27/40 of 40 Consecutive Day Painting a Day - Boy

A Boy
6" x 8"
Watercolor on Paper
$75

Comments on My Painting a Day for 40 Consecutive Days Experience

I am going to talk to all of you a little about this painting a day for 40 consecutive days. It has been a good experience to have the goal to do a painting a day and to order my day so that it is a priority to be done. I don't have the pressure of trying to make each painting a great painting, but I do have the challenge of painting and posting. I have learned to more efficiently post images. I suspect that making so many paintings has its own reward in making me "think visually all the time." It can only help but move me along the path of being a better artist. The pattern of making art, thinking art as natural as breathing in an out can only deepen my strength as a painter over time.

I have also begun doing something that I had only dreamt of doing since my advanced drawing class in 2006, making figurative sketches, working on subtle character studies. In the painting a day project I have worked from life on several occasions while in other occasions from photos. I truly like working from life when I can have a long conversation with the person I am drawing. That is ideal, but not always possible. I don't really want to go to a live modeling class situation, because I am more interested in the personality of the person than in their individual body parts. That does not mean I do not believe in the importance of working from a live model in a
life drawing setting. However, I don't want a clinical look of the person. I am going for their mood, their persona. The academic live model in a shared "studio" or "class" situation tends to lend itself to the creation of manikins rather than people with heart and soul, angst or delight...on to the full gamut of human emotion.

In this 40 Day project, sometimes my imagery seems somewhat inconsistent taken as a whole. Part of that is simply getting the painting done, even when I am emotionally tired. I pick a no brainer image, where the form and shape is really the idea for the painting rather than the "character" studies that are more demanding.

Balancing the immersion into the mind set of making art with the business of selling art is a real struggle for me as it is for many artists. It is mental toughness I still must work to possess and release at will.

If you have any thoughts, I would apprecitate your comments.

Painting 26/40 of 40 Consecutive Painting a Day Challenge - Smiling Girl

Smiling Girl
8" x 6"
Watercolor on Paper
$75

I had a great time going through our old family photos when I was preparing the life display poster for my son's high school graduation. Here he is held by his sister in a garden at the Milwaukee domes.

Painting 25/40 of the 40 Consecutive day Painting a Day Challenge - Acker Streen NE, Capitol Hill

602 1/2 Acker Street NE, Capitol Hill
14" x 10"
Watercolor on Paper
$150

This was taken from a drawing and a dim memory of a dusk in Washington D. C. I love the dark evening and the feeling of being alone on the street.

Painting 24/40 of the 40 Consecutive Painting a Day Challenge - Illuminating an Apple

Illuminating an Apple
6" x 7 3/4"
Watercolor on Paper
$75

This was a fun way to end the day.

23/40 Painting of 40 Consecutive Days Painting a Day

Mama
6" x 7.5"
watercolor on paper with ink
$75

yeah mama

Painting 22 of the 40 Consecutive Painting a Day Challenge - Road Uphill at Malin Head 2

Road Uphill at Malin Head 2
16" x 20"
Pastel on Museum Board
$450

I have done several studies for this piece, some in painting a day. Today I complete the big one.

Painting 21/40 of the 40 Consecutive Day Painting a Day Challenge - Some Years Later

Some Years Later

6" x 7.5"
Watercolor on Paper
$50 print
Original not for Sale

Back several years ago, I took an advanced drawing and anatomy class with Stephan Samerjan (now retired) at UW- Milwaukee. I was inspired by the volume of work he demanded of us, the freedom he gave us to explore and the conversations and class critiques in a fresh way.

I had begun doing a series of line drawings of my mother catching her various moods with a few strokes. It was like writing poetry sketches, fluid yet sharp and clear catching a life of their own. I have talked about expanding that figurative series with color. But because I have always done landscape painting and even Plein Air landscape painting once the magic of the classes influence passed, I fell back into my old habits of doing landscape imagery. Yet the desire to return and expand the exploration of the figure remained with me. Now the last week's busyness forced me to do what I always wanted to do all along. Now I am making expressions with the figure.

This one is of my son now.

Painting 20/40 of 40 Consecutive Day Painting a Day Challenge - Young Actor for Spanky

Young Actor for Spanky
6" x 7.25 "
Watercolor on Paper
$75

I actually am having a relaxing time with this painting. After hosting my son's High School Graduation Party this weekend, I am enjoying working from one of my son's younger days photos.

This weekend marks a MAJOR milestone in my life - my youngest son's graduation from highschool, probably up there with my wedding day and the birth fo my first child or the death of my father. Many of you may not be aware that I had homeschool our four children. Raising and teaching these children was an act of love and my major creative enterprise for over 28 years. I had some of my greatest joys and most wounding experiences in this role as mother and teacher. The goal of teaching was to put myself out of a job. My other more important goal was for my children to have a sense of calling and service to God and their fellow man. Yet another goal was for them to be both kind and happy in being kind.
I have not succeded in all these goals, yet in some measure there was some sucess for them.
Now my role has changed. I officially have retired as teacher.
This weekend's Graduation Ceremony marked the end of an era and a new beginning.
To many of you I wish to thank you for sharing with me this time.

I am now going to restructure my life, assess my activities and reprioritize my time.
It is an exciting time.
This photo I found while my son and I were preparing a photo display board of my son Caleb's life. I found a few others that I would like to use as source materials for other paintings.


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19/40 Painting of 40 Consecutive Days of a Paintng a Day - Mrs. Mendon

Mrs. Mendon
6" x 7"
Watercolor on Paper
$50

Today was the big Graduation Party for my son, an all day affair.
Yet, I did manage to do this watercolor painting of Mrs. Mendon.
I truly enjoy the expressive line and fluidity of the painted forms.

18/40 of the the 40 Consecutive Painting Day Challenge - Schoetz Park

Schoetz Park
7.75" x 5"
Watercolor on Paper
$50

Slight overcast day at the pond at Schoetz.

Painting 17/40 of 40 Consecutive Painting a Day Challenge - Pear #1

Pear # 1
6" x 6"
Oil on Panel
$65
Pear in light box.

Painting 16/40 of 40 Consecutive Days of Painting a Day - Jeff

Jeff
7 3/4" x 6"
Watercolor on Paper
$50

Neighbor Jeff
works with concrete and is an Upper Michigan native.

15/40 Painting a Day for 40 Consecutive Days - Mr Mendon

Mr. Mendon
10" x 12"
Watercolor and Ink
not for sale

This is my neighbor. He is a remarkable guy, weathered with construction work and many years of raising a family.

I love gray paintings. I like messy lines for drawings of gruff no nonsense workers. This is not a "pretty picture of a pretty face." I like the abstract beauty of the lines and the washes. I feel like I have captured his spirit in the spontaneity of the line.


Now back to my other life that weaves into my art life.
Here we go! The next few days shall be very busy, with traveling to pick up Grandma up north and graduation preparation.

It is just too uncanny. I have a call for arranging an exhibition on the east side in a gallery spot, a journalist, Bonnie North, offered to pose for a moody window portrait, a slew of new listings for the Griffin Gallery website. and a request from a high school friend for a reunion visit all this week. Oh, when it rains it pours. How I wish I could divide myself up and do it all at once. But not possible. It will get done but not this week.
But I will get it done.
Now for tonight, I am going to work with my son on his display poster of "his Life" thus far. It should have been done yesterday, but who is keeping track. :)

Painting 14/40 Consecutive Painting a Day - Nectarine # 1

Nectarine #1
8" x 5 3/4"
Watercolor on Paper
$75

This is a nectarine in my light box with folded cloth.
The nectarine is very sweet so I am glad I am done painting it so now I can eat it.

Enjoy!

2009 Caleb's Graduation Insert

Click on the blurry image below to read the text.

This is one of the inserts created for the invitations.
This one I created with the note for parents. Caleb created some other inserts with other favorite verses for his friends and family.

Painting 13/40 of 40 Consecutive Painting a Day Challenge - Banana # 1

Banana # 1
6 " x 7 3/4"
Watercolor on Paper
$75

This obviously is a banana. I woke very early this morning. I painted a banana placed securing inside a box with a soft cloth. I also cut a hole in the box then shot a spot light into the box unto the banana. I would do a watercolor wash and then let it dry while I went around the house cleaning up from yesterday's block party. Then when the wash was dry I would lay in a another color and let it dry while I went back to putting my house back together.

I was pleased with the banana, especially the part that connects to the stalk. The entire banana is quite nice. As I am planning on doing people and didn't have any in my pocket at the time, I thought the folds in the fabric would be good practice at forming shapes as well.

Doing the fabric is quite a puzzle. Most problematic is not mixing up the folds. I want to do more folds.

If you would like to purchase the banana let me know.

Today I will be creating a poster for my son's Graduation next Saturday.

Painting 12/40 of 40 Consecutive Painting a Day Challenge - Katie

Katie
5 3/4" x 8"
watercolor on paper with ink
$50

Today, I co-hosted a block party with my neighbor Ryan. It was quite a day with all the preparation. Nevertheless I as everybody was chatting I brought out my watercolors and ink.
Then I painted a young girl named Katie at the party.
I want to continue to do a few more watercolor portrait paintings, then I want to do an oil painting of a person, with the color, tone and light in the previous "My Bedroom" painting.

This week is going to be a challenge on several fronts. I am preparing for my son's graduation from high school party next Saturday:making food, ordering the tents, setting up chairs and tables and creating a poster of his last 18 years from old photos. Plus gallery work and meetings in addition to MY Painting a Day Challenge of 40 consecutive days of painting must be done.

I am interested in painting more people, If you would like to volunteer, just let me know.

Painting 11/40 of the 40 Consecutive Painting a Day Challenge - Fence Post

Fence Post
6 1/4" x 7 1/4"
Oil on panel
$75

View during sunrise near Mineral Point, Wisconsin

There is nothing I like better than the smell of the earth and the sounds of birds and the rustle of the wind in the early morning.
I can touch the earth as it is, unpackaged.

Cynics in Art

I am deleting the Cynics discussion from this blog, Art Thoughts with Judith Reidy, and moving it to the FAST discussion board where the question originated.
Excuse me for the inconvenient post.

Thanks,

J