Day 6:

Hydrangea's from my garden
8x8 Oil on panel

I'm already having trouble deciding what to paint.  I need to make my daily paintings fairly simple so as to complete them in a day (a few hours or less a day).  Yet I get bored with just one plain item.  I want paint things that excite me or stir some kind of thought or emotion.  So, I need to "feel it".  Who knows, one day I see something and it sparks no reaction whatsoever and a few days later, I'm itching to recreate it through a painting.  This one, while only a single object, had enough texture, variety, color (challenges) to get me going.  I am very pleased with the results.  I was standing a bit over the subject as opposed to looking at it at eye level and I think it shows.  This painting also went through the love/hate process that I encounter with all my paintings.  In fact, I figured this one might end up in the trash or painted over.  I really like how the shadow turned out.  I will let you in on a little secret, the shadow was not at all like that.  I had drapery in the background and I started to paint it as I saw it and hated the look so I changed it to this.  The other worry I had with this one, as I am finding I am encountering, is over-working it.  Knowing when to stop.  I could stop and let them dry and come back to them and fix/change the problems, but I am trying to keep these all alla prima (Italian for meaning at first attempt) or wet on wet.  It is a challenge with oils to be sure but I like the challenge.  It's the best way to grow.

Day 5

Yum, Avocado!
6x6 Oil on canvas panel

Oil paintings are hard to photograph!  All that sheen and texture (research and practice on that to come).  Anyways, this is a quick snapshot that I don't think is very accurate to the painting.  I like much better in person.   I LOVE avocados and thought the colors would be fun and they were.  I also LOVE purple, hence the background.  The avocado is actually sitting on a cream color table cloth that has scrolling texture in it, so I decided to add it as it seemed a little boring without it.  I did think about composition, trying not to place it in the center.  I tried making it big and cropping it but didn't like that as it takes away from the lovely shape of this fruit.  When composing, you need to remember not to place the object(s) too close to the edges either.  I will say, I am finding that my objects always seem to end up smaller than my intended thumbnail and sketch.  Perhaps, I will need to begin larger than I think I would like the finished painting.

Daily Painting - Day 3 and 4

Apple Study
11x14, oil on canvas

I did 3 apples each day.  I used 2 different apples and changed their position as well as the light some.  I began by mixing 3-4 red values, a yellow/green, 2 values of the shadow plus a really dark (raw umber mixed with blue - used pthalo blue because it was the only blue left on my palette and didn't want to waste it.  I wouldn't use it again as it's too green).  I tried different brushes and different brush strokes.  I started with flat brushes and tried to limit my strokes (top apples).  The middle apple on the bottom, I started using some filberts to get a bit softer/blended look.  I am not after a photographic looking painting.  I love the look of brush strokes.  I also tried varying the direction of my brush strokes.  I feel like I over worked the top far right apple and almost overworked the bottom far right.  I am sure I learned a lot with this exercise.  I certainly didn't think painting an apple 6 times would be as challenging as it was.

Daily Painting:  Day 2

My Red Boots
8x8 Oil on canvas

Well, this one certainly took me longer than an hour!  But, I had fun.  I started with drawing a thumbnail sketch and indicating the values.  I then colored my canvas with raw sienna wash and OMS (odorless mineral spirits), then loosely sketched the image with raw sienna and a short bristle brush.  I began painting with the darkest values first.  I struggled with the black glove which had all the light on it.  I probably painted it too white.  After about 2.5-3 hours from start to finish, I had to call it a day even though it could use a lot more tweeking.  I must always remember the goal - complete a painting a day, don't focus on perfection.  I think I accomplished my goal for the day!

Okay, I'm back.  I'm really here to keep myself accountable.  I'm an artist who is struggling with finding my voice, my muse, my medium.  I always say that I have art A.D.D.  I want to try it all and I have tried just about everything (art related that is).  I have my favorites (mediums) which change sometimes from day to day.  Each medium has a different feel, a different response to my action, a different end result.  While that is great, I feel like I've not had much time to really focus in and "master" any particular medium.  Fortunately, many of the fundamentals of art carry over between mediums and because of all my past experiences, I'm confident I have a solid grasp on those.  I've decided NOW is the time to focus on mastering a medium (or 2) and discover my style, my muse, my medium.

Through the years, I've been told that I had artistic talent.  So, I thought that any time I did something art related it should be good, right?  WRONG! Talented or not, it is a gift that needs to be used, exercised and practiced.  Just like sports or music or anything, we don't show up one day and win a gold medal in the Olympics or compose and play a symphony.  No, we show up daily and practice, practice and practice more.  We have to put in the time to hone in on that "talent", that skill.

As well as not leaning on "talent" to carry me through the creative process, I also need to let go of the fact, that every time I step into my studio and pick up a brush or a pastel, I must create a masterpiece. Something that is good enough to sell or give away to a dear friend.  In the past, if the finished product didn't fit that criteria then I felt like I had wasted my time and $ on all those supplies.   NOT TRUE!  I learned from every moment of practice.  I learned what works, what doesn't work, what I want to try differently the next time.  Baby steps!  Fortunately, as we know baby steps lead to walking and then running.  A few trip ups along the way teach us even more.  Failure is the best teacher.  So, I am going to try to embrace failure.

Anyways, I hope to paint as often as possible, daily if possible.  I plan to paint small and simple so that I can complete them in a few hours a day.  This goal needs to be challenging but achievable.  I hope to post my paintings (the good, the bad and the ugly) here so you and I can see the progress.  I will post my thoughts, my experiences, my insights.  As a teacher,  I love to share my experiences so that others may learn as we are all on this journey together - sometimes we're just taking different paths.

Day 1: Fall

8x8 Oil on Canvas

About this painting:

I will tell you that I almost NEVER do still life's as I have always found them very boring.  However, I started reading a book called, "Daily Painting" by Carol Marine and I was encouraged and inspired to give them a try.  I've heard from many that painting from life is the best way to learn as we see so much more with our eyes than through a camera lens and photograph.  Since the weather is not lending itself to plein-air painting, I decided to set up a still life, so I grabbed what I could find.  This painting was a bit challenging with the metallic paper wrapped around the pot and all the flower petals but I pushed through.  It probably took me longer than I wanted but I will say that I quite enjoyed myself painting it.  Also, I will mention that I am still fairly new to oil painting but I am really liking them far better than acrylics due to the fact that they don't dry so fast.  Oils are so much more vibrant and I love how they blend and mix right on the painting.  Also, odor and clean-up is not as bad as you think.  Odorless mineral spirits make all the difference.

The road less traveled is lined with beauty

8x10 on Uart

Decided to try one larger so it took a little longer, but not much.  There is a purple underpainting - wish I kept more of it showing through.  Most likely will paint this one again!

An Inspiring Quote

"The man is a success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much; who has gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who leaves the world better than he found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who never lacked appreciation of earth's beauty or failed to express it; who looked for the best in others and gave the best he had."
-Robert Louis Stevenson

Daily Painting - Day 23

An Improved Poppy
5x7 Pastel Quick Study