Day 13 of the 30/30 challenge
Trying some big girl shoes today... ha...
I found these at goodwill and loved the color and shape, even though the size didn't matter at all, because I was never going to actually WEAR them. I never wore heels this high, and taught school my whole career, so never had to put myself through this torture. I think they look painful, so I made them paintful.....
I would be kicking them off SO FAST, I will paint them like that tomorrow !
Day 12 of the 30/30 challenge
I went looking at the thrift store for some new stuff for my paintings and found this adorable pair of shoes, and couldn't resist the print on the inside. I love painting the patent leather, with it's reflective surface and the cute straps to hold the shoes on with buckles. I remember putting these on my daughter and granddaughters, as well. They are so fun to paint.
Day 10 of the 30/30 challenge "backlit"
This is a painting I did a few months ago. I revisited it and redid the background, which is always the one area I struggle with. Setting up a successful still life might LOOK like it is very simple, but it is very challenging to get all the pieces to work together correctly, in order to get a successful painting.
I got a few new items yesterday to include in some future paintings,(at the thrift store), and am anxious to try them...stay tuned....
Day 9 of the 30/30 challenge
Back to my daisy again. My turquoise little teeny vase saves the day... Love the color and shape, and the daisy gives it the bit of organic shape for a contrast.... I like the red background against the turquoise, too. Those daisies from Trader Joes last a LONG time... yay
Day 8 of the 30/30 challenge
I DID set the timer for 30 minutes on this one ! I wasn't able to even start on the background, which is okay, but then again, I have my ground color (underpainting) which I have to make work.....
I tried to hold down the details, which is VERY difficult for me....
Looseness comes from SIMPLIFICATION, and the best way to do that, I think, is to squint, squint,squint, until my eyes hurt, in order to reduce shapes down to areas of different value.....
Color is not nearly as important as VALUE.... The color can be anywhere, but the value MUST be right.... funny, but true...
Well, here it is. I think I like challenging myself like this. What about a 20 minute painting? or a 15 minute one.....??
Day 7 of the 30/30 challenge
I love these little maryjane shoes. My sister found these for me at the thrift store, and I love painting them..... The memories of my own daughter, or granddaughters are revisited.
I think maybe I'll try painting them again, only in a 30 minute format later today.... wish me luck !
(there is a lot going on in these little shoes, and if I shorten the time painting them I will have to limit the details... but then again, that's part of the challenge, and part of the fun)
Day 6 of the 30/30 challenge.
I did 2 versions of the daisy painting, which I posted the first one day before yesterday. I wanted to try a different, looser approach, so I timed my painting, and stopped just before 30 minutes.
Here is the result of the second painting.
Which version do YOU prefer?
Day 5 of the 30/30 challenge
I decided to paint this little owl because my granddaughter, who is 3 1/2 LOVES owls. She is unfortunately very far away, and we all miss her terribly. She is in Hawaii, and we live in the midwest, in Missouri.
She has a collection of owls of all sizes and varieties, but this little guy is extra cute because he sorta looks at you sideways, cause he turns his head. I thought he's be fun to paint for day 5 of the challenge.
Day 4 of the 30/30 challenge
I've gotta get going on flowers again... I love painting them, but they are challenging.
Keep the Faith.....
Day 3 of the 30/30 challenge
Back to the basics..
Sometimes it seems I make my subject too complicated to work in a 6 x 6 format, and get myself frustrated. Here I'm trying to keep it simple. Back to the basics of apple.... hahaha
Day 2 of the 30/30 challenge.
Funny, how you have to get your "sea legs" again, after not doing this for awhile... ha ha
Actually, I paint all the time, but have lately been doing plein air landscapes with my painting friends, or working from my photos in my studio, because it's COLD outside... anyhoo, here's todays still life, from life, as usual.
I am enjoying this... I will be sad when the zinnias are over. I planted some different varieties in another part of the yard ( my berm in the front yard), and the guy who cuts our lawn got out his weed whip and took them all out, thinking they were weeds..... had to start over, so I am starting with different seeds and seeing what I get. !
LIFE IS GRAND
Another study, 8 x 8 oil to play with composition and color.... Wide deep vista...
A sketch for a larger painting... experimentation with color.... These are ALMOST complements, but not quite.... the light in the sky is always a warmer hue near sunrise and sunset.
I admire this combination in artwork I've seen and would love to incorporate this color palette into my arsenal of techniques.
Here is a bouquet I painted, changed the background to a darker neutral, and I was pretty pleased with the way it turned out..... Sure am enjoying all those zinnia colors !
I love growing zinnias, and bringing them inside.... I just recently started painting them, too.... a triple header... ha !
This is only my second year growing them, from seed. I can't stand to leave them outside, and constantly cut them and put them in vases everywhere in my house. Fun !
This painting is from a picture I took while my husband and I were in Kentucky with my sister and her hubby. The guys played some golf, while we went antiquing and shopping for quilt fabrics ! It was a fun trip staying in the village in a condo and cooking meals together. Fun stuff...
Does anyone still use these compotes? I found 2 of them at a garage sale that had tons of pieces of old silver, that nobody wants to polish anymore. We went to a Christmas House Tour today, in a little town in Illinois, where they had LOTS of old things like that, that people still treasure !
I guess it's all a matter of 'perspective' and 'priorities', Ha Ha !
It makes a nice addition to a still life, though, with it's reflective qualities.....
I finally found the best place in my house to paint.... and it's not in the studio. I love the natural light that I get in the back of the house... (I have LOTS of windows, but they aren't facing the right direction in the studio). The breakfast room does NOT get used that much, either, so I think I'll set up there, when I can. I kind of discovered this while my granddaughter was sleeping in the studio, and I had to look for another place... ha !
The silver water pitcher was an idea I got from a still life a fellow plein-air painter set up a couple of weeks ago. I loved the reflections she got in her painting.... Thanks, Dawn !
I thought these were so adorable, I had to buy them. They are all two-toned, and very, very, small. I've never seen them before, but they are called 'organic lady'. I haven't tried to eat one, I just had to paint them, though..... (That's how some of us think.... ha !)
