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Caryn Vainio

@hellchick.bsky.social
170 followers 65 following 334 posts

Mostly trying to be a painter and printmaker. Also a solo game dev. Check out my work at carynvainioart.com and shadowdoggames.com

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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 1h
Super wonky fingers and hands — hands are hard! — but here is Inktober day 3: Miniature. Derwent Inktense ink blocks and micron pen on 4” x 4” watercolor paper.
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Inktober Day 2: Relic Derwent Inktense blocks and Micron pen on 4” x 4” watercolor paper
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
For Inktober Day 1: a neighbor’s apple tree. Derwent Inktense blocks on watercolor paper.
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
The Mini-Boo game at Hexaboo.com is rated as pretty hard. I like keeping it challenging, so I implemented a hint system that people can opt into using. If you haven't tried it, try it out! hexaboo.com#miniboo
A screenshot of the Mini-boo game at Hexaboo.com, with today's puzzle showing the theme "Howdy, Neighbor"
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
There's still time to see the "Illuminate" show at Graphite Arts Center in Edmonds, WA, where I've got two pieces on display! The center is really beautiful so if you're local, stop in and see the show and my pieces! www.artworkarchive.com/profile/cary... www.artworkarchive.com/profile/cary...
Painting titled "And So the Infinite Division of Space and Time (Study)", abstracted landscape with a palette of warm blues, yellow, peach, and redPainting titled "Broken Arrows, Study 2", abstracted landscape with a warm palette of blues, yellows, peach, and red
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Rough draft of some thoughts expressed in the art studio. Monotype in acrylic ink.
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Set up a still life to do a little painting.
Watercolor sketch in a different tiny sketchbook of a still life with a pear, apple, and pine cone.Still life image of a pear, apple, and pine cone
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Getting work ready for submitting to shows. “Scared To Death of What’s Inside But We’re Going In” Acrylic and pencil on canvas 24” x 34” www.artworkarchive.com/profile/cary...
Abstract expressionist painting with dark gray, black and blue areas, some pink to represent light, and red structure
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Trying to find the right Akua inks for what I’m trying to do in my print making. This is…almost right
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Very happy that these two paintings have been accepted into Graphite Art Center's show "Illuminate" in Edmonds, WA! Show runs from August 14 to October 4 -- if you're near, please stop by and see!
A painting titled "Broken Arrows - Study 2" with dark blues and blacks, yellow and pink illuminated areas and red strong marks. A painting titled "And So The Infinite Division of Space and Time (Study)" with dark blues and blacks, yellow and pink strong streaks, and red marks.
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
New work made from destroying old work: for every image I make on paper that I think is successful, there are several non-bar-meeting pieces in the discard pile. Collage from monotype prints. Part of the “Structure / Time” explorations.
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
“My Beacon Is Not Always the Brightest Star” Acrylic and Pencil on 40” x 40” canvas Painted by me, a human, by hand. More info here: carynvainioart.com/paintings/
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
Studio View Iterations 2 & 3 Multi-layered ink monotypes 10” x 10” carynvainioart.com/printmaking/
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
My husband’s grandfather was a well-known painter of the Northwest School of abstract expressionism in the 60s. It was a treat to walk into the Seattle Art Fair today and literally see on the first wall one of his paintings!
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
I took the photo here the other night from my studio window. It doesn't capture even remotely what my eyes actually saw. The sunset had me locked in place, just staring at it: the way the trees filtered the light, the silhouettes, everything. All week I've been making monotypes from it.
View of a sunset behind trees through a windowInk monotype print of abstracted sunset through trees
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
My continued quest to investigate structure emerging from organic chaos over time. Multi-layer ink monotype prints, 8” x 8” image on 10” x 10” paper.
Ink monotype art with orange and white lines against blue imageryTwo ink monotypes, each with dark purple lines over blue imagerySeveral ink monotypes consisting of dark purple and orange lines over blue organic shapes
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Made my own cigar pochade box with a little 3D printing help from my husband. Trying it out in my front yard for a few days to see what tweaks it needs. Really didn’t quite capture the light as well as I wanted here — I’m trying to get better at plein air oil painting!
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Hexaboo now tracks your streak! If you haven't tried Hexaboo yet, give it a try! www.hexaboo.com
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Had a bunch of time today near Seattle Center so I decided to paint a couple of views from the top of the Space Needle.
View of Puget Sound with mountains and cargo ship from the Space NeedleTiny watercolor painting of mountains and Puget Sound with cargo shipView of Mt. Rainer and Seattle from the Space NeedleTiny watercolor painting of Mt. Rainer and Seattle
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Just a little sketch in my sketchbook with ink and wash. A cabin in the ghost town we hiked here in WA a few years ago.
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
I’m chasing the thread of structure over time. When I started the body of work this comes from two years ago I knew it would evolve but I didn’t know where to. All I knew is that I had to paint images that were all about bright chaotic disruption and then it had to evolve from there.
A group of prints evoking trees and structures in the landscape with blues, greens, and brownsA painting with a red structure against shades of blue and black
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
North Fork of the Stillaguamish River painted in monochrome watercolor, from memory of the spot near family.
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Tiny painting of some peaches as the inaugural painting in the little kit my kid got me for my birthday. I should have put a cooler red in and my bowl is pointy, but otherwise I’m happy with it.
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
It's probably going to take more than one post for me to list everything I've crammed into this thing and can still carry and close it: - Moleskine sketchbook - Derwent Inktense block tin - envelope with my 3" x 3" cut watercolor paper - viewfinder for those 3" x 3" paintings - (more!)
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
I'm a huge fan of Peg & Awl's products and my husband gave me their Sendak artist roll for Christmas. I've been using it every day since then and I LOVE IT. I thought I would show pictures of what's in this thing -- it's like some kind of art clown car. Take a look. (Not sponsored, just a fan!)
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
In my current body of work I’m seeking and calling out structure among organic…non-deterministic stuff? (I was going to write “randomness”, but landscapes are not random.)
Ink monotype print with two layers in gray blue and dark red brown with a tree motif.
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
The process of making these: I have an acetate sheet with the print area marked. I make the marks with brayers, paper towels, and other tools, applying ink, wiping it away, and re-applying it. I do this for each layer individually.
A brayer with ink on it above the studio art table, showing a palette with ink. A glass palette with blue and brown ink on itAn acetate sheet with ink marks on it ready for printing.
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Printmaking and painting go hand in hand in my art practice: I tend to do some work in painting, which I think carry into printmaking, which in turn informs my painting. Thrilled at how these 3-layer ink monotypes turned out in this studio this week.
Two ink monotype print images with tree motifs in blue gray, dark red brown, and light brownInk monotype print with tree motif using gray-blue, red-brown, and light brownInk monotype print with tree motif using gray-blue, red-brown, and light brown
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
Absolutely thrilled that the buyer of “And So the Infinite Division of Space and Time” received the painting this week and sent me images of it hanging in their home. I think it looks amazing there. (See more of my work at www.carynvainioart.com)
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
A little pre-bedtime tiny painting with my ink blocks. Photo is of my front yard in November of 2024.
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
Painting is back from the framer, and I really wanted to fully unwrap it to see the lovely white float frame but this is being sent to the buyer and I won’t be able to rewrap it as nicely. But it looks so good!
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
And the prophecy sayeth: an alpaca will come, crowned in stickyweed
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
New tiny paintings! I'm working on a series of monochrome tiny paintings that come from the PNW landscape around my home in the Cascade foothills. The series is called "Good Bones". They're here if they grab your fancy: www.carynvainioart.com/artwork-earl...
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
I’m doing some simultaneous monoprint work with my current series. I go back and forth between printmaking and painting, using one to inform the other. This is one of the successful ones from a recent session in the studio. “Good Bones” Ink monotype on BVK Rives paper
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Some recent studio sketchbook work that I've been looking at every day. The painting on the easel now is taking strong inspiration from the one on the left.
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
I've collected all of my currently available small works and prints here: carynvainioart.squarespace.com/config/pages... I'll be taking these down later in the year to offer them at in-person events, so if you've got your eye on something, now's the time! And I'm happy to take additional photos!
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
New mixtape droppin
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
“Chaos Cascadia 2” has sold out, but these three still have some in the series available! www.carynvainioart.com/buy-prints
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
This painting is pissing me off. Despite my humidifier the tape keeps peeling off the easel as if the painting wants to leap free of it before it’s done. I keep having to retape it.
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Hexaboo Star Wars puzzle today! www.hexaboo.com
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Did a sketch of the trestle bridge about ten minutes from my house. I took the pic the other day while doing a bad oil painting; I like hours this one turned out (I used my Derwent Inktense blocks).
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
After the chores were done this morning I sat outside with my coffee and sketchbooks while the alpacas grazed in the pasture we just opened for the season.
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
I love the point at which the toned background color I’ve laid down has been consumed by most of the composition, but not entirely.
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Recent sketchbook work inspired by the views near where I live.
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
My work comes from the Pacific Northwest landscape around me. Here’s “The Bridge Between You and the World”, a tiny 3” x 3” painting still available to buy: www.carynvainioart.com/artwork-earl... — similar to a spot I just sat and sketched in the other day.
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
Each artist has their own ritual around the first marks on the canvas. My first marks are a declarative statement. They are the first moves in a chess game in which the marks will fight for territory against each other as they push and pull across the canvas over time.
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
Has a dog door in the house he knows how to use. Refuses to use the one we installed in the art studio.
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Earth Day-themed Miniboo today! hexaboo.com#miniboo
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
45 minutes later: one stretched canvas! And I’m really proud of those corners. Canvas stretching is raw physical labor. Not my core skill set so I take pride where I can get it, lol.
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Caryn Vainio @hellchick.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
I hate stretching canvas soooooo muuuuuch. But I’m doing it because someone is buying the painting, so I can’t be too sad.
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