A shorter version of this article will appear in the American Artists Professional League quarterly newsletter, The Grapevine, in the Summer Issue. This summer, smoke from more than 100 wildfires burning across Canada and Minnesota drifted southward, engulfing parts of the Midwest and Northeastern United States in haze, hazardous air pollution and eerily orange skies. Alongside the uncanny spectacle of these skies sat the devastating reality of fires destroying homes, habitats and...

Hello, (art) world... ...is this thing on? Welcome to my very first blog post. I never imagined I'd have an art blog, or have the time to create "bloggable" content. What am I writing about? What will you find here? I'll write about the reality of pursuing an art career, staying true to the art I want to make while paying the bills, my path towards succeeding at the thing I was always meant to be, and my thoughts along the way. The Sargent Shelf I'll also write about my favorite art books (I...