Building a Serious Painting Practice With a Full-Time Job with Aida Smith (Ep.122)

Welcome to the conversation with Aida Smith!Learn more about Aida Smith:WEBSITE | INSTAGRAMMany artists assume that building serious skills requires huge blocks of free time.Aida Smith proves otherwise.With a full-time career, a long commute, and a firmly established professional identity outside the art world, she has built a meaningful and increasingly confident painting practice over the past five years.In this conversation, we talk about what it really takes to grow as a painter while working full-time, the color mixing breakthrough that changed everything for her, and how rethinking failure allowed her to keep showing up.If you’ve ever said, “I just don’t have enough time,” this episode will challenge that belief in a practical way.In This Episode, You’ll Learn:How Smith  structured her painting practice around a full-time jobWhy commute time and lunch breaks can meaningfully build skillThe color mixing shift that transformed her confidenceA simple way to adjust color using red, yellow, or blueHow to think about failure in a way that keeps you showing upWhy simplifying shapes strengthens a paintingHow she decides whether to keep a painting or wipe it downWhy she paints with solvent-free oils and questions traditional rulesBuilding Skill in Real LifeSmith did not grow up identifying as an artist. Painting was not her childhood identity.Her entry point was photography. Painting returned later, first as a stress reliever during a demanding job, and eventually as something she chose to take seriously.She paints and draws at night. On weekends. During commutes. During lunch breaks.And she is clear about something many artists resist hearing:Skill takes longer than you hope.Growth happened over years of sketchbooks. Years of mixing colors poorly before it clicked. Years of showing up even when the work felt frustrating.This is not a story about finding more time. It is about using the time that already exists.Extended Cut Bonus [Patreon]In this bonus episode, Smith explains how shifting to a very limited palette transformed her color mixing and brought instant harmony to her work. She shares the exact colors she relies on, why she prioritizes value over perfect color matches, and how a simple “mother color” keeps everything cohesive.Get practical tips sent straight to your inbox. Join the Learn to Paint newsletter here.The next 20for20 Art Challenge is coming soon, and registration is open! Nothing starts quite yet, but you can save your spot today. During Prep Week, you’ll choose a project, gather your materials, and make a plan for 20 days of consistent art-making. If you’ve been looking for a reason to get back to your art, we’d love to have you. Learn more and join us today! Support the show