What goes before

"When nothing seems to help, I go look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it.  Yet at the hundred-and-first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not the last blow that did it, but all that had gone before." -Jacob A. Riis, social activist

Daily Painting:  Day 7

Mountain Road
5x7 Quick Study

This painting is what goes before (see quote above).  I got a little tired of winter scenes so thought I would try something new.  Was somewhat unsure and uncomfortable with this one.  May try it again soon.

Winter Color

"Your attitude is the minds paint brush, it colors every situation."  

Pastel Painting Day 6:

Winter Color
5x7, Quick Study

I LOVE color and looking at all this white stuff, especially on a very overcast grey day, one might lack inspiration.  Where's all the fun colors?  Sunny snowy days are better with shadows etc... but this is when its fun to be an artist with a huge palette of color and a little imagination. Purples, turquoise, blues, yellows, greens and a few neutrals.  Amazing how you can bring a boring scene to life.

It looks like its snowing in this photo but it wasn't.

May you always see the bright, beautiful and vibrant in your life!

Knowing when to stop

"If you decide to run the ball,  just count on fumbling and getting the shit knocked out of you a lot, but never forget how much fun it is just to be able to run the ball." -Jimmy Buffett

Pastel Painting Day 5: I ran the ball with this painting!

When I Grow Up
5x7, Quick Study

Knowing when to stop

It's always difficult for an artist to know when the painting is finished.  Experience has told me that less is more but sometimes you just wonder what if I did this, or added a little of that especially when you're just not completely satisfied with your painting.  Today, I wasn't satisfied.  I was trying to get the lacy white branches on the trees in the distance just right.  Then the foreground was boring so I tried a little bunny.  He didn't turn out.  Then I looked out my studio window and saw this little teeny tiny pine tree that we planted and decided to add it into the painting.  Then it looked lonely, so I added some friends.  I am finding with pastels, it is especially hard to make a change or addition and then "erase" it if it's not right.  Pastels are not as forgiving as some other mediums.  I'm sure it will get easier "to know" with a lot more practice.  But today I decided to run with the ball, perhaps I fumbled and maybe got a little shit knocked out of me but I sure had fun running.  Give it a try!

Satisfaction lies in the effort

Daily Painting Day 4:

Little Blue House
5x7, Quick Study

Here's yesterday's "failure" done again with, I think, more success.  I added more color and got rid of the tree in the foreground.

So today's quote:

"Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment.  Full effort is full victory." - Mohandas K. Gandhi

photograph

yesterday's painting

Failure is Good!

It's hard to hear that, but it is true.  Failure is education (if you don't give up).  It's learning what not to do.
I'm reading a book full of inspirational quotes, "It always seems impossible until it's done." by Kathryn and Ross Petras.  www.amazon.com/Always-Seems-Impossible-Until-Done  I always love a good quote to reflect upon.  So, today's quote is appropriate for today's painting (of which I'm not a fan of).
"I keep on making what I can't do yet in order to learn to be able to do it." - Vincent van Gogh
Daily Painting Day 3:

Quiet House
5x7 Quick Study

I took this picture because of the house in the distance.  I'm always intrigued when I see houses especially out in the middle of nowhere.  I wonder who lives there and what it is like to live there.  I also like the contrast of the hard edge, man-made building next to the natural landscape.

Anyways, it was a very dark, grey day when I took this photo and wanted to change it up from my bright sunny day winter scenes.  It just seems very boring to me (as I am a big fan of bright colors) and I'm not happy at all with the tree in the foreground.  So, that said, I am going to give this one another try tomorrow.

Using Your Creative Liberties

Day 2

Dressed in Snowy White


"Art is not what you see. It is what you make others see" Degas

I love this quote! When I was in high school and even college, we were not really taught or encouraged to "be creative." Oh yes, it was assumed that if you liked art and seemed to have some bit of talent, than you must be "creative". 

Merrier Webster's Definition of CREATIVE: 

1 [more creative; most creative] : having or showing an ability to make new things or think of new ideas

2.  using the ability to make or think of new things : involving the process by which new ideas, stories, etc., are created 

3.  always used before a noun, usually disapproving : done in an unusual and often dishonest way. 

#3 rubs me the wrong way - never thought of being creative as dishonest but I suppose used in the right way such as "creative" accounting or something like that. 

Anyways, back to art school - unfortunately, my studies focused more on mastering technique which is quite important, yes, but what about expressing our creativity, imagination, individuality!?! I seem to mostly recall my assignments being copying exactly from a chosen magazine photograph or family favorite picture and using the grid system to copy it exactly. So, I find it very liberating (somewhat difficult right now because I am just learning to let go), to paint what I want others to see and not exactly what is there. 

This is my photograph (i.e. my inspiration).

It's not a great photograph. There really is no center of interest, it's just kind of a blob of trees. I took the photo because the snow covered evergreens caught my attention (much more in person than in this photo). I once read somewhere that you don't need a perfect photo because if it is perfect than it doesn't need you, the artist. I am working on taking lots of photos and not trying to find the perfect composition, lighting or even subject matter. I can't wait to keep practicing using my creative liberties and create art that allows you to see something different.

My process:

1/5/18
Happy New Year!  I'm a little late in starting my New Years resolution due to a nasty cold.  Here we go - a painting a day (in under an hour)!

Winter Warmth, 5x7

 In case you're interested in my process;  I started with a thumbnail sketch, taking some artistic license and eliminating a few trees, shadows etc... and evaluating my values.  I used UART 500 grit sanded paper, painted it with a bright blue pastel (it was that gorgeous sky that caught my attention).  I then used alcohol to create a wash and then dabbed it while it was still wet, with some paper towel.  I liked the texture.  I'm a major texture fan.  Then I roughly sketched in with a charcoal vine and began adding darkest values first.  I'm new to pastels, new to landscapes and new to winter scenes, so come along and learn with me.  Happy painting!