Reader… The URBAN PETALS: Concrete Bloom Collector's Box sold out! I'm still a little in awe of that — every time it happens, it reminds me why I do this work. So first: thank you. Whether you grabbed a box, shared the collection with a friend, or just followed along as the whole thing came together — I appreciate you being here. I want to tell you something about how this collection started. Because it wasn't at the paint making table. If you’ve read my last few emails, you’ll know it...
13 days ago • 1 min read
Reader… A paint collection starts long before the first pigment is mulled. It starts with design — the walks, the thinking, the research, and the inspiration that give the making its direction. The colors are chosen. The mood board is designed. The direction is set. Now comes the part I love most — turning that vision into physical paint. The inks, the PIGMENT BARS, the Wax Printmaking Oil Bars are all next, and the design work you're about to see is exactly what makes that making possible....
20 days ago • 1 min read
Reader… There's a mountain ebony tree on my neighborhood walking route with Indie in LA — bright fuchsia blooms against a golden concrete wall, almost neon, completely unapologetic. I've been walking by it for months, but it just recently caught my eye because of the bright, vibrant PINK blooms. I’ve been documenting these walks with my camera for months — that tree, chain-link fences swallowed by vines, sweet potato leaves spilling over curbs, sidewalk cracks laced with fallen leaves where...
21 days ago • 3 min read
IN THE STUDIO: My cousin just made Oscar history (with photos) 🏆 A first look at the spring #tracibautistaCOLOR collection 🌸 A free live session Thursday — I'm building a collection with AI in real time 🤖 A tiny prompt for your sketchbook 🎨 Reader… Last Sunday, our family watched my cousin Autumn Durald Arkapaw's name appear on the screen. Best Cinematography. Sinners. The first woman — and the first woman of color — to win that Oscar in 97 years. Brilliant. Historic. Iconic. We’re all so...
25 days ago • 3 min read
TODAY’S LINEUP My swatch cards in the wild — and how to actually use them in your practice 🎨 My cousin is walking the Oscars red carpet (Vogue + NYT features, and I couldn’t be prouder) ✦ A question I want you to sit with about your creative process 📓 A first look at something I’m building in the studio right now 👀 Reader… There’s something about watching someone you love and have known your whole life step fully into their work. My cousin — cinematographer, artist, creator — is being...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
#tracibautistaCOLOR Studio Notes: The Monthly Edit Inspiration. PLAY. Resources. Marks. January: sketches + rest + studio reset What’s next? A February peek 👀 Reader… Hi creative friend! Welcome to the first edition of Studio Notes: The Monthly Edit — a monthly letter where I share what’s been happening in the studio, what I’m loving, and a few good links. Let’s start with January. (I know… it already feels like a lifetime ago. Bear with me.) January started the way I always hope it will:...
about 2 months ago • 5 min read
Pre-orders close 2/5 ~ VELVET & VERDIGRIS 💌 Reader… Hi creative friend! Remember when I told you about the NEW Velvet & Verdigris collection being born from my antique and thrifting adventures—all those wax-sealed letters, tarnished jewelry, and fabric swatches I've been sorting through? I've been sitting in my studio this week surrounded by those finds alongside my valentine swatches, and I realized something: these two palettes tell completely different love stories from the same vintage...
2 months ago • 2 min read
It’s here: VELVET & VERDIGRIS 💌 Reader… Hi creative friend! I've been deep in my favorite kind of treasure hunt lately — sorting through vintage ephemera from antique and thrifting explorations: walnut ink stained parchment letters, tarnished jewelry, fabric swatches, lace, and ribbon with histories I'll never know. That's exactly where VELVET & VERDIGRIS was born. This Valentine paint collection is limited edition with TWO handcrafted mixed media sets to choose from. It’s romance with...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Mineral Wash Inks +join me live Mon 1/19 at 12:30 PT Reader… Hi creative friend! I‘m back from my warm tropical Hawaiian holiday visiting the fam with sandy toes and a studio full of new ideas—including a series of new BTS In the Paint Studio videos I’ll share this season plus join me for Monday’s live demo session. But first, let’s talk about what just dropped… I just posted a brand-new video with a behind-the-scenes look at my INKatelier Winter Collection, including my new Mineral Wash Inks...
3 months ago • 1 min read