Sarah Z Short Driftway Studio Blue Notes, 36" x 24" on a 1.5" panel Hello Reader, Tumbling surf.Jazz made visible.A celebration of typographical forms. Choose your own way into this piece, composed of letterpress-printed vintage book pages.. This collage invites multiple readings—perhaps you'll first notice the abstracted letter fragments, or maybe your eye will follow the flow of paper waves cascading across the composition. Each vintage page, printed with wooden letterpress type, moves you...
20 days ago • 1 min read
Sarah Z Short Notes from the Driftway Ice Pops, 10" x 10" Hello Reader, We got to the hotel in Lake Placid, NY and I carried in the tote bag that held my business notebook and collage sketchbook. I put it on the floor, where it slumped against the wall, and never touched it until it was time to pack the car for the drive home. We were too busy swimming, paddling, and climbing a mountain. At this point, my sketchbook has become my creative security blanket—I need it with me, even if it stays...
24 days ago • 1 min read
Sarah Z Short Notes from the Driftway Hello Reader, The parents were told to stay behind the yellow line while our kids dug for gems in the gravel bed of the mine. The lights were off, and the thin beams of light from headlamps on plastic mining helmets illuminated the dig site. I lasted only a few minutes before bending down to have a quick dig in the gravel. My feet were behind the yellow line, even if my hands weren't. Using my cell phone flashlight, I found a rough piece of quartz and...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Sarah Z Short Driftway Studio Hello Reader, When I created Tracks and Not Lost, Looking, the black and white pieces seen above on the gallery wall at The Ah Haa School for the Arts, I kept imagining them on the same wall - how a collector would move between them, discovering how the papers create one larger narrative. Here's the tour I'd give you if you were standing in front of both pieces in your own space. What you're seeing: The bold graphic impact - stark black lines creating geometric...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Sarah Z Short Notes from the Driftway While walking in the woods, on a nicely groomed trail, I started thinking about what a difference that trail made. Instead of wading through grass and clambering over fallen trees, I was moving quickly and letting my mind wander. And it wandered to art studio organization—because I realized your studio should be like that groomed trail. Instead of wading through clutter and clambering over supply piles, you should be able to move quickly and let your...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Sarah Z Short Notes from the Driftway © 2025, Sarah Z Short, Ice Pops and Irregular Forms No time, too tired, I have to clean the house. When were the plants last watered? Look at all the dust on my books. How can I work when it feels like the world is falling apart...? Our minds offer a constant commentary that can make creating art seem overwhelming or insignificant. However, try to ignore it, and keep in mind how much better you'll feel after just a few minutes of creative work. 5 Minute...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Sarah Z Short Notes from Driftway Studio © 2025, Sarah Z Short, The Back Forty, Found papers and acrylic paint, 16" x 12" x 1.5" This piece began with a question- How do I create texture on paper? From there, the exploration began with printmaking- both on a gelli plate and with letterpress. I tried different vintage papers and different mixes of acyrlic paints until I found a way to layer paint onto paper. And then I kept going, stretching the idea further, and sometimes backing away until I...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Sarah Z Short Notes from Driftway Studio Hi Reader Writing can enhance your art and business in surprising ways; however, like art, maintaining a daily practice will have the most significant impact. I'd like you to list all the ways you, as an artist, use writing as part of your creative practice. (And share it with me, if you'd like.) This is the first assignment my students will be doing tomorrow in my in-person art/writing class. Once you see your list, take it a step further: Starting...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Sarah Z Short Notes from Driftway Studio Hi Reader Writing can enhance your art and business in surprising ways; however, like art, maintaining a daily practice will have the most significant impact. I'd like you to list all the ways you, as an artist, use writing as part of your creative practice. (And share it with me, if you'd like.) This is the first assignment my students will be doing tomorrow in my in-person art/writing class. Once you see your list, take it a step further: Starting...
4 months ago • 1 min read