The sun is shining!

Daily Painting (ok, missed a few days - was on a weekend getaway for my birthday thanks to my wonderful hubby.)  Day 22:

JUST DO IT!

The Sun is Shining!
5x7 Quick Study

I painted this scene a few days ago and while I liked it, I felt it lacked a variety of color.  See below.  So back to the drawing board.  It's funny, I always felt like once I painted a specific scene, I was done, especially if I was happy with the end result.  If I didn't like the end result,  I was hesitant to do it again.  Oh, that darn fear of failure.  Or I perhaps I'm just not sure how to approach it differently.  Or, I'm frustrated.  Until, I realized "JUST DO IT!"  I have to admit, I am really enjoying painting the same scene over again.  It is fun to see how different the result are.

First attempt at sunflower scene
Its ok but I'm no't happy with limited colors

Below are examples of the scenes I have repeated.  The first image in each grouping is the first try at the scene.

What comes from experimentation

Daily Painting - Day 21

In early January, I had a request from a customer on my etsy site to paint St. Anne.  She was in no hurry so I saw this as my opportunity to try to combine my current style with the Saints in acrylic with my new found love of pastels.  I explain some of my process and my discoveries below.

St. Anne with the Blessed Virgin Mary
9x12 pastel and mixed media on Uart sanded paper

I began by exploring just what you could do on sanded paper.  Below is the underpainting using watercolor, acrylics, ink, stencils and stamps (similar to my process that I use on canvas boards)

After the initial sketches, I began to lay down large blocks of color in pastel.  I ran into a few problems.  I found that pastel does not like to stick to acrylic paint.  I worked with it as best as I could and fortunately there was not a lot of it in the underpainting.  The areas where the acrylic was used that had been watered down as in a wash seemed to work ok.

As you can see I struggled.  I put down too much pastel.  So, I set it aside and the next day, with fresh eyes, I still felt the same and decided to remove some of it.  I found a stiff brush in my studio and I gently brushed off areas I didn't like.  I also used a gummy eraser to remove some other areas. The Uart sanded paper is great for this - very sturdy and holds lots of layers of color.  Still plenty of tooth to work with.

After this removal, I decided that I like seeing some of the designs, textures and prints that I had originally created in my underpainting and decided I would try to allow them to show through and work with and around them (see St. Anne's garment - the triangle area in the center).  Also the celtic stamp that I carved and stamped is a symbol of the mother/daughter bond, certainly had the shape of a heart.  This shape made me think if the image of the sacred heart so I went with it.

I learned a lot from this and I think the final result is more than acceptable.  We will see what my possible customer has to say.  I will take what I learned from this, along with some other ideas that came my way while working on it and try some more new things.

Please feel free to comment and ask any questions you may have!

Be Like A Sunflower!

"I want to be like a sunflower so that on the darkest days I will stand tall and find the sunlight!"

Daily Painting - Day:20

Be Like a Sunflower
5x7 Quick Study

Trying something new today - Sunflowers.  May try it again.  I can see why Monet did the same scene many times.  Yes, he was painting the scene as the light changed it.  In a sense I am doing the same by changing underpainting to give the scene a warmer or cooler feel, perhaps changing the composition to see which is more effective.  These are, after all studies.  Someday I plan to go back and paint them larger incorporating what I have learned from these quick studies.

Magnificent Maui #2

Daily Painting - Day 19

Magnificent Maui #2
5x7 Quick Study

Hmmm, this one was just as frustrating as yesterday's painting.  I'm not sure what I'm after.  Perhaps I'll try it again - in the future!  It definitely is different than the first painting of this scene.  Amazing how different a few changes in color and approach can change the painting.

Taking an online course combing watercolor (my first love many, many years ago) and pastels (my newest love).  I will try to share some of what I am doing/learning from that course.  Lots of play!  Lots of texture!

Magnificent Maui

Daily Painting - Day 18

Magnificent Maui
5x7 Quick Study

Got frustrated with with the rocks and the hill amongst other things.  Will be doing this one again tomorrow!  Let's see what changes.  I think these quick studies are great for learning and practicing and when I pin down what I like, what works, they will be great for a larger more in depth painting.  I really can't imagine going big without having done these small quick studies.  I believe they will save me lots of time, mistakes and frustrations.

Ahhh Summer!

"I will not lose, for even in defeat, there's a valuable lesson learned so that evens it up for me." -Jay Z, musician and businessman

Ok, after looking at the painting from Tuesday, I decided, I liked it more than I did when I first finished it. Again, time away helps.  However, I decided that I had a few ideas that might make it better so I decided to try it again.  WOW, what a difference!  I see much improvement.  So much more depth.  Anyways, moral of the story try, try again! The more often I paint, the more likely  things will soon become second nature.  I will feel more confident, knowledgable, and comfortable.

Daily Painting - Day 17

Summer in Northern Michigan
5x7 Quick Study

The painting below was painted before the painting above.  Big difference!  I guess I learned what to do and what not to do.  Yea, daily painting.

Day 15 painting
5x7 Quick Study 

Knowing when to stop

"I can't do it never yet accomplished anything; I will try has performed wonders." - George P. Burnham, -writer and editor

Daily Painting: Day 16

5x7 Quick Study

Ugh!  Day 16 and I feel like progress with landscapes is slow. Sometimes I even feel like I'm digressing.  I've painted only a small handful of landscapes my entire life and never felt satisfied with the results but I will not succomb to my frustrations and overly high expectations after all it has only been a few months using this new medium and only a few years painting since my 20 year+ away from painting.  Each time I learn something new or something I do or don't like.  

I also need to learn when to stop.  The timer for 20 minutes went off and I took the above picture.  After looking at the photo on my phone, I noticed a few things I didn't like so I went back in.  I like how I fixed the water line but I continued to add more and fix and add and change and while some things were good, I think I would have been better to stop sooner.

So, today's take away - stop sooner than you think.  Step back or even away from it for a while.  If/when you come back start very slow with only a few strokes at a time.  Take a photo.  I have found looking at your art from a photo shows things you just didn't see at first.

with a few too many heavy handed strokes