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/

2009 Wrap

It's been an on again - off again kind of season here. Plans have been made, changed, re-made and changed again. We've been snowed in, snowed out, and snowed under all at the same time. I started to clean my studio, and found that I simply moved stuff from one side of the room to the other, and back again. Images of Sysiphus come to mind.

Since I seem to be getting nowhere in a hurry, I'm surrendering to a good book and a warm blanket.

I leave you with a few my favorite images from the past year . . .



Hangin' with the fam...









seeing nearly all of my 100 Off the Highway paintings in one spot at Graham Gallery...











my first cow...








painting en plein air with great friends ...
(Ethel W, who has forgotten more about painting than I'll ever know)







coffee with friends far and near, including you Dear Reader.

Hope your New Year is filled with all good things.

Limits On Creativity

Do you ever get the feeling someone's watching you?


I don't mean in the scary sense, like you've got a stalker. I mean it in the sense that certain phrases or words keep making themselves known to you. And they're just the phrases or words that you need to hear.


Lately the term 'focus' has been leaping out at me from blogs and books and newsletters. So much so that I wonder if there's something I need to pay attention to (oh, sorry 'bout that).

It happened again today, just a few moments ago. I received a newsletter from Barbara Martin, author of Reptitude, a cool blog about creative endeavors. Her inaugural missive deals with setting deadlines and other limits for creative effort. And if I may toot my own horn, Barbara mentions Mavis Penney's and my Off The Highway blog which chronicles our 100 days of painting experience as a way to describe different ways of setting intentions - cool!


Ahem, back to focus...

I have noticed that since finishing our Off the Highway project, I've been a bit adrift. No flaming deadlines looming, no one checking to see what I'm up to. I can do anything I want now that I'm all caught up. Interestingly, I' haven't been all that certain what I wanted to do with all that newfound freedom.

@ 2009 Square One P Scarborough 12 x 12 oil

I took my cue from the universe, or whoever it is that's nagging me, and I'm starting a new project. It's all about focus and limits. I'm committed to painting at least 30 one-square-foot paintings of one-square-mile I've picked out north of town. Just like the Off The Highway project, in which we allowed ourselves the leeway of painting anything that could be seen from a highway, I can paint anything within that square mile. To enforce the goal, I announced the project as an exhibit to be shown at The Burkholder Project in March, 2010.

Why a limit on what I can use for inspiration? I became aware that when I was immersed in the Off The Highway experience, I felt a certain freedom to experience more fully what I was seeing when I was limited to the highway. It's called "inspired monotony". If you do the same thing, or a small set of things, over and over, innovation is almost a necessity. It's, well, un-limiting.

Off The Highway Series @2009 Day 57 - First Light Heifer P Scarborough 5 x 7 oil

Marla Baggetta painted 100 paintings using the same simple landscape as inspiration. To relieve the monotony (her selected landcape doesn't include too many cathedrals or fruit markets) she conceived her landscape in startling and beautiful ways. My square mile may not be the most interesting piece of real estate in the world, but I'm fairly certain that by the time March rolls around, I'll have learned a fair amount about what goes on there, and I'll have learned a bit more about painting.

@2009 Square 2 P Scarborough 12 x 12 oil

I'm excited about being limited. It's kind of freeing, in an odd way.

How do you set limits to inspire your new projects?

Another Birthday List

As you remember, last week was my birthday, which means it's time for another Grateful List.

One item for each year. (Yeah, I know, it's kinda long.)

My Official Grateful List for 2009:

Number 1 - always - my family. All of you.

The rest, in no particular order:

coffee shared with good friends

fresh vegis from my garden - or anyone else's garden for that matter

Angela, Robin, Marcy & Nicole at Graham Gallery

good books

soft blankets on chilly nights

good paint brushes

friends. all of you.

solitude

time to relax

calm water

people who make me laugh

opportunities

Grandpa's recovery

excellent food shared with friends

good framers (Warren Cradduck, Lincoln, Ne., and everyone at Graham Gallery)

cool evenings

a garden full of black-eyed susans

comfortable shoes

good jeans

long car rides with good friends

challenges

fresh corn on the cob

honest politicians

smart blogs

my easyl plein air easel

a butterfly bush full of butterflies

vacations

campfires

modern medicine

mirrors

velcro

honesty

understanding that comes with prayer

smart people


eye glasses


starry nights


pre-packaged mulch


folks who build stuff


good haircuts



mondays


paychecks

offers of help


mechanical pencils


Burkholder Project


people who know how cars work


good teachers


mentors


digital cameras

hot showers

plain t-shirts


clean windows


people who read my blog

It's amazing how quickly I came up with this list. It's a great way to celebrate, and an excellent exercise in, well, remembering how great we have it. Try it for yourself.


Go ahead, I'll wait.

What are you grateful for this year?

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?

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.

Time Out

Day 65 At Last 2009 7 x 5 oil

It started with a wedding.

Our nephew married his childhood sweetheart this past weekend, and we were delighted to share in this event with them. (Congratulations Brett & Libby!) Of course, as we watched them take their vows outside under a beautiful windless sky we remembered our own wedding, and the many years since. 'Twas lovely.

Handsome Husband and I really wanted to relax and enjoy our combined families during this occasion. He works hard, and I've been painting alot. So I did it. I used all the knowledge I've gathered since I was a little kid on the playground.

I called a time out.

My schedule is full and I want very much to enjoy each and every event I've got lined up. Each obligation is very important to me and I know I am blessed to be able to list these activities on my calendar. And sometimes you've gotta call time out!

Under normal circumstances I would call a halt to a self-induced frenzy right after I went under for the third time. Remember that cartoon? The cartoon character goes underwater, and eventually a fist pops up with three fingers extended. Then it sinks. Again the fist breaks the surface, with only two fingers extended. Again it rises above the waves, just one finger waving before the hand sinks slowly for the last time. It's funny in cartoon-land, but frustrating and annoying when you're a grownup and know better. (Kids, guess what?! You can still learn new tricks when you're over the hill!!)

Leaves on Blue Water 2009 24 x 18 pastel

I'm hitting the pause button on my Off The Highway project because I'm not willing to settle. I managed to make it to Day 72 without a hitch. When the calendar pages flipped over from May to June, and soon to July, I could see that something was going to have to give, and the daily painting was that thing. Working on that project has been exciting, exhilarating and amazing, and also time consuming because I can't just slop through it. I could probably have whipped through 15 paintings today to complete my obligation for the blog for the next three weeks, and you may have never known the difference (ouch) but I just couldn't do that. So I'm doing the grownup thing and calling a time out.

Day 58 Young Cottonwoods 2009 5 x 7 oil

It's a swswsw kinda thing.

So, if you're in central Nebraska, stop by Brickyard Park in Hastings and visit the Cottonwood Festival June 20-22, or skip over to Kearney and see the huge exhibit hosted by the Association of Nebraska Art Clubs at their annual conference and exhibit June 17-21, or head down the interstate to Noyes Gallery in Lincoln and join Jason, Lucy, Marge, Lynn and me on July 3rd for our opening reception for "Artwards" (on exhibit for the month of July) , or mosey over to Geneva and join Max & me for an opening reception on July 2nd for "Homegrown"( two days only, July 3rd & 4th).

My Off The Highway project begins again July 6th. Time in.

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!

Oh The Agony

For those of you who stayed up late last night to catch my latest missive, my humble apologies.
I have been waylayed, attacked and dismantled by a computer virus. Or rather, my computer has.
It'll be another day or 2 before I - my computer - will be up and running with a clean bill of health. So, in the meantime, skip on over to Off The Highway and see what's going on there.
And speaking of Off The Highway...there's still 4 days to leave a comment there and get your name in the Big 5-0 Raffle!

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?

Day 26 and Counting

This is Day 26 of Mavis Penney's and my "Off The Highway" project. Mavis and I are cruising into our sixth week of daily painting. Frankly, I'm impressed. It wasn't long ago I was gasping for air, whining and terrified of both failing and succeeding.
I was worried that
1- I wouldn't hold up my end of the agreement with Mavis.
2- I was worried about what you'd think.
3- What if I couldn't think of anything to paint?
4- What if the sky fell?
5- What if?
Well?
Hm.
1. It might happen that I might not be able to complete this project. I can't guarantee I can count that high. It occurs to me that maybe you can't either.
2. You might not love each and every little painting I create. Oh well. I might not either.
3. I might just have to paint the same thing over and over again. Golly. It's called a "series".
4. The sky falling? Well, if that happens it'll put me a little bit closer to the stars.
It's been so grey and drab this month, and I needed some color desperately. Funny, I found it in a chunk of clear glass.
I found this Hemingray-54 Insulator near Highway 6 among the weeds of an old farmstead. When a meager ray of sunlight managed to work its way through the clouds, it landed on this piece, and bent into a thousand colors.
Studying the light in that glass, and the way it filtered through onto the table, there'll be a hundred paintings in me, I know it. And I can hardly wait to start the next one.
Thanks for checking up on me.
And if you think of it, vote for Brian for Prom King.

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.

It's Spring!

This Thursday celebrated the vernal equinox, the balance of night and day, the signal of spring to come.

And not a moment too soon.
The weather has been typically spring-like lately. In Nebraska that means we've had temperatures from 20 to 80, and winds from zero to 40 all in the course of 48 hours. We have a saying in Nebraska: If you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes and it'll change.

We celebrated the arrival of spring by heading out to a nearby lake for a day of fishing (by the fellas) and painting (by me). It was wonderful being outside without the burden of multiple layers of coats and scarves. The sun was lovely and warm in amongst the still-bare trees and tall grass. Beavers had made their mark on many of the trees by the lake, chewing completely through the trunk of a few of them. Being outside on a day like this is heaven for me.

After the hustle and bustle of the Home & Garden Show, I was ready for some peace and quiet.

I'm just not used to saying that many words in one day. It was lovely to share the first 15 "Off The Highway" paintings done so far, and reaction to them was positive, which is always good for the ego. "Bird's Nest on Linen" went to a very good home, and I'm pleased about that. But I was also pleased today to be alone with my easel, and paints and brushes, and thoughts about how to tell the story of this bare tree, bent under the sun and the wind of the central plains, and the warm tall grass beneath it reaching for the sun.

Life is good.