Typically, art is created in solitude as it provides space and time for nonjudgmental self-expression. It’s a raw performance captured in an otherwise still product, and solitude is what often separates artists from the general public.

Although solitude allows many artists to express themselves freely, it usually widens the gap between them and their audiences’ understanding of artists, artistic processes and the final product.

In Texas, the annual East Austin Studio Tour provides a bridge for this gap. With hundreds of artists showing in multiple venues across East Austin, the tour is a self-guided art event held over two weekends in November. The venues include individual studios, galleries, libraries, and local businesses such as restaurants and cafes.

The 2019 event featured over 800 artists, and the tour map was dotted with an overwhelming array of opportunities to meet with artists from all walks of life and indulge in their creative process. It isn’t uncommon for artists to share favourite finger foods and beverages – including local wines, beer and whisky – with attendees as a way of emphasising the casual and conversational vibe that the tour promotes.

Besides the unique interactional quality of the tour, this event also provides artists with an unpretentious platform for shedding their skin and expressing their true selves.

Such was the case for Chicago born artist Natalie Shaw who used her show at the tour not only to further her understanding of herself as an artist but also experiment with her own potential and display its product.

For her exhibition at the tour, Shaw chose to display a specific collection of work that emphasises the struggles and beauty of the unfinished. She began each painting in the series with the intention of forcing herself to stop a given work before her artist’s mind deemed it complete. This was a particularly tough challenge for her – especially as artists often inject their perfectionist ways into their creations from inception to completion.