Challenge Complete - Here's the 30/30 Collage for January, 2016

January, 2016 - Collage of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

I am ecstatic to have completed my sixth (6th) "30 Paintings in 30 Days" challenge time and am happy to report two of these paintings have sold to good homes.  In the past challenges, I always worked "small" - usually 4" x 6" up to 12" x 12" but this challenge was comprised of larger canvases that were in need of a makeover.  The series was called "Reflections" and were all done on canvases/panels that had previous paintings of mine on them (some done from the late 1980's!!)

Part of my own personal challenge was creating something that corresponded with the title from the original painting.  This wasn't always easy, I assure you!  But at the end of the day, I was happy with the new work and didn't regret letting go of the old paintings one single bit.

The next step will be finishing these paintings so I can begin the marketing process.  I didn't focus on sales this time - mainly because there simply wasn't time.  Painting larger also means painting longer, and this challenge had me putting in some long studio hours. 

I'm excited to take these new works and upload them to my website in addition to marketing them to my group of designers and consultants.  Many of them will also hit an on-line shop or two, and a couple of them will remain in my personal collection until I'm ready to let them go.

Thank you again for following along - there were a lot of things going on during this challenge, but I managed to finish and for that, I'm proud of my accomplishment.  I'm also thrilled to report I wasn't alone this time - we managed to get a group of 15+ artists from the Sacramento area involved in the challenge, which means one heck of a lot of new art was made in our Capital city this month!

The next challenge begins in September, 2016 - I can't wait to do it all over again!

Day 30 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "Oceans Between Us"

"Oceans Between Us" - 30" x 24" acrylic on 1.5" canvas

I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to post this last painting!!  This was a redo of a piece that almost went into my current show that is currently up at FE Gallery.  It didn't make the cut because I wasn't able to get it done in time.

Besides the time factor, I just didn't like the layout and decided to gesso over 95% of the painting instead.  I pulled out my acrylic pens and sketched in some flowers with my left hand, then made an abstract "cityscape" portraying the ocean in between two places.

I was on the fence about posting this one because I didn't feel it was complete enough, but after I penciled in the words "Oceans Between Us" I felt it was finished. 

This 30/30 challenge was indeed a game changer for me in many ways.  For starters, 85% of the paintings are 20" x 16" or larger (biggest is 48" x 36").  Then there was the part about trying to match the old name to the new painting (these were all "do-over" pieces) - not an easy thing to do!  And of course, there was the pneumonia that decided to set into my body 10+ days ago. 

I'm going to celebrate with a Grande Chai Latte from Starbucks then will decide how to best market these for sale.  The finish work is going to take several days, but overall I'm happy with most of the new art.  A couple will get redone again but overall I think I've created a cohesive series, and I can't wait to publish some of the new paintings on my website.

Thanks for following along and for all your wonderful comments - the next 30 Paintings in 30 Days challenge is in September and I am already excited about doing it again!!

Day 29 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "Dream"

"Dream" - 48" x 36" acrylic on 1.5" canvas

The largest canvas that I've redone to date - here's "Dream" - 4' x 3' and layer upon layer of color and finished with metallic gold raindrops/fairy dust/use your imagination :-)  The gold dots are shown at the top but are interspersed throughout the painting with random patterns.

Only one more painting to finish and it's already about 75% completed.  Can't wait to post it and be able to say I finished my sixth (6th!) 30 Paintings in 30 Days!!

Day 28 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "Did You Realize?"

"Did You Realize?" - 48" x 24" acrylic on 1.5" canvas

Someone told me today my art looked like "New Age" art.  She said it was ethereal and peaceful, and looked like a dream.

I'll take that!  There's also something very fulfilling about sticking my little paws in the paint when I'm almost finished and letting my fingers dance over the canvas.....

I'm almost caught up (just two more to go and I've completed my sixth 30/30 challenge!) and am already salivating at my next project - four 36" x 36" canvases along with four 36" x 18" canvases for a show I'm doing at ArtHouse Gallery in Sacramento this coming June.  I'm excited about this show because I'm doing it with my talented artist friend Michelle Andres, and I'm writing poetry/haiku for the show too!!  Somehow I'm going to be incorporating the poetry/words into the paintings - not quite sure how that's happening but I'll figure it out.

Until then, I need to concentrate on finishing two more paintings; completing each and every one of them (signing; finishing the sides; wiring; adding them to my inventory list; photographing; and varnishing).  The finish work can sometimes take as long as making the painting itself!  It's the least sexy part of an artist's job, in my opinion......but a necessary one.

Day 27 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "Zoom"

"Zoom" - 40" x 30" acrylic on 1.5" canvas

Still playing catchup for this challenge - here's Day 27's offering....only 3 more to go!  This pneumonia is kind of kicking my butt.  I feel better; go out for a couple of hours; then spend 8 hours paying the price with dizziness; hacking; and general feeling like pooh. 

Seems like with all this "free time" on my hands I should be able to just knock out a few more paintings, right?  But the reality is when I go to paint my head starts to throb and I get queasy or dizzy then have to lay down again.  I'm committed to finishing the 30/30 though - even if the next 3 are small pieces I have to do while laying down.  We'll see how it goes - stay tuned!

Day 26 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "Splash"

"Splash" - 40" x 30" acrylic on 1.5" canvas

"Splash" is a multi-colored cityscape with numerous layers of color in the sky and water portion.  As usual, the photo doesn't do it justice!

Day 25 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "Love Notes"

"Love Notes" - Mixed media on 24" x 18" canvas

Gosh, I've fallen behind on this challenge and am finally getting a chance to start painting again.  Having pneumonia has really put a damper on my well being!  Besides being super dizzy and having a head that feels like a foreign object, I haven't been able to stop coughing and my energy level has been at the sub-zero stage.

Woke up this morning feeling much better though and am going to catch up and finish the challenge.  Here's my first "catch-up" piece - "Love Notes."  There's some metallic gold highlights that are glazed over parts of the notes and collage piece.  Enjoy!

Day 24 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "Bay Breeze"

"Bay Breeze" - 36" x 24" acrylic on 1.5" canvas

This piece reminds me of the windy day on the beach in the Spring - flower petals dancing in the air with a gentle sea mist floating over the sand.  I enjoyed working with the pastel colors on this painting and making the various squiggles as I painted over the layers. 

Day 23 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "Time to Grow"

"Time to Grow" - 24" x 36" acrylic on 1.5" canvas

I've been fighting a respiratory infection this past week that has unfortunately turned into a case of pneumonia, so painting for the remainder of this challenge will be happening as the meds continue to work their magic and in between bouts of coughing and dizziness. 

I really liked the painting that was painted over for "Time to Grow" - and I almost set the original aside to keep intact.  However, an inner voice guided me forward with the knowledge of what I was doing was indeed growth as a person and an artist. 

The original was rather dark and very personal - it was one from my dress and cups stages.  This new painting covered all that darkness, and at the end I decided to collage one of my canvas house pieces over a particularly personal area.  I just noticed it now appears as though it is "housing a secret" which indeed it is. 

Isn't it amazing at what appears when we let our psyche's through and hand them the control of the brush? 

Day 22 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "Sweet Surrender"

"Sweet Surrender" - 24" x 24" acrylic on 1.5" canvas

More soft and subtle colors in this abstract painting - covering up a mid-range palette with lots of marks.   With the exception of a couple of paintings thus far, I can safely say I'm loving this new style that has been emerging from this challenge.  

Day 20 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days challenge - "El Pueblo"

"El Pueblo" - 24" x 18" acrylic on 1.5" canvas

I love the way this piece turned out....the colors are very subtle Southwest colors (hence the moniker "El Pueblo") and there's an inkling of a homestead/house in the upper right corner.  I didn't want to commit to a decipherable form so left it very abstract, then added some metallic gold for good measure.  And because for some reason I can't seem to get enough of the shimmer right now, I threw in some powdered silver gouache to make it really glow!  The gray areas are really the silver spots, but when I tried to get the photo, the glare was blinding.

One of the biggest problems I'm having with this challenge is with the old names of the pieces.  Because these are all "do-overs," most of the canvases were already named.  So trying to make a new piece work with the name sometimes doesn't work - like at all.

The old painting for this canvas was called "Decisions" and was a geometric work with numbers and letters sprayed on (yes, I went through that phase....).  However, when I was painting this piece, the name "El Pueblo" came to me and my rule is once a name comes to me, I know it's time to stop painting. 

I don't want to white out or gesso over the previous name, so will somehow blend the names (ie Decisions - El Pueblo).  Maybe it will attract a buyer who can't decide which house to buy?  Or someone inthe  real estate industry?  I'd be happy if it just attracted a buyer, period!!

Only 10 more days to go - and today I pulled some large canvases out of the shed in my backyard.  Watch out, folks - things are going to get freaky now :-)

Day 19 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "City Dreams"

"City Dreams" - 20" x 16" acrylic on 1.5" canvas

This painting was done entirely with a palette knife, something I haven't done in years.  I like the texture and blended colors you can get with acrylics and a palette knife, and may try to do a similar style piece or two before the challenge is over. 

Another cityscape using complementary colors - again a very limited palette.  I wanted to do something that looked Mid-Century, but didn't want to do turquoise with orange, so I opted for a creamy soft Light Ultramarine Blue by Golden instead.  The building shapes look contemporary to me though - and that worked for me.  I had to really hold myself back from trying to add more colors or change the "sky" - and I'm glad I did now.  I like the end result and would have lost it entirely had I gone rogue with my earlier desires!

I'm behind again in finishing the paintings (ie signing; wiring; varnishing; finishing the sides), and need to get a jump on that this week.  I know - in my spare time :-)  But seriously - I need to get those paintings finished so I can show them to another art consultant and her client.  Nothing like a little pressure to get this artist busy!

Day 16 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "Sky Watch"

"Sky Watch" - 24" x 24" acrylic on 1.5" canvas

Here's something different - bright, bold and tons of texture.  I wanted to paint something that reminded me of David Bowie and these colors and geometric shapes screamed "80's" to me. 

I was a huge Bowie fan  back in the day and was so bummed to hear of his passing this week.  Another rock and roll legend has joined some pretty talented superstars who went before him.....just think of the music they're playing now.

Day 13 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "Lies We Tell Our Self"

"Lies We Tell Our Self" - 24" x 24" acrylic on 1.5" canvas

The original painting underneath this one was a big house from my House series of paintings, and was called "House of Lies."  It was a bit on the dark side and I never showed it to anyone or put it on-line. 

So when I decided to add this painting to my "do-over" pile of canvases, I debated whether to paint out the words and leave the house; or paint over the house and leave the words.  Underneath the two figures is the word "why?"  I intentionally left it partially visible to add more interest and give the painting a mysterious feel.

While painting the various layers over the house and rest of the painting, I somehow developed the black figure on the left side of the painting.  After looking at the piece for a long while, I decided to put the white shadow figure in, and it felt as though the black figure was telling something to the white one. 

Hence the title "Lies We Tell Our Self."  I don't think it's nearly as dark of a piece as it was before (dark as in ominous; foreboding; depressing) and I believe the figures add a spiritual, more personal feel to the piece.

Day 10 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "Imagine the Possibilities"

"Imagine the Possibilities" - 20" x 16" on 1.5" canvas - mixed media

Wow - it's hard to believe we are 1/3 of the way through this challenge already.  It hasn't been as easy as I hoped it would be but it's infinitely more rewarding than I had expected.  I'm having a blast painting over old pieces and seeing what comes next, and I'm enjoying the process.

I knew working larger again would take more time but what I hadn't factored into the time crunch was the final finishing of the paintings.  I don't know about you, but I'm a procrastinator.  I love to do the paintings and can usually get them photographed and named - for me that's the best part of the process.  

But afterwards, the paintings sit in a "finished but not really ready to sell" state.  I let them stack up and just wait until a show comes along or someone wants to buy something.  Then I go into a panic mode because I need to install the hanging wire; finish painting the sides if they weren't already completed; sign the piece in the front and the back; and complete the piece with 2 coats of UV protective varnish (satin is my favorite finish).  For me, this set of chores is the least sexy part of painting and I dread doing it for some unknown reason.

Well - yesterday one of the art consultants I work with called to see if I had any new work she could look at for a client who needed something now.  I told her to come by this morning and I'd show her what I had.  Then last night one of my friends said she wanted to buy one of the paintings from the challenge and asked if she could stop by this afternoon to pay me for it.  And of course I said yes - but I was in a state of panic thinking about how I was going to get all of these pieces sale-ready before my meeting.  Yikes!

So I was up very late last night and got up early this morning to finish off 10 canvases.  I had an assembly line set up in my kitchen and dining room, and was freaking out thinking the varnish wouldn't be completely dry before the consultant arrived.  Thankfully it was and she loved the new pieces - now I'm keeping my fingers crossed her new client loves them too. 

What a way to learn an important lesson though - you can be sure that from now on, I'll be more diligent about completely finishing a painting before jumping into another one.  If I'm pegging myself as a professional artist, then obviously I need to act like one - and having a nice inventory of ready-to-sell work is preferable to having a studio of half-finished works.  After all - what would have happened if another consultant or designer had needed something in a hurry and I wasn't prepared? 

"Precious Moments" - SOLD

And later this afternoon I said good-bye to Day 8's offering called "Precious Moments" - which happens to be one of the highest rated paintings on my Instagram account to date and a personal favorite.  Suffice it to say, today was a very good day for this artist :-)

Once again this project is challenging me in more ways that I expected, and I would like to think that each and every challenge makes me a better artist.  So now I know I need to treat each painting like a commodity, ready to sell at a moment's notice.  Lesson learned - bigtime!

Day 9 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "Day's End"

"Day's End" - 36" x 24" acrylic on 1.5" canvas

"Day's End" is another mysterious-looking painting from the "Reflections" series that I'm doing for the 30 Paintings in 30 Days challenge.  The wispy white lines you see at the upper left corner are dotted in silver for a luminescent veil that covers several areas on the canvas.  Of course you can't see all those silvery lines because of my sucky photographic skills (or shall I just say non-existent photographic skills??!!).

But I'm happy with the way this piece turned out.  It's mostly neutral grays, celadon, black and white with some light pthalo-blue and red oxide washes to add some interest.  Some of the original painting still remains - the striped running down the right side and the white dots above - I didn't want them to go away but the rest of the old painting is history!

Day 8 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "Precious Moments"

"Precious Moments" - 16" x 20" x 1.5" - mixed media on canvas

I generally sign my work in the front and the back of a painting when it's completed, and one of the challenges with painting over old canvases happens when there's a title already on the back of the piece.  I've been trying to create pieces that go with the previous titles and so far I think it's worked.  But I thought the new painting was a bit dark for the "Precious Moments" moniker. 

So I grabbed some Golden's Iridescent Gold (Fine) and painted the textured leaves and a few accent areas.  The result is quite beautiful, if I do say so myself.  It's really hard to capture the glistening leaves without distorting the rest of the painting, but I assure you they do shimmer brightly.  I had always shied away from using metallic paints, thinking they were more of a novelty item.  But with this challenge and all of the redo's, I think I'm beginning to change my mind!

Day 5 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "Wherever the Wind Takes Me"

"Wherever the Wind Takes Me" - 7" x 5" acrylic & graphite on MDF panel

Many folks do not understand abstract art and think it's just the result of some crazy artist gone wild with some brushes and paint.  And some artists may very well work like that, but I find the abstract genre to be like an intricate puzzle, waiting to be solved. 

This challenge, I'm working on doing more abstracts and am painting over/reworking old paintings.  It's been ages since I've painted abstracts and I've really missed the "problem-solving" that needs to happen in order to make a successful work.

For example: I have to pay attention to shapes; colors; form and line in addition to keeping a balanced ratio of lights to darks; warm colors to cools; brights to neutrals and more.  And let's not forget composition!  Some pieces are easy to figure out while others are like those 5,000 piece jigsaw puzzles that take FOREVER to finish.   

I got a head start on this challenge by prepping 15 canvases before it started.  Right now I'm working on seven pieces but they aren't coming together quite like I'm wanting them to.  Analyzing each piece takes a long time, and I'm getting a bit stressed thinking I won't get all 30 paintings done by the end of January. 

Failure is not my strong point, so I do plan on finishing the challenge and completing 30 new abstract paintings.  Will they all be successful pieces?  Undoubtedly no.  I'm striving for 80% though and we'll see if I can finish this challenge with a passing grade.