Land Slide - Day 17 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Land Slide" - 24" x 18" acrylic on paper - $295 includes free shipping

Inner Growth - Day 16 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Inner Growth" - 24" x 18" acrylic on paper - $295 includes free shipping

Face of the Storm - Day 12 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Face of the Storm" - 24" x 18" acrylic on paper - $295 includes free shipping

For full disclosure's sake, I'm painting these as fast as I possibly can so I don't get behind on the challenge.  For example, today is actually Sunday, January 8th and I'm 4 days ahead with this little number being painting #12.

The first two times I took the challenge (this is my seventh or eighth time doing the 30/30 challenge) I tried to do a painting every single day.  And. I. Failed.

Life got in the way and I got behind and I felt like a big loser for even trying.  Then I realized this is NOT a Daily Painting challenge - it's a THIRTY paintings IN THIRTY DAYS challenge!  So basically I'm creating 30 paintings in 30 or fewer days.....and it's NOT CHEATING!!

Whew - I needed to get that off my chest - sort of like confession.  Good for the Soul - and a burden off my Catholic school girl mind :-)

And another reason for sharing this?  The name "Face of the Storm" is because we're in the middle of a horrific storm here in Sunny Sacramento, California - and winds are intense along with the rain.  So far no flooding near me, but a few areas are experiencing some.

So when this post actually posts, it may be sunny again.  But for right now at this very moment, I'm staring the nasty storm in the face, and it looks like the painting above.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

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 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 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 21 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge - "Inner Peace"

"Inner Peace" - 24" x 30" acrylic on 1.5" canvas

This painting gave me everything BUT inner peace while painting it....in fact it was painted over and over and over again before I finally said "enough."

The original piece had a ton of texture - molding paste; fiber paste; gel sand; gel medium.....and at one point I became so frustrated I actually grabbed some more molding paste and started texturing over the texture!!

No matter what I did (graphite lines; ink drips; bold cruciform composition) I couldn't seem to create a focal point of interest.  And then it hit me.....I didn't NEED a focal point!  The texture WAS the focal point and the soft, blended colors that danced over the surface were the perfect background.  I added gold metallic highlights and that sealed the deal.

I know the photo sucks and you can't really see the shimmer but you can see the subtle colors that  float on the surface.  The finished piece has so much depth it is actually quite beautiful.  This one might just stay in my personal favorite stack!

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

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.....

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. 

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.