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 Art of Bullying

Okay, so I'm a bully.

I made a nice lady cry recently.

Several weeks ago I had a home-town exhibit at which I shared many of the daily paintings I'd done up to that point. Many were well received, many were, shall we say...tolerated. That's okay, I told myself, be brave. It's to be expected. This exhibit is about starting a conversation, nothing more. I gave myself the usual pep talk. You've probably heard it inside your head, too.

"Be patient. Share your purpose. Explain how/why/when you chose to paint that landscape/blue cow/raccoon skull. Smile sweetly when the viewer interrupts you to tell you about their grandma/great aunt/neighbor who paints on barn boards.... Smiiile"

And then Nice Lady asked about purchasing a small painting from me.

Day 72 - Goldenrod Morning @2009

Quite honestly, I was surprised, and told her so. Of all the pieces in this show, this is not the one I would have expected you to select, I said. (In fact, I very nearly didn't put this piece in the show because I didn't expect anyone but me to love that piece. And I loved that piece.)

Nice Lady smiled sweetly and shared with me her reason for buying this little yellow landscape.

It makes me smile, she said. She shared with me her love for goldenrods, her love and appreciation for the color yellow. Her delight in how it made her feel. Looking at that little piece just made her feel good. Really good. And happy tears welled up in her eyes.

I - or rather my painting - had touched her. Deeply. It was beyond words, this moment when we both loved the possiblities of a certain experience created by color and movement. She had her story, I had mine, and the fact that the stories weren't the same didn't matter. We connected deeply, from our hearts, sharing a language that doesn't exist.

That's why I paint. Not to make nice people cry, but for those moments when the work of my hands touches the heart of another person. That pause in time when there is no need for words, when rhythm and color, texture and hue combine to reach from my heart to yours.

If tears are part of the deal, well, that's just fine with me. I'm tough, I can take it.

How tough are you?

We Reached 100

Whew! It’s complete, done, over. Finis!
Mavis Penney, Canadian painter-coach-mentor-friend and I set out on March 2nd, 2009 to paint one 5 x 7 painting each weekday until we had 100 completed paintings. We’ve been posting them daily since then.

Day 2 - Early March 2009

"By painting each day for 100 days I hope to learn about that which exists off the beaten path, to learn about seeing, to learn about myself."

This is the statement I shared at the beginning of this 100-day challenge.

So that leaves me asking myself that question: What did I learn?

Certainly I learned about mixing colors and making brush strokes and preparing 100 gessoed boards. Loosening brushwork and pushing colors beyond reality was almost necessary after awhile. Painting trees purple or skies yellow was less a risk than an allowing of something that was natural to me. It was nice to have an outlet to allow that expressiveness.

I learned to look for color, beauty and interest where my intellect, and neighbors, said there were none. And most often I found what I was looking for.

Day 6 Raccoon Skull

I learned that sometimes is okay to do something because all the cool kids are doing it. Now that I’m one of the cool kids, I find I don’t need it so much. I am a daily painter for sure. I just don’t see a need to finish a painting every day. I prefer to let things settle a bit, and return later with a fresh eye. Working out a color choice or a composition needs peaceful consideration. It’s hard to do when the clock is ticking.

I learned that doing scary, challenging things can lead to unexpected outcomes. New opportunities have opened themselves to me because of the relationships, energy, and pile of paintings this project has brought about. (Mavis and I are included in a very cool site called Following the Masters, hosted by Michele Burnett. I'm also a new member of the Burkholder Project, due, in part, to the stack of daily paintings I brought in to show Anne Burkholder. )
I learned to know when I'm licked, and by the 74th day I was toast. I learned to allow myself a rest. After all, this was only a painting challenge, not building the Great Wall of China against Mongol invaders.

I learned to take what I do seriously, but not to take myself too seriously.

I learned that setting challenging goals is important for my - or anyone's - personal growth. I believe now that achieving them is maybe not so necessary. The triumph, at least for me, was in the honest attempt. Dealing with inconvenient time frames, the anxiety of starting and finishing constantly, the emotional roller coaster of delight and disaster (sometimes within minutes of each other) and deepening faith in myself despite looming doubt is the true hard work of what Mavis and I chose to do.

Day 100 - Across the Pond 2009

We're done with our 100 paintings in 100 days challenge. As Mavis suggested to me, I'll let out a yelp of triumph and allow myself a dance across the room.

Big Bold Daily Painting Tips

Pssst. Last week for the Big Birthday Give Away! Leave a comment by 10 pm CST, Sunday August 8th. I'm celebrating my birthday by giving gifts! You could be a lucky recipient - butcha gotta leave me just a quick note so I have something to put into a hat.

I'm nearing the end of our Off The Highway project. Remember? Canadian artist, Mavis Penney, and I agreed to paint one painting each weekday for 100 days. It's been challenging, aggravating, exciting, and wonderful. I have huge appreciation for those artists like Carol Marine who paint daily for years.

For those of you who are interested, consider these tips. Read on, they're free.

My Big Bold Shiny List of Daily Painting Tips

1. Get a partner. Being responsible to Mavis to finish a painting every day and send it to her to post was huge. I did not want to disappoint her. Knowing she was waiting for my images before she retired for the night was a great incentive. I suppose it wouldn't even have to be someone doing the same thing, just a warm body supporting you, and poking you with a sharp stick if you lag.

2. Tell someone. Better yet, tell lots of people. Folks love this kind of project. You'll grow your own cheering section. Countless times I'd get asked about my progress. No way was I going to have to say, "Well, gee, I got tired and gave up." Having to admit I couldn't hack it would be like announcing I'm a giant wimp. It'd be like dropping the winning touchdown at the high school Homecoming football game. Nope. Not me.

3. Blog it. Sharing your images helps you take the project seriously. Face it, anybody can finish a painting every day. A few slaps of the brush and 'tada!', you're finished! You and Koko the elephant from the local zoo. Show the world what you're doing and you'll give it that much more. Having said that...

4. Relax. Try something new. This isn't rocket surgery, it's one little painting. Sure, it ends up being a huge pile of paintings after awhile, but why not make it fun?

Day 93 - Tagged 2009

5. Use a theme. Apples of America. Single Shoes from the Streets. Mavis and I decided we would paint anything we might see/find Off The Highway. After a week or two painting landscapes I started to watch the ditches. Then I began to look up, just for fun. A theme helps whittle down what you want to think about, and at the same time opens up new worlds for discovery.

Day 15 Birds Nest on Linen 2009

6. Pick a number. We chose 100. Without a goal of 100 paintings, it would have been easy to pass off the whole thing as a cute idea gone bad. Your number should be achievable, but not so achievable that you don't have to struggle a bit. That's why hot dog eating contests are so much fun. No one wants to watch you eat just one.

Is it weird to have a list of six? Well, perhaps there's something you'd like to add. Anything else?

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

Chasing My Own Light

Jim Brandenburg set a challenge for himself in the mid-nineties: take only one photograph each day for ninety days.
The so what here is that Jim Brandenburg is one of the best photographers in the world. Working for National Geographic, it is not unusual for those who chronicle events visually to take upwards of 1000 rolls of film to produce just twenty or so images for their articles. For Jim to limit himself to one, one photograph each day for 90 days is remarkable, scary, and fairly gutsy. The result of this deeply personal challenge is "Chased by the Light", an exquisite book published by Northword Press in 1998.
I set a challenge for myself in March of 2009 to paint daily for 100 days. Like Brandenburg, I had my reasons. Unlike Brandenburg, I'm still a novice at oil painting and had alot to learn. During a pleasant conversation recently about the process of daily painting, my friend Jack dashed off to retrieve a book he thought I'd enjoy. The book he shared with me is Brandenburg's.

Day 2 Early March 2009

I allowed myself a break recently in my 100 daily paintings due to many committments that were piling up. I could have crammed a painting in each day, but didn't want to reduce the project into an assembly-line slop-and-go sort of thing. I've had a chance see the images that were selected each day of Brandenburg's project, and had the honor of reading his thoughts, his convictions as he trekked the forest of northern Minnesota on his quest.
I know now that I'll see the last 27 days of my goal differently. I look forward to investing myself just a bit more deeply than I had before. I'll honor the act of recording daily, when it had become a bit of a chore before my break.

Day 65 At Last 2009

Thanks to Jack for sharing this beautiful book. Thanks to Jim Brandenburg for sharing his thoughts along with some achingly beautiful images.
I'll be back at my 100's on July 6th. The break has been refreshing, and also helped me realize how much I enjoyed that challenge. Who knows? Maybe 100 won't be enough.

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?

My Graduation Speech

It's the middle of May, so it must be graduation time.

Commencement addresses flowed like the Platte River in spring the past few weekends in my neck of the woods, and probably yours too. Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, Mr. President himself, and even Laura Bush shared pep talks and snippets of wisdom to the new Grown Ups.

Wanna hear mine?

Based on what I've learned the past couple of years being a solo-preneur (that's like being a one- man band for those of you who aren't up on the new lingo), and based on what I've learned in 60 days of daily painting, my graduation address would sound like this:

Show Up.

And after the applause dies down a bit, I'd add: Ready to Work.

Since I've declared my status as a full-time working artist, I've learned that in order to accomplish . . . well . . . anything, a person absolutely must Show Up.

I'm painting 100 5 x 7 paintings in 100 days, as you know. All the fancy-pants ideas and materials and brushes and witty blog posts do not accomplish 100 paintings in 100 days (nor anything else that comes with living on Planet Earth). Showing Up does.

Showing Up puts you in a position to confront life as it is right now. Not as you want it to be, not as your coach told you it would be, and not as your Mom or Dad threatened it would be, but as it is right now. Look closely. Satisfied?

The second part is Ready to Work. Showing Up gets you there in the right place. At this point Showing Up is simply potential, like squatting into the starting blocks of an 800 meter dash. Bending down and shaking out your ankles and calves and getting that mean look on your face is all fine and dandy, and may even impress someone, but are you prepared to blast out of the blocks and run hard for a very long time when the gun goes off? If you haven't done the work you might just dive right onto your nose. Wouldn't that be classy.

Ready to Work means sticking with whatever you're doing until you're satisfied. Ready to Work means willing to look like a dork for awhile until you figure out exactly what you are supposed to accomplish. Ready to Work means searching out answers. Ready to Work means finding mentors and taking advice and putting their offerings into action.

You'll have to put off some of the fun stuff probably, because you'll have committments to those mentors and advisors, and yourself.

But that's cool because it won't be long before Showing Up Ready to Work becomes the fun stuff.

I promise.

So to Brian, and Kayla and Courtney and all you other immensely talented graduates out there, the world is your oyster - if you Show Up Ready to Work.

How will you show up?

Top: Day 45 Concrete River 2009 5 x 7 oil on gessoed board

Middle: Day 57 First Light Heifer 2009 5 x 7 oil on gessoed board

Bottom Day 63 More Peonies 2009 7 x 5 oil on gessoed board

Banner Day 62 Peonies 2009 7 x 5 oil on gessoed board

Show, No Tell

Day 9 Discarded Scissors 5 x 7 oil on gessoed board


I've been hacking away at this blog for an hour trying to be clever and witty and wise.



Hm, does that sound like something from a musical?



Anyway...



Too much gardening and enjoying the balmy weather has left me slightly daft. Rather than torment you with blather, I leave you with a few favorite pieces from my daily painting series, Off The Highway.

Day 54 More Lilacs 7 x 5 oil on gessoed board

Day 37 Cow 5 x 7 il on gessoed board

Day 39 Discarded Teacup 7 x 5 oil on gessoed board

What's got you daffy these days?

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.

The Big 5-0

Yesterday was as perfect a day as one can get on this planet. The sky was achingly blue, the kind of blue that is so pure and rich and complete that it's impossible to describe. The sun was deliciously warm, with barely a breeze to ruffle the new grass.

To celebrate, I wrote a song. It's to the tune of "The Twelve Days of Christmas." I've changed it to "The Twelve Hours of Spring", in honor of those perfect 12 hours of absolutely flawless springtime weather. Sing it with me, won't you? And let's start it at the end. We don't have all day.

In the twelfth hour of springtime my true love gave to me...

hyacinth in bloom

breezes softly wafting

buds peeking meekly

squirrels dancing wildly

trees budding leaflets

cardinals a-calling

clouds white as cotton

Tooooo-lips pure red!

gold finches flitting

neighbor mowing loudly

daffodils a-bloom

(drum roll please)

and a sky that's as blue as can beeeeeeeee!

And if that isn't enough to get you excited about spring, Mavis and I are getting ready to celebrate the Big 5-0.

We're at Day 35 in our quest to discover what's Off The Highway, our 100 paintings in 100 days project. When we reach Day 50, the Big 5-0, on May 8th, 2009, we'll immortalize the occasion by giving away that day's paintings to two lucky people.

Here's how you can get in on the festivities-

Skip on over to Off The Highway, and say hello. That's it. You could expand on that if you'd like, and actually say something else, like, "Wow, your work is fabulous!", or "Sign me up for the Big 5-0!", but a simple "hello" will do. We'll keep track, put the names into a hat and draw out the winners. How cool is that?

Day 35 Wetlands 5 x 7 oil on gessoed board

No, really, how cool is that?

What's Clicking?

Did you hear it?


It happened last week. I had a feeling it would happen, but when it actually occurred, I was stopped in my tracks.


Are you certain you didn't hear it?


It clicked.


Christine Kane writes brilliantly about it in her blog. It's number one on her list, actually.


The top of the list of her "7 Creativity Lessons" starts with the decision to schedule and create a system within which an individual can then create. Of course, she says it way better than I. Go ahead and click on over to read what she has to say. I'll wait.


It seems that alot of folks believe an artist has to be all flighty and emotional and excitable and drama-filled to be truly creative.


Not so.


In fact, it's just the opposite.

This daily painting journey that I've been on with my friend Mavis Penney proves that keeping a schedule, and creating a system is vital to creative work. We've promised each other, and you, that we'll show up every week day for 100 days and show you what we've accomplished each day. There's no room, absolutely no room, for being flighty and for waiting on some gauzy-winged muse to float down out of the ether to tell me what to paint. Whether I'm having a good day or bad, blue sky or rain, in my zone or out in left field, you're there, patiently anticipating that we'll focus our talents and provide you with what we've promised. I have to show up, whether I'm feeling all artsy or not.


And it works. Somehow, knowing I'm in this for 100 days is actually freeing. No longer do I sit and wait for The Muse, who seems to have taken a wrong turn and gotten lost somewhere. No longer do I check email or sort socks, waiting for the Next Great Idea. It's action time, and it's action I've got to take. I actively look for inspiration rather than waiting for The Muse to deliver it all wrapped in shiny paper. I set a timer so I don't watch the clock. I relax, because I know this is what I'm supposed to be doing with my time. It occurs to me that I've been using a system for this blog. I post every Sunday evening. Not Monday morning, and not just when I feel like it. Every Sunday evening whether I'm feeling clever or not. Lucky you.

There are no hard and fast rules about the system one chooses to work with. You've got to figure out what works for you. Systems are not sexy and they're not bright and shiny. They are, however, absolutely essential for growth and accomplishment. And frankly, it takes some time to figure out what works. I'm finding out that being accountable to you is an important part of my system. I found that having a good friend and colleague ( Number 2 on Christine's list ) with whom to share the trip is essential. I discovered that in order to paint one hundred paintings, I've got to put aside my morning newspaper, postpone the LA Times Crossword ( now I'm just bragging ) and stride purposefully upstairs to my easel.
That's what clicked.
What clicks for you?

One Month Down

What a great weekend! I enjoyed instructing a great class of artists on Saturday at the Minden Opera House. Those folks accomplished a great amount of learning in just a few hours, and I admire their willingness to jump right in and get to work. The Opera House is a terrific place for workshops (hint hint) and it appears that people around that part of the state are eager for the opportunity. (More hint hint.)

This Monday, Mavis and I begin our fifth week of daily painting. This idea of finishing a painting every day has been around for about 4 or 5 years. Today there are hundreds of artists taking on the challenge of showing up at their easel every single day and completing a painting or project every...single...day.
(Please note, I asked, begged and pleaded for weekends off. My idea, not Mavis'.)

By Friday, the 20th day of our project, I was sucking wind. Seriously. Who knew? Who knew that those mere 5 x 7 paintings would take so much out of me? If you've been paying attention, you know that the compositions aren't that complicated. The size is not overwhelming. So why am I bent over gasping for breath?
It's because I'm showing up. Every day, rain or shine, busy or not, I'm there. You're waiting to see what I've promised I'll do. I'm thinking, really hard, and I'm learning. And learning, at least for me, is exhausting. I mean, those brain cells are vibrating faster than they have in a long, loooooong time.

So . . . what have I learned since my last post on the subject?

It can be summed up in three words: just for now.

A very smart lady told me this once. Just for awhile, do it. Not for a month or a year or a lifetime, but just for now. Don't paint the 80th or the 90th piece, just paint the one in front of me. I don't have to get all anxious that for the rest of my life I'll be up in my studio, like Rapunzel in her tower, painting all day and missing out on everything fun that's going on. Just for now I will focus on one small canvas-covered board and enjoy the task. When today's piece is done, it's done. This simple thought quiets my mind and allows focus. My heart, all a-quiver with anxiety over the thought of another painting, calms and slows. I'm doing this one painting, now. Not forever. Now.

Once this sunk in I feel stronger and more capable about this project. Last week I was imagining all kinds of excuses, really good excuses, for not being able to keep up with this commitment. You know, the dog ate my canvas, I'm just toooo bizzzzzy, I have to iron handkerchiefs...
Tonight I'm looking forward to starting day 21. Afterall, those handkerchiefs get all wadded up anyway, and we don't have a dog, and that other stuff can wait.

For now.

Whut I lurnd in skool 2day

As I work on these Off The Highway daily paintings, I've been making a list of the specific things I'm learning. Thought you might want in on the process. It might just save you a few steps.

Probably the most important thing I'm learning is to Let It Go.

I'm not talking about personal baggage here (that's a post for another day). I'm talking about the stuff in my non-painting hand. Let It Go. Put It Down. At one point in my painting frenzy my left hand held 4 brushes, a palette knife, a wad of paper towel and a big blue blob of paint which I quickly wiped off on my nose. It's not like I don't have 2 tables, a stool and - egads - an honest to goodness brush holder that swings off my easel to put these things in. I'm not sure if my psyche is hanging on for dear life or what. Lesson: put that stuff down.

Which brings me to the Proper Place. That place is not the clothes dryer (laundry is what I do when I don't know what to do), not the bathroom sink counter (where I got another glass of water to delay making a decision), and certainly not balancing on the edge of my palette where my brushes will certainly land in either a) the wet paint piles on the inside of my palette, or b) the floor, carpeted of course, which I recently uncovered, being quite certain I would never, never drop a paint-loaded brush. Lesson: put brushes, paper towel wads, painting knives and paint blobs in their proper place so you can find them when you need them.

I learned that Nebraska skies are some crazy kind of blue for which I may never have the recipe. Lesson: spend more time in the hammock staring at the sky. Call it "homework".

If it ain't right, it ain't right. I'm on the 10th day of this project and have had to surrender on just one painting. That's pretty good. I tried, honest I tried, but that one little piece had me beat. No amount of fiddling or adding paint was going to fix it. Lesson: know when it isn't working, wipe it off and give it back to the universe.

I've learned I do not like my #6 filbert "Brand$&##@*$Name" synthetic bristle brush. I paid good money for that thing, but it simply does not hold it's shape well and leaves nasty marks in the paint. It's outta here. Lesson: just because a piece of equipment has a fancy name, and even if you paid a good sum for it, if it doesn't do the job, get rid of it.

The last thing I'll share is this: Wearing gloves keeps your hands clean. They do not, however, keep everything else around you clean. Paint comes off your gloves onto your pants, your furniture and your doorways just as easily as it does your hands.

That's a tip I'll share for free.

One hundred days, one hundred paintings.

One Hundred Daze

Minden Opera House, downtown Minden Ne.

Right off the bat, I want to thank those of you who attended the opening reception for my solo exhibit, "Marking Time" at the Minden Opera House. We packed the house and had a great time. I was honored and humbled by your presence.

The gallery entry is to the back of the lobby. A beautful start!

My Monster Fan Club

I hinted at a new project in last week's post. Now that the MOH show is up, I'll give you the skinny on the new deal.

My friend Mavis and I have jumped on the bandwagon, joined the crowd and gotten on board with the "Painting a Day" game. For 100 days, starting March 2nd, we have promised each other - and you - that we will create a 5 x 7 painting every weekday for 100 days. (C'mon, I gotta have weekends off.) Our theme is "Off the Highway". We live in different time zones and use different styles in our artwork, but we' ve got highways, both physical and electronic, that link us to each other.

What's the point? (Besides all the cool kids are doing it?)

For the same reason there is Mount Everest and hot dog eating contests at the county fair.

Just because. Just to see if we can. Just for 100 days. Just 100 little paintings.

It seemed like a good idea at the time?

(Day 4, Winter Sky 5 x 7oil)

Reason 1.It's show up or shut up time. No whiners allowed. Put down the paper, ignore the crossword puzzle and stride purposefully into the studio. Laundry can wait. Trust me on that.

Reason 2. Learn. There's no way I can paint that many pieces and not learn something. I may learn I don't like to paint every day. I may decide I want to paint larger. I just might find I love it...who knows?

3. Make it count. If the goal is to finish the painting in one day, my decisions had better be good. No more diddling around. Mix the paint right the first time. Make the brushstroke say what it must the first time.

4. It's only one hundred days. It's not a lifetime. Granted, one hundred days is longer than some marriages or careers, but it's doable for me.

5. Learn to see. It'll be interesting to see what opens up for us as we find new subject matter for 100 paintings.

Check in on us from time to time. Comments welcome.

One hundred days, one hundred paintings.

Okay Now What?

Jane's Pond 2009, 5x7 oil, Off the Highway Series

I'm posting earlier than usual due to being out of town over the weekend delivering artwork to the Minden Opera House Gallery. For all you burglars out there, my gigantic burly angry husband and his ferocious toothy slobbering angry dog will be staying home. Chewing on glass.

Anyway...

I've been staring at this computer screen for about an hour waiting for something intelligent to zip across my brain. "Yes", you're saying, "we're still waiting..."

Maybe it's the blahs after having packed up all the artwork for the show. It's kind of like the Christmas Morning Gift Extravaganza Hangover. You know the feeling. It's anticipation and excitement and anxiety for weeks and weeks and then ...


It's over. You can actually hear the clock ticking in the next room.
It's "Okay, Now What?" time.

My easel is empty. My palette could use a good cleaning. Pastels are piled rather unceremoniously in their boxes. They could use a good corn meal bath. A couple of rejected paintings are leaning against the wall staring like puppies at the dog pound you finally decided might not be such a great idea after all.

Okay Now What? I've got stacks of 5 x 7 boards all gessoed up and ready to go. One for each day of the week. For weeks. One for each day, actually, for 100 days.

Tune in next week and I'll tell you all about it. Until then, I'm going to sit here and listen to the clock tick...tick...tick...

One Hundred Daze

I'm really excited about a new venture with my Canadian friend, Mavis. We're embarking on a painting adventure that may prove to be pretty exciting. Daily paintings are quite the rage these days. We're jumping on that band wagon, with a bit of a twist. We've agreed to paint 100 paintings in 100 days, starting March 1st.


Our theme is "Off the Road". It's not a requirement, but our paintings will have a common thread, some connection to that part of our world that is just "off the road".


This is a preview of Mavis' beautiful daily drawings . To see more of what she's been up to, find her blog at Emotionally Impelled.




The plan is for us to combine our paintings into a "Best of" exhibit. They'll be available for, you guessed it, $100 each. Look for our 100x100x100's exhibit sometime in July.



In the meantime, stop by Stuhr Museum in Grand Island, Nebraska in February. My pastel painting, "March Migration", was accepted into the prestigious "Wings Over the Platte" exhibit which has been held at the museum for over 20 years.

This exhibit is held in conjunction with the annual sandhill crane migration. Seeing these cranes by the thousands on the wide still waters of the Platte river is amazing, and worth the trip to witness.

The year is just beginning and we're off to an exciting start. What are you up to?