Fast Peppers with a Rum Finish

February 10, 2016 5.5"x8.5" on Watercolor paper

Palette: Raw Umber, B+W

It  has been about a month and a half since I began my daily paintings, and a bit longer since I've begun regular painting with gouache, and I have realized more than once that I do better with flexibility. Doing a full, composed, beautiful painting every day makes me a little stressed out (and that does not translate into good artwork). So, I'm loosening my guidelines on myself. If I need to take a day off, I will. If I paint, it is okay to do a study with a specific goal in mind or a more complete painting.

For this vase of stones, the goal was a quick value study. 

February 10 & 11, 2016 5.5"x8.5" on Watercolor paper

Palette: Flame Red, Chinese Orange, Terre Verte, B+W

For my two pepper studies, the goal was to quickly capture the form of a bell pepper from angles I had not yet painted. And I mean quick! They were both completed in less than a half hour, which is always a challenge for me.

February 13, 2016 4"x4" on Claybord

Palette: Ultramarine Deep, Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ochre, B+W

Available on Daily Paint Works

This painting began with the composition for February 15th, below, but the stress I referred to above was getting to me and I kept making obvious mistakes. I couldn't focus well, so I pulled out a fresh claybord and simplified the composition. Working quicker let me knock this painting of the shot of rum out fairly quickly and happily. 

February 15, 2016 4"x4" on Aquabord

Palette: Ultramarine Deep, Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ochre, B+W

Available on Daily Paint Works

A few of the proportions of this were a bit wonky, but it was much more fun to paint the second time around. The box with the shot glass on top was tricky, as the lid is off center. I could have happily spent another three hours on just the bottle of rum. I think it is safe to say that I'll return to the bottle for a longer study!

Vessels for Favorite Beverages

February 6, 2016 5.5"x8.5" on Watercolor paper

Palette:Ultramarine Blue, Carmine, B+W

February 7, 2016 5"x7" on Aquabord

Palette:Prussian Blue, Chinese Orange, Raw Umber,, B+W

Available on Daily Paint Works

February 8, 2016 4"x4" on Claybord

Palette: Permanent Yellow, Peacock Blue, Chinese Orange B+W

Available on Daily Paint Works

Onward to Month Two: Tea & Singing Bowl

January 31, 2016 4"x4" on Claybord

Palette: Lemon Yellow, Burnt Sienna, B+W

Available on Daily Paint Works

I have completed one month of daily painting! I have gotten so much delight out of being able to say "I have created 16..23...28 paintings this year!" When I sat down for my final painting of January, a little TNG mug, I opted for one of the Ampersand Claybords since it had been so long since I'd painted on them (a whopping five days), and I felt it. Painting on watercolor paper and the Ampersand Aquabord is a far more intuitive process for me, so I'll need to keep the Claybord in regular rotation if I want to improve.

This morning feels differently than the days preceding, not like a month has passed at all. I feel aware of how easily painting every day has returned to my habits, and how easy it could pass back out. I know there are '30 paintings in 30 days' challenges, and I'm glad that I didn't opt for that goal. There is something more to learn from this experience.

February 1, 2016 5"x7" on Aquabord

Palette: Yellow Ochre, Flame Red, Peacock Blue, B+W

Available on Daily Paint Works

For my first painting of February, I selected a singing bowl that sits nearby my painting desk. I wanted the lavender fabric to mimic the motion the mallet would take in a trip around the bowl, to give the painting a silent echo. This is a subject matter I hope to return to once I give myself several days to complete a composition. There are many lovely details on the bowl that will take close concentration and time to capture. I did my best to give a quick idea of them here.

Citrus, Spices, and Glass

January 28, 2016 4"x4" on Aquabord

Palette: Juane Permanent, Carmine, Ultramarine Deep, Lemon Yellow, + W

Available on Daily Paint Works

This was a week filled with sleepy painting sessions. As a goal, I aimed to identify and focus on the major shapes and lines in each composition quickly. My apple was my quickest study yet at 20 minutes, and the other two below were great practice in painting glass. I'm hoping to have a sit-down with a glass subject sometime in the next few days to do better justice. Still, there is something appealing in the texture of these less-refined works. 

My favorite of the week was my grapefruit and lime still life, probably because I haven't been able to resist painting them on multiple occasions this month. Even though I painted it quite late on Thursday, the refreshing colors and the lime's strong citrus scent helped keep me awake until it was complete!

January 27, 2016 ~4"x4" on Watercolor Paper

Palette: Ultramarine Deep, Lemon Yellow, Burnt Sienna + W

January 29, 2016 5.5"x8.5" on Watercolor Paper

Palette: Peacock Blue, Prussian Blue, B+W

January 30, 2016 5.5"x7" on Watercolor Paper

Palette: Burnt Sienna, Ultramarine Deep, Yellow Ochre + W

A Yellow Chair You've Probably Owned

January 15, 2016 4"x4" on Claybord

Palette:Yellow Ochre, Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Sienna, a pinch of Permanent Yellow, + W

Available at Daily Paint Works

As I referenced in my initial post, I am hoping that painting daily and quickly will let me “loosen” up my painting process. This is for multiple reasons, one of which is that I am one of the artists “guilty” of drawing with paint. I am not sure if anyone has criticized me directly for it, but I am aware that my process of drawing and painting are not entirely distinct from one another.

Overall, I haven’t thought of it as too big of a problem. I love drawing! I will always love drawing. Painting, to me, is the opportunity to introduce color into my artwork. The problem comes when I use this as an excuse to take too long making each part perfect at every step along the way. Painting with gouache has made me address this fear on several occasions, particularly since I’ve trying claybord this last week. I get one or two layers into my painting and think, “This is terrible. The proportions have warped, the paint is uneven, there is no way that this will turn out at all okay!.”

But the goal of the project is to create a finished piece, even if it is a terrible piece, so I keep painting until it reaches an overall complete feeling. So far I’ve yet to think of one the paintings unredeemable when I’m done.  The problems have worked themselves, mostly, out and I feel as though I really painted it.

The chair above is one I’ve owned since high school, bought at a thrift store, is getting pretty worn down with age and love from my pets. Since I’ve had it, I have heard many people say that they or their great aunt had one just like it and a couple provide photographic evidence from decades ago! Now it is a studio chair for visitors, but let’s be honest - mainly for my pup and cats.

January 14, 2016 4"x4" on Watercolor Paper

Palette: Peacock Blue, Emerald Green, Prussion, Raw Umber, B+W