Pulling It Together — Process, Play, and Personal Voice
Artist insights, creative techniques, suggested art supplies, and guided exercises for December 2026
by Elizabeth Ragona, with art by Chris Cruz. © 2026 Alabama Art Supply.
December is not a month for new assignments.
It is a month for noticing what has accumulated—quietly, unevenly, and often without announcement. After a year of observing light, responding to color, working with structure, layering meaning, and letting materials lead, December offers a pause rather than a push.
This is not a conclusion. It is a gathering.
The work you make now does not need to demonstrate mastery. It doesn’t need to be resolved, polished, or explained. December’s Studio Notes art blog with art by Chris Cruz focuses on integration—allowing what you’ve explored throughout the year to surface naturally through your choices.
Working from Familiar Ground
By this point in the year, you’ve likely developed preferences without realizing it. Certain tools feel better in your hand. Certain surfaces invite more risk. Certain ways of beginning feel less intimidating than they once did.
December encourages you to begin from that familiarity.
Instead of asking What should I try next?, ask:
- What do I reach for first?
- What materials feel reliable now?
- Where do I feel less resistant than I did earlier this year?
These instincts are not accidents. They are evidence of growth.
Process as a Language
Throughout the year, process has appeared in many forms—quick studies, slow layering, restraint, exaggeration, finishing early, or leaving work unresolved. In December, process becomes a language rather than a technique.
Marks left visible. Layers that remain partially exposed. Decisions that feel intuitive rather than planned. All of these speak to how the work came into being.
There is no need to tidy this language. The goal is not coherence—it is honesty.
Allow the work to show its thinking.
Layering Without Erasing
Layering is often misunderstood as covering or correcting. But meaningful layering doesn’t hide what came before—it responds to it.
December invites you to:
- Draw into paint rather than over it
- Add material without sealing everything away
- Let earlier decisions remain present, even when imperfect
These visible layers create depth, not just visually, but conceptually. They remind us that work evolves through accumulation, not replacement.
Color as Choice, Not Habit
After months of working with color—sometimes boldly, sometimes cautiously—December is a chance to notice how color functions in your work now.
Are your color choices instinctive? Careful? Repetitive? Experimental?
There is no right answer. Awareness itself is the work.
Choosing color consciously—even when the choice is familiar—strengthens your voice. It shifts color from habit to intention.
Letting the Work Be Enough
December work doesn’t need to announce itself. It doesn’t need to be impressive or complete.
Some pieces may feel unfinished. Others may feel unexpectedly resolved. Both outcomes are valid.
Knowing when to stop—when additional marks would weaken rather than strengthen the work—is a skill developed over time. December offers space to practice that restraint.
Trust that stopping is also a decision.
Why This Matters
Artistic growth rarely happens in straight lines. It folds back on itself. It revisits old questions with new understanding. It settles quietly into muscle memory and instinct.
December honors that kind of growth.
It acknowledges that what you’ve learned may not show up all at once—but it will show up when you let yourself work honestly.
Suggested Products (December, Weeks 49–52)
Week 49: What Stays
- Favorite materials from the year
- Sketchbook or drawing paper
Week 50: Layer & Respond
Week 51: Personal Voice
- Any preferred materials
- Open working surface
Week 52: Stop with Intention
- In-progress artwork
- Simple finishing tools
TRY IT NOW: Pulling It Together
December 2026 Studio Notes Exercise Guide
Inspired by the art of Chris Cruz
December’s exercises focus on integration rather than instruction. You are encouraged to work intuitively—drawing from everything you’ve explored this year.
There is no required outcome. Let familiarity guide you. Trust what feels natural.
WEEK 49: What Stays
What
Begin with materials or approaches you’ve returned to repeatedly.
Why
Repetition reveals preference—and preference reveals voice.
How
- Gather familiar materials
- Work without planning
- Notice what feels natural
WEEK 50: Layer & Respond
What
Build layers and respond to earlier marks.
Why
Layering creates conversation within the work.
How
- Add without covering everything
- Pause and reflect
- Let earlier decisions remain visible
WEEK 51: Personal Voice
What
Make work guided by instinct.
Why
Your strongest work often emerges without explanation.
How
- Avoid reference images
- Work intuitively
- Trust your choices
WEEK 52: Stop with Intention
What
Decide when to stop.
Why
Knowing when to stop preserves honesty.
How
- Step back
- Assess energy
- Leave unresolved areas
⭐ Share Your Process
Trying the exercises? Finished or not, your process matters.
We’d love to see what you’re working on. Share your piece on social media and tag @AlabamaArtSupply or use #StudioNotesAAS so we can follow along.
A Final Thought
You don’t need to pull everything together perfectly.
Let your work reflect where you are—not where you think you should be. What you’ve gathered this year is already enough.
Featured Artist Connection
This Studio Notes art blog is inspired by the work and approach of a featured artist at Alabama Art Supply. Visit the artist’s feature to explore their work, background, and creative perspective in more depth.
→ Meet the Featured Artist: Chris Cruz
- Tags: Art Tips & Techniques
- Elizabeth Ragona
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