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(photo by jag)

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In the reading pile...
  • The Art of the Book Proposal
    The Art of the Book Proposal
  • Rick Steves' London 2013
    Rick Steves' London 2013
  • Hidden Gardens of Paris: A Guide to the Parks, Squares, and Woodlands of the City of Light
    Hidden Gardens of Paris: A Guide to the Parks, Squares, and Woodlands of the City of Light
  • Top 10 Paris (EYEWITNESS TOP 10 TRAVEL GUIDE)
    Top 10 Paris (EYEWITNESS TOP 10 TRAVEL GUIDE)

Entries in 5-day challenge (16)

Saturday
Jun112011

5-Day Challenge

Resistance has reared its ugly head again which means it's time for another 5-day challenge!

I pledge to go to the table and paint at least once a day for the next five days and I challenge anyone who's willing to accept to do the same.

Whether it's for ten minutes or three hours doesn't matter and neither does the medium. The goal is to simply show up and paint/write/sing... five days in a row.

snippet of today's product of play - a work in progress

This isn't the place for perfection, nor is completion even necessary. It's all about practice and play.

Feel like joining me?

Let me know in the comments if you do! I'd love to see what you're up to.

Saturday
Mar192011

5-Day Challenge: Day 5

I did it! Five days of going to the table and five pieces started!

Yesterday's results were, um, interesting. I ended up painting an abstract cityscape - I think - and it's very green:

cityscape - work in progress, 16x12 on mat board

The jury's still out on this one, but I'm OK with that.

The point of this week's little experiment was not to finish five paintings, but to simply show up at the table and that I did. I even learned some lessons and gleaned insights along the way - fodder for a post to come no doubt.

Thank you for stopping by and for leaving me words of encouragement as I reported on my progress. I had a lot of fun and I intend to do it again.

Maybe next time you'll join me?

Friday
Mar182011

5-Day Painting Challenge: Day 4

Day 4, still painting - and LOVING it!

Yesterday I had about forty-five minutes at the table again before heading out. I tried to continue Frida's face from Day 3 but it just wasn't happening.

So I picked up a piece I started in early February but never finished (also seen here when I blogged about Art-making Mantra #2):

work in progress, 12x12 on cardboard

The piece has been sitting on my studio shelf for five weeks. I liked the movement and lines in it so I kept it out hoping I'd eventually see - perhaps in a sudden flash of inspiration - how I could transform them into something interesting.

A few weeks ago I borrowed a kid's art book from the library called Looking at Pictures. On the very last page I flipped to a photo of Cézanne's Bathers. Bing! My inspiration.

Bathers by Paul Cézanne

Fast-forward to Day 4. After a fruitless try at Frida's facial features with about a half hour left I finally pulled out my library book with Cézanne's picture, my pastels (water-soluble) and a photo of another painting, by Degas this time for good measure, called The Tub. And I played.

No perfection necessary, just fluid lines loosely transformed into a woman's shape:

still a work in progress - now inspired by Cézanne, 12x12 on cardboard

Lesson learned: Even a small half hour can make a big difference.

 

Thursday
Mar172011

5-Day Painting Challenge: Day 3

I had less than an hour to play yesterday, so I shooed poor bro-in-law from my studio after work (sorry N.!) and got to it before leaving for the evening. Luckily I prepped two extra surfaces the night before so I could get started right away.

(Mental note: Prepping surfaces ahead of time makes it much easier to go to the table. It's one less obstacle between me and the paint.)

I spotted this magnet on my whiteboard in the morning and figured it was time to try my hand at a Frida Kahlo piece. I had a perfect piece of cardboard with a black background ready to go.

Frida magnet, 1x1

Here's where I got:

Frida, 7 1/2 x ~9 1/2 on cardboard

You can see ripples where I used a lot of water on my brush. Next time I use cardboard I may try sealing it with a layer of matte gel medium before painting to see if it makes a difference. But I don't mind the dappled look.

It's obviously not finished, but I like where it's going. Of course the face is the toughest part, but I'm determined to get 'er done. Maybe today's session - or not.

Up next, Day 4.

Wednesday
Mar162011

5-Day Painting Challenge: Day 2

"Don't worry about your skills or techniques or how much you know about art - just get into making something."

~ Dean Nimmer, Art From Intuition

Following through with my promise of public accountability, here are my results from Day 2:

orange splash - work in progress (but almost done!), 8x8 on wood panel

I started with a black background and played with reds, magentas and a bright Cadmium Orange. You can't see it much on the picture, but I love how the grain of the wood shows through. And wood is so much fun to scratch up! I foresee maybe one more orange scribble to finish it off.

Next up, Day 3...