The River, She Rises - Day 22 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"The River, She Rises" - 18" x 24" acrylic on paper - $295 includes free shipping

As you know I'm trying to keep ahead on my paintings for this challenge, and I'm writing this particular post on the evening of January 18th.  Living in California gives us enviable weather compared to many other parts of the nation, so I feel like a big whiner whenever I talk about our storms or heat or drought.  But tonight in Sacramento we're having a hellacious storm with high winds and heavy rains that are downing trees and fences in my neighborhood, and our Sacramento and American Rivers are swelling to capacity.  It's nerve wracking and I'm trying to keep busy so I don't go into panic mode.

This painting was done several days ago and is called "The River, She Rises" - very appropriate for the current storm.  Also I love the clouds and colors in this piece - I didn't intend on making it into a landscape but here it is in all its glory :-)  Here's hoping tomorrow brings less turbulence and fluffy clouds with a hint of sunshine.  But for now, I'm going to grab a glass of Merlot; light my candles and hunker down with my dog as we wait out this storm.

The Final Waves - Day 30 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"The Final Wave" - 5" x 7" acrylic on paper in 11" x 14" mat - $65

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

Early Morn - Day 26 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Early Morn" - 5" x 7" acrylic on paper in 11" x 14" mat - $65

Pulsing Waves - Day 24 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

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

Windswept Waves - Day 23 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

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

Tides at Bay - Day 22 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Tides at Bay" - 4.75" x 4.75" acrylic on paper in 10" x 8" mat - $55

The countdown begins.....only 8 more days of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days challenge and I'm more than ready for it to end!!  I absolutely love being part of the challenge (it's my 6th 30-day challenge) but September has a lot of things going on for me so right now I'm feeling a tad bit overwhelmed.  Hence the countdown.....

Sea of Dreams - Day 20 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Sea of Dreams" - 6" x 6" acrylic on paper in 14" x 11" mat - $65

Night Sea - III - Day 18 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Night Sea - III" - 6" x 6" acrylic on paper in 14" x 11" mat - $65

And here's what the "Night Sea" triptych looks like side by side!

 

 

Night Sea - II - Day 17 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Night Sea - II" - 6" x 6" acrylic on paper in 14" x 11" mat - $65

Day 16 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - Night Sea-1 - Triptych

"Night Sea-1" - 6" x 6" acrylic on paper in 14" x 11" mat - $65

Here's the first of three new paintings called "Night Sea" - dark, ominous waves glowing in the night. 

Rising Waves - Day 15 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Rising Waves" - 6" x 6" acrylic on paper in 14" x 11" mat - $65

The Perfect Storm - Day 14 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"The Perfect Storm" - 5" x 7" acrylic on paper in 11" x 14" mat - $65

A perfect storm is exactly what we need right now in Northern California.  With the serious drought and fires burning out of control in several areas, we are all praying for a miracle.  Yesterday morning I woke up to dark clouds in the skies and a few obscure raindrops - just enough to make my pollen & ash covered car filthy dirty.  And I heard several claps of thunder overhead last night around 7:30 - I'm not giving up hope yet. 

Off to Sea - Day 13 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Off to Sea" - 6" x 6" acrylic on paper in 14" x 11" mat - $65

Peace to Shore - Day 12 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Peace to Shore" - 6" x 6" acrylic on paper in 14" x 11" mat - $65

Why is it the simplest paintings are sometimes the hardest ones to complete?  Is it because I don't know when to say "stop?" Or is it just difficult to walk away from something so calming when the emotions I experienced while painting this piece were just the opposite? 

It took a great deal of restraint to walk away from the easel without picking up my black ink or beloved jar of sludge gesso to add some shadows/rocks to this painting.  But I held myself back and I am glad I did. 

Painted on 9/11 - a very memorable day, here's "Peace to Shore" - in honor of all of those precious beings who perished in the 911 attack and their families.  I don't know if it will happen in my lifetime, but I hope and pray this world will experience a time of peace from shore to shore. 

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

Passionate Waters - Day 10 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Passionate Waters" - 5" x 7" acrylic on paper in 11" x 14" mat - $65

Wild Waves - Day 9 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Wild Waves" - 6" x 6" acrylic on paper in 14" x 11" mat - $65

Bewildered Sea - Day 8 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge"

"Bewildered Sea" - 6" x 6" acrylic on paper in 14" x 11" mat - $65

The unpredictability of the sea is one of the things that draws me to its shores.  Some days the deep blue waves are pounding the beach, leaving streaks of creamy white foam in the sand; then an hour later they have relaxed into giant rolling waves of the palest shade of clear blue green, gently lapping at the shore. 

The sea is like a chameleon, bewildered at the environment while rushing to make itself blend in despite the constant changes surrounding it.   

Eye of the Storm - Day 4 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Eye of the Storm" - 6" x 6" acrylic on paper in 14" x 11" white mat - $65

I recently visited Goat Rock Beach in the northwestern part of Sonoma County, California with my artist friend Lynn Hatamiya .  We combed the beach for cool rocks and shells, and painted seascapes while keeping aggressive and hungry seagulls at bay.  The air was warm and misty, and the waves were gently rolling in the sand.  The sun was masked by the mist, which made the waves a soothing shade of pale blue-green as they bounced onto the shore. It was a magical day.