which aren’t fully imagined yet, I’m glad to have a holdover piece to dive into post-holidays. It isn’t far enough along yet to share here now, but I’m hoping it will be finished by next time. Anyway, I wish I could remember which writer it was that coached it’s best, at the end of each day, to leave your work at least partially unfinished so that you know exactly what to do when you get back to your desk the next morning — a brilliant tip.

Head Layer 3

Adding Neocolor II’s over the previous pencil and watercolor layers, while judiciously running a wet brush over some of those marks, gives a sense of vibrancy and looseness that I quite like.

It’s a lot less intimidating after any respite to just carry on with something already in the works than it is to face the pressure of starting something completely new. And by the same token, it’s much easier to begin new work directly on the heels of finishing a previous piece, thus taking advantage of the full head of steam you already have underway. In other words, use momentum to maintain momentum.
And most importantly, keep going!

Head Layer 4

©2024 Elizabeth Fram, Watercolor, Oil base pencil, Neocolor II, 9.5 x 8.25 inches. The final shadow over the right side of his face makes the lighter areas pop. I’m coming to really love using Neocolors because they offer the best of all worlds: strong color, the ability to make energetic marks as well as to create a wash.  Even though the original watercolor was done in situ and this one in the studio, this second drawing feels a lot more immediate and successful.

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On a completely different note: Dipping into Substack can be just as inviting as the idea of sitting down with a full box chocolates. There’s a lot of interesting and inspiring content to devour, but absolutely guilt-free. I am so happy to have found Canadian painter Harry Stooshinoff there. Love his work, love his ideas. I’ll leave you with this thought of his, which I think is a very apt way to begin the new year:

So much water under the bridge. At a certain point it doesn’t even matter if the work is good or bad. Obviously we try to make the best work, and move it in the direction we think it needs to go. It’s utterly stupid to do otherwise. But it doesn’t matter much how it is accepted, sorted, or judged. It matters only that it is made.