Challenge three: Carving Through the Mess
New challenge, new struggles, and new opportunities.
As we stepped into a new set of challenges - mixed media abstract and the monster portrait - we also had some unfinished business from the previous round. But let’s take it one step at a time.
Monster portrait.
A technique loved by few. It’s challenging because you have to give up control right from the beginning - and that alone can make your knees weak. You’re not allowed to sketch your portrait. Instead, you have to find it within the chaos of the first loose eight brushstrokes, carving it out like a sculptor revealing a figure from a rough, unformed block.
I paint portraits. I’ve been doing it for years. So naturally, I felt an immense pressure to perform - this is something I’ve practiced for nearly a decade. I found my source: a girl with hot pink hair, turned at a three-quarter angle. I was excited. Until we got into the filming house and discovered that we had to use only a primary palette for this challenge.
No pink. Only red.
The entire plan went out the window.
I was so upset - I couldn’t believe it. But there was no time to complain. I promised myself to stay positive and keep my mindset flexible. So I adjusted. I shifted my idea to blonde hair… which I suddenly realized was something I had never really painted before. Ten years of painting portraits, and no blonde hair. How is that even possible?
But I was up for the challenge. It started well. The first layer came together nicely. But somewhere in the middle stage… my girl turned into a monster. And I needed to fix her.
That weekend, my husband and my son flew in from Texas to see me - just for one day. We filmed Monday through Saturday, and Sunday was our only day off. I wanted to give them my full attention. But that night, I couldn’t sleep. I woke up at 5 a.m., locked myself in the bathroom, and tried to figure out what to do. How to fix the portrait before Monday. I worked through my reference, searching for a solution, and eventually felt like I had a plan. Sunday was beautiful. We spent the day together, and for a moment, I forgot about the stress of the competition. Then Monday came… and everything started again.
Then came the abstract.
No source. Just shapes, color, and instinct. I had a plan - I chose my palette, defined the direction, and went for it. Honestly, I had so much fun with it. But abstracts take a lot out of me. It feels like trying to find a road through a jungle - holding onto a direction while slowly carving your way forward. It’s about building composition, staying true to your color story, and at the same time remaining open to what the painting wants to become.
Somewhere in the process, it started to feel like a journey. Not one where the path is clear from the beginning, but one that reveals itself as you move through it. There is a special kind of attention required - noticing what shifts, what calls you forward, what asks to be followed. It reminded me that sometimes the way doesn’t come fully formed… it appears as we move.
I ended up calling this piece “The Way Reveals Itself.”
I loved making it. Abstracts have always been difficult for me. For a long time, I didn’t think I could do them at all. But I’m starting to understand that it’s about finding your way into abstraction - your language within it. And this time, something clicked. How it all ended with these two challenges… you’ll see in the next episode. For now, things were still going well.
Another moment that needed to be addressed was Stephanie’s “cheating” situation. We cleared the air and talked as a group. It wasn’t easy - no one wants to accuse anyone of anything. But we were in a competition, and fairness mattered to all of us. We addressed it, and we moved forward. No one wanted to stay in a space of frustration or negativity.
The next challenge was charcoal drawing, along with finishing both the abstract and the portrait. This marked the end of the “skill” portion of the competition - after this, six people would be eliminated.
The stakes were high.
Everyone was on edge. We all wanted to move forward into the next stage - where the focus would shift to style and vision. Up until this point, the challenges allowed very little creative freedom. Now, everything felt like it was leading up to something bigger. And we all knew what was at risk. See who will end up in the top size in the next episode…
