When I Painted “The Only Way Out is Through”

Studio Notes

There was a moment in the studio where I realized I couldn’t paint from the surface anymore. I needed to start going deep into my emotions, actually connecting with them before I began painting and then embracing them through the painting process. The Only Way Out is Through came from that moment.

This piece was never about being pretty — it was about being honest. I wanted to channel the rawness I was feeling: grief I hadn’t named, anger I hadn’t let out, and the deep knowing that I had to walk through the truth, not around it. I had spent too many years overlooking emotions that I just needed to feel.

Layer by layer, the brushwork changed. My strokes got heavier, then softer, then bold again. There was release in every texture — a kind of emotional memory stored in movement.

I didn’t set out to create something “wild,” but the Wild Collection has become a space for every emotion I once thought was too much. And this painting was one of the first to really reflect the importance of facing what I was feeling.

If this work speaks to you, I’d love to hear what it brings up. I believe these paintings listen, too.