100 Days Re-hash

Is this week 3 of my self imposed exile?  I've lost track.

Way back in the summer of 2009 I embarked on a Painting-a-day-for-100-days project with my friend Mavis.  We agreed to paint a 5x7 painting of whatever was visible from a highway, one every day for 100 days.  Gosh, it sounded like fun.
 

Reading over those posts now, I'm impressed with the seemingly simple lessons that came with what ended up  being an extremely challenging project.
 

I got not only 100 paintings, but some pretty practical experience in, well, click the links and see for yourself.

 

Day 2

 What I lurnd In Skool 2day   Let it go, and put it down. And some other stuff.

 

Day 5

One Month Down   Just a few weeks into this little project and I'm sucking wind.

Something Clicked  Figuring out what works, and what doesn't.

Day 15

My Graduation Speech.  Show up ready to work.  Gosh, I give myself good advice.

Hang in there with me, I'm in the process of figuring out when and how to start back up.  You'll know when I know.

The Value of a Challenge

I'm involved in teaching another pastel class at Lux Center for the Arts this weekend.  My good friend and cohort in art, Mavis Penney, has offered to stand in for me.

“The Value of a Challenge” by Guest Blogger Mavis Penney

There’s a lot to be said for responding to a challenge. A challenge kicks you into high-gear action. It gives you another person’s point of view, and it forces you to be accountable for doing what you say you will do. I’ll bet that you know what it feels like to receive a challenge, and what it feels like to respond to one, too. Patricia Scarborough has dished out quite a few challenges in my direction, and every one of them has repaid me handsomely in value well beyond what I expected.

©2009 Mavis Penney, Muskrat Falls, 5x7 oil

Patricia and I met in a workshop conducted by Alyson Stanfield of ArtBizCoach.com, and we started collaborating on painting projects almost immediately. Our biggest project together was our 2009 “Off the Highway” series, in which we each produced 100 paintings in 100 days, and posted our images with our comments to the project blog. Patricia and I have pushed each other to work through online courses, we have read books together, and we have celebrated each other’s successes. And we have each pulled the other out of those places where the temptation to quit was so strong it was just about swallowing us up.

This past summer, I felt I was losing touch with my watercolor technique and also with the freshness of painting outdoors. I whined about it once too often, and Patricia offered me the challenge of painting 30 watercolors “on my back door-step.” She said I would reap the benefits of closely observing the scenery in a very limited area, and I wouldn’t have to go far from home to do it.

The view from Mavis' back step

I don’t think Patricia intended it to be a-painting-a-day challenge, but when I observed that there were 30 paintings to be done and that there are 30 days in September, I got up a head of steam over completing all 30 paintings by the end of the month. And I pushed myself to make the project a fully plein air experience as well. And I pledged to make myself accountable by posting the 30 paintings to my blog. In other words, I overbuilt the challenge. In fact, I made it so top-heavy that I couldn’t keep up with it. And so, I am writing to report that at the end of 30 days, I have completed 12 paintings. Most of those paintings I did do out of doors, and the rest are either from sketches or photos from my back door-step that I completed indoors. I’m about halfway through this challenge. I haven’t met my expectations. But I haven’t quit. I am still painting, still working with the watercolors and still posting the results to the blog.

 ©2010 Mavis Penney, Fireweed Blossom #10, 11x15" watercolor

From the halfway point, I can tell you that the true value of this challenge is not that I am adding to my skills and also to my inventory of paintings, and it is not that I am sharpening my powers of observation, although all of these things have happened. The true value of accepting this or any challenge is that it opens your mind to possibilities you never thought about. The true value of a challenge is that it provides a jumping-off point for new challenges beyond your wildest expectations. Thanks for reading! I’ll be in touch again soon to let you know about the second half of this challenge.

http://www.mavispenneystudios.com/

http://emotionallyimpelled.blogspot.com/

http://labradorlandscape.wordpress.com/

From Me to You

Goodie! My birthday is coming soon.

In just over three weeks, I'll turn 53 delightful years of age.

It's been a pretty great 53 years, and I'm going to celebrate by sharing with you!

Leave a comment in the next three weeks, and I'll put your name into a drawing for a small painting. How's that for a celebration?!

I'm not exactly certain just exactly which painting I'll be giving away, but after painting 100 in the last few months I imagine I'll be able to find something.

So join me in celebrating, well, me!

Sign in and get something wonderful, from me to you!

Top - Day 81 - Jet Trails 2009

Middle - Day 78 - Off the River 2009

Bottom - Day 80 - Cottonwoods by the Pond 2009

Some Will . . . Some Won't

A fundamental law of thinkers-outside-the-box reared its head in my skull a few weeks ago, and it's been burbling around there ever since. This idea has given me comfort lately, and I'm relieved. It's probably a mantra of every teenaged girl since the beginning of time, but gets silenced as being part of the Cool Kids becomes more important.


It's the SWSWSW principle.


I've been really getting into a groove of painting since Mavis and I have been working on this 100 paintings in 100 days project. Every Monday through Friday we've agreed to produce a 5 x 7 painting and share it with the world. This is different than painting every day. Painting every day is tough enough, but our intention is to actually finish a painting every day of the work week.


For those of you who are mathematically challenged, this means that we'll have 100 completed paintings in 100 days.


It seems to me that if a painter, or sculptor or whomever produced 100 whatevers, a fella would notice a change in styles or subjects or something as the artist/creator tried to find 100 ways of doing what they do. This kind of work is open to experimenting both for fun and to keep from getting bored. It's happening to me, and quite frankly it gave me the shivers at first.


I've been told that I have a distinctive style (which I take as a compliment). My patrons have told me that if they walk into a room full of paintings, they can pick mine out fairly quickly. Here's where the shivers start.


I'm changing.

Day 71 Heavy Weather 2009 5 x 7 pastel

Banner Image Day 72 Goldenrod Morning 2009 5 x 7 pastel

Painting every day has loosened something in my brain. I find that I'm painting more from memory, or from an idea, than I ever have. I'm not so much interested in creating an exact replica of an actual 'thing' as I am trying to share with you a feeling that I had.


And it worried me a bit.


Gosh, what will They think? Will They know it's me? Will They still want to be my friend?


SWSWSW.


In sales and marketing circles, that means: Some Will, Some Won't, So What?


Some will appreciate what I've created. Some won't get it. Really, So What?


Here's So What: I have 30 more paintings to go in this series. I'll paint some zingers, I'll certainly paint a few dogs. I'll learn a heck of alot more taking risks and playing around with ideas than if I play it safe hoping to be part of the Cool Kids. Where did that ever get me?


The pressure is off. I'm doing this for me, you're just invited along for kicks and giggles.


That's What.


Some Will, Some Won't, So What? So What about you?

Big 5-O Winners!

If you've been paying any kind of attention, you know that today, Friday May 8th is Day 50 of my 100-days-of-painting journey. I'm working with Mavis Penney of Labrador, Canada, to paint daily for 100 days (minus weekends, of course). You can follow along to see what we've accomplished Off The Highway.

To celebrate this major milestone, Mavis and I decided to give away our Day 50 paintings. All who left comments, no matter how brief or how clever, had their names put into a hat (or in my case, a lovely Nancy Fairbanks bowl). This morning Mavis and I met via phone line, and with great fanfare and anticipation drew out the winning names.

The winner of my painting, "Ponies in Light", whose name was pulled out of a hat by my cohort Mavis, is blog commenter Cory. Congratulations, and thanks for sharing this journey with us!

I drew Vicki's name, who will soon receive Mavis' lovely 5 x 7 watercolor "Ice Melting at Birch Island". Congrats to you, too!

Gosh, I hope they're as excited as we are!

Which leaves the question...how will we celebrate Day 100?

Cake and ice cream for everyone?

Stay tuned!

Free Art

No I'm not talking about the guy who got in trouble last year and ended up in the penitentiary.

I'm talking about winning a piece of really fine artwork. Here's how, in 4 easy steps:

Number 1. Read all of the instructions. (Yeah, I know. I've watched you put stuff together before.)

Number 2. After you've read all the directions, click on this link - Off The Highway. Remember, read all the directions first.

Number 3. Look around the Off The Highway blog. There's some pretty cool stuff there.

Number 4. Leave a comment. In order to do this, you'll notice that at the bottom of each post there's a comment link. Click on this link and a box will pop up. Here's where you get to say "hello", or "wow, you two artists are really good!" or "I wanna Free Art" or something clever like that.

That's it. Honest.

Here's the deal: Canadian artist Mavis Penney and I have been painting every week day for the last 40 days. We agreed to paint for 100 days, so we're very nearly half-way through. We're learning tons, and having a blast. We've reached our terror barrier and blown right past it. A blog has been created called Off The Highway to chronicle our journey, and we've shared our successes - and not-so-successes with you. We're pretty excited about what's been happening, and are ready to celebrate. Here's where you come in.

Follow the directions above. We'll put the names of everyone who comments from Day 1 to Day 49 into a very stylish hat. On Day 50, May 8th, 2009, our half-way mark, we'll draw 2 names out of the hat. Those two very lucky people will receive one of the Day 50 paintings. How cool - and easy - is that? We'll even pay shipping to mail them out. All the winner has to do is provide a frame and a wall. Then stand back and be happy.

Even if you don't win anything, you'll still get to hang out with the cool kids. Don't worry, we won't swamp you with junk email and stuff. We just want to share in our delight in this project.

So join us, won't you, on our journey to paint 100 paintings in 100 daze, er, days. Come along and see what we see just Off The Highway.