The Wisdom of Winter - First Painting of the Year

Happy New Year, everyone!  I'm beyond excited to get this year started and was off to Mishka's Cafe in Davis, CA at 7:00 a.m. this morning to hang a new show.  The show is called "Table Talk" and features thirteen of my recent paintings from the "Table Talk" series, which is a tribute to our Farm to Fork movement and my grandparents who were farmers in Chico, CA.  Simple living; good home grown food and family is what counted the most to my grandparents, and I strive to carry this tradition forward in my own life.

I decided to participate in another 30 Paintings in 30 Days challenge, and here is my first offering from my "The Wisdom of Winter" series.  All will be abstract expressions in acrylic on 24" x 18" paper, and each will be priced at $295 which includes free shipping in the US.

Here's "The Drifting Fall" - the first of 30 new paintings for 2017!

"The Drifting Fall" - 24" x 18" acrylic on paper - $295 includes free shipping

Zenscape 15

"Zenscape 15" - 4" x 4" oil painting on unstretched canvas - $44 plus shipping

End Game and Take Aways

Here's a collage of all the paintings completed during the past 30 days for Leslie Saeta's "30 Paintings in 30 Days" challenge.  This is my sixth challenge and the feeling of accomplishment is huge this time! 

September is a very busy month for me with Open Studio Tours; planning for classes; taking on a new consulting client; working on getting a new on-line account going and getting ready for another show coming up in December.  Many times I asked my Self "am I crazy" for doing this again?  And several times I nearly quit but after seeing the finished product, I'm so glad I didn't.

I enjoy doing these challenges for a myriad of reasons, including:

• Challenging myself to a different topic/technique/medium
• Networking with other participating artists from all over the world
• Building my own following on social media and expanding my web presence
• Further establishing my discipline of being a nearly full-time artist
• Stretching my artistic and marketing abilities to new levels
• Building a new body of work that is able to be sold and licensed

Now that the challenge is over, I am heading right into another journey of teaching two classes on "Fusing Glass Holiday Ornaments" this weekend out of my studio (I haven't taught fused glass in ages!) and yesterday, setting up an artist's presence in a new local nursery/shop with my paintings and glass.  It's been a crazy week for this busy artist!! 

Thanks to everyone who commented on my paintings and for those of you who contacted me about purchasing originals and larger works.  I will be selling prints of these paintings in my Fine Art America Shop - will be uploading photos later this weekend and early next week.  And once this is done, this girl is headed to the beach for some R&R - I'm one happy but exhausted artist!

Foamy Waves - Day 29 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Foamy Waves" - 5" x 7" acrylic on paper in 11" x 14" mat - $65

Silver Mist - Day 11 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Silver Mist" - 6" x 6" acrylic on paper in 14" x 11" mat - $65

Evening Tides - Day 7 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Evening Tides" - 6" x 6" acrylic on paper in 14" x 11" mat - $65

Another ocean painting based on memories of last year's vacation at Stinson Beach.....these colorful waves are calling my name.  Time for another trip!

Paintings 18 - 23 of the 100 Paintings Challenge

I thought I was starting to get the hang of the painting and posting and but apparently not.....here is a collage of the latest six offerings of the 100 Paintings challenge.  I'm happy to report this series seems to be a hit with my collectors and have sold 6 of the 23 paintings already.  I also created a small book on Shutterfly titled "Simple Balance" utilizing all of the paintings made through today.  I've been wanting to put another compilation of paintings into a book and was thrilled when Shutterfly sent me a coupon for a free 8" x 8" hardcover book!! 

I am starting to get a little bored with the vessel series but have several more in the works so may be shifting subject matter.  I'm not sure -- I accepted the challenge with the idea of doing neutral colors only but became enthralled with the vases/vessels and endless compositions available, so I'm not sure.  I have a big show coming up at the end of April so need to get busy with making some new art for that event in addition to finishing 3 commissions I've been avoiding. 

Procrastination is often my friend, so I'll probably be posting a few more group photo in the days to come.  Only 77 more paintings to go - wish me luck!!!

Five More Vessel Paintings for 100 Painting Challenge

"At Peace" - 13/100 - 6" x 6" mixed media on paper - $75 includes mat & shipping in US

"Delightful" - 14/100 - SOLD

"Spring Ahead" - 15/100 6x6 mixed media on paper - $75 inc. shipping & mat in US

"In Repose-1" 6x6 mixed media on paper - 16/100 - $75 inc. mat & shipping in US

"In Repose-2" 6x6 mixed media on paper - 17/100 - $75 inc. mat & shipping in US

A Dozen Down - Only Eighty-Eight More to Go!

11/100 - "Floral Delight" - 6" x 6" mixed media on paper - $75 includes mat & shipping to US

12/100 - "3 Vases" - 6" x 6" mixed media on paper - SOLD

2 More Studies for 100 Paintings Challenge

Finished two more studies this morning for the 100 Paintings Art Challenge.  The top painting is 5/100 and is called "3 Painting Jars" and the bottom one is "Morning Light, 6/100.  Both paintings are 6" x 6" mixed media on paper, and are for sale in my ETSY shop - $75 each and price includes free shipping to continental US and 14" x 11" mat.

I'm loving this challenge so far, and am enjoying the jars/vessels/vases theme.  We'll see how long I can do this theme for.....I'm dying to do some plain non-objective abstracts in neutral colors and some cityscapes/houses. 

4 of 100 Paintings for the 100 Paintings Challenge

"Stand Alone" - 6" x 6" mixed media on paper - $75 includes shipping to continental US

3 of 100 for 100 Painting Challenge - "Pushing Through"

"Pushing Through" - 6" x 6" mixed media on paper - $75 includes mat & shipping in Continental US

So far I'm loving the neutral colors.  The build-up of layers with gesso, graphite, acrylic paints, charcoal, gel mediums and color pencils gives these pieces the illusion of lots of texture, though the texture isn't necessarily raised off the paper.

I just want to clarify this is a 100 Paintings challenge vs. a 100 Paintings in 100 Days - so I may be posting several photos in one day and other days I won't be posting anything.  The goal is to paint a total of 100 paintings, and my personal challenge is going to be the use of neutral colors.  I know it's early on but I am enjoying the challenge more than I thought I would, and love exploring composition and values again.  Let's see if I can say that at the 50/100 mark!!

Day 2 of 100 Paintings Challenge - Three Vessels

"Three Vessels" - 6" x 6" mixed media on paper - SOLD

100 Paintings Challenge Begins Today!

"Five Vessels" - mixed media on paper - $75 includes mat & shipping to continental US

Today is the first day of a 100 Paintings challenge sponsored by Kellee Wynne Studios.  This is going to be my 5th challenge of this sort, and the 1st time doing 100 (the others have been 30 paintings in 30 days).

Each time I accept a challenge I go for something that truly is a challenge for me.  One time it was abstract figures; another time it was works on paper; and in January 2015's 30 Paintings in 30 Days challenge, I decided to try oil paints.

This time it's neutral colors.  Anyone who knows me knows I'm a color freak!!  Always have been and perhaps always will be.  You won't find a piece of beige in my wardrobe - never will.  I'm surrounded by "beige" people in my life and though they're anything but boring, I've always associated it with being "safe" and unwilling to embrace change.

That said, I have always been drawn to neutral paintings.  I can't explain it - I find a peacefulness and respect in how (in my mind) the artist has restrained himself from going wild with color.  For the first two weeks in my Design 101 course in college, we only worked with black and white and learned scale and values.  I hated it and always wanted to throw in an orange or two to make the piece more exciting.  When we finally moved on to the color wheel I was hooked and never looked back.  I wanted my paintings to express joy!  Danger!  Excitement and emotions!!

But what does excite me about this challenge is I'm bound and determined to make my peace with neutral aka boring colors.  What will help (hopefully) me overcome this aversion will be making tons of texture with the paints and other mediums I'm going to be using, including charcoal, gouache, acrylics, dirt, graphite and whatever else I find.  I'm going to make some of my own brushes and mark makers to dip in India ink and smear all over the paper.  Gesso will be by my side during this journey - clear, black and white.  Let's see what happens - and feel free to call me out if things get too bright!

Subject matter is another challenge.....I absolutely love pure abstract expressionism - non-objective.  I'm drawn to those works that have beautiful free-spirited marks with a limited palette.  I want to make a lot of these, but since I'm also taking a ceramics class right now, I decided to go easy on myself and draw some loose vessels for the first painting of the challenge.  Here's "Five Vessels" - 1/100 - 6" x 6" mixed media on paper in an 11" x 14" mat with a 5" x 5" opening.

All works will be for sale, so if you're interested in purchasing this particular piece, please head over to my ETSY shop.  Also feel free to check out my new website - www.judyjacobsart.com - I just finished it (finally!) and look forward to adding a whole page of neutral works soon.