#ArtWorkLivingChallenge 2021 - Day 5 (The Final Day!)

Well, I made it through the 5-day painting challenge.  My results were...mixed.  I took too much time on
about half of my paintings, but I painted five days in a row, didn't worry about a finished product (for the most part), learned some things, and had fun!

I may redo all my paintings, but in a bigger format, just to see what difference it makes to me, and to see what I've learned about critiquing my own stuff.  Painting such small things (3.5" x 5.5") is limiting in some ways, but freeing in others.

So anyway, this is a great blue heron with a snack.

Same stats as the other Challenge paintings:

Watercolor on Canson XL 140-lb watercolor paper.

The first thing I'm going to change is the paper I use.  I really, really, REALLY like Arches cold press watercolor paper, so I'm going to stick with it instead of trying to use up the wood pulp papers I still have on hand.  I can use them for things other than watercolor.

As a reward for finishing the Challenge, I ordered some tubes of better quality watercolors, so I'll be playing with those.

I've about half finished clearing out a bedroom that I want to use for all my artsy-fartsy-craftsy stuff, and for working jigsaw puzzles (it's a cat-free zone).  It's amazing the stuff that can be shoved into a room.  But I'm far enough along that I think that in about a week I can start moving furniture in and out and around.

Woo hoo!  I'm gonna have a STUDIO!!!  It's almost real!

#ArtWorkLivingChallenge 2021 - Day One! - Embracing Failure!

I joined a short (five-day) painting challenge, and today is the first day.  The goal is to paint a SMALL picture each day in about 15 - 20 minutes.  No more!  The point is not a great picture, but establishing a daily painting habit, and to EMBRACE FAILURE!

Well, I've certainly accomplished THAT today - LOL!

The covered bridge isn't bad, but I somehow got lost in the trees to the left.  Kind of overworked.  Oh well.  It could be worse - I think!

Anyway, for people who care about that kind of thing, this is watercolor on Canson XL 140-lb watercolor paper.  CHEAP watercolor paper (wood pulp, no cotton) that I'm trying to use up before going 100% cotton.

One of the requirements of the challenge is to post the day's picture on your blog, so here it is.  You can expect to be tortured by four more this week.  I hope they won't offend anyone's refined artistic sensibilities too much.  So...  Apologies in advance!

I Entered an Art Show!

I've been having a good time with my watercolors the past few months.  I've been watching videos on YouTube and taking some short online classes, too, and boy howdy, is there a LOT to learn!!!

The autumn leaves I find in the yard are fascinating to me - all the different shapes and colors!  I've drawn and painted a few varieties of maple leaves and some pin oak leaves.  One particular study got under my skin and I kept going back to look at it.  (Here's a link to a post that includes my first leaf study.)

Just about that time, our county parks department's newsletter showed up in the mailbox, and in it was information about an upcoming art show.  What timing!  I went to the parks department website, filled out the application, and sent it in with a JPEG file of the watercolor leaf study.  I got the acceptance email last week!  Woo hoo!!!

So, I'm a little excited.  I haven't had anything entered in an art show since the 1973 500 Festival of the Arts, a show of high school art projects from the previous year.  The show was part of the festivities leading up to the Indianapolis 500.  I'd taken ONE art class in summer school, and my teacher (Mr. Crawford, Manual High School - go Redskins!) entered one of my pictures.  It was a study in pointillism, and I didn't think it was particularly noteworthy at the time, but I did get an Honorable Mention, so that's something, since not everyone got an award.

Anyway, the upcoming show isn't juried, so to get in all you have to do is make sure your entry follows the show's theme, which is "Nature's Inspirations," a broad category that could include a world of subjects!  According to the application, "Subject matter is limited to nature, wildlife, or 'nature-scapes' in which natural objects are the primary subjects of the piece. People and/or domestic animals are not considered part of this theme."  I thought my leaf might make the cut, and it did!

The show runs Saturday, February 20, through Sunday, March 8, at the Cool Creek Nature Center,  2000 East 151st Street, Carmel, Indiana.  The hours are Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.  The show's free, so if you're tired of being stuck at home, come on out and get inspired by nature!  (And vote for my picture for the People's Choice award before March 4 - HA!)

Watercolor Redux - An Autumn Leaf Study

I've been playing with my watercolors again!

The watercolor study.

Our front yard is completely carpeted with maple leaves.  I went out, picked up and examined some leaves, looking for color and curl, and finally chose one.

The original leaf.

I sat down with my trusty mechanical pencil and sketched the chosen leaf, then mixed up some watercolors and applied a series of washes over the sketch.  

I'm pretty happy with the result!  

I haven't done any botanicals until now.  I may do some more to see whether this was a fluke.

Plenty of leaves to choose from!