Dancing Queen

"Dancing Queen" 6x6 oil
Available through Sullivan Fine Art Gallery, Bedford NH

30 0f 30 in 30 !!!!! The end of the Challenge

I painted "30 paintings in 30 days" with Leslie Saeta and before that I painted

"a painting a day for 30 days" - 60 paintings in the last 60 days!

 

Every bit of it was fun.  I especially enjoyed making new on-line friends although I am still blog-challenged.  I have yet to figure out the difference between following a site and becoming a member.  I tried to make a list of the blogs I follow and ended up becoming a member of my own site. I know I am in circles and have others in circles but I'm not touching that button until I know what it means!

 

I will continue painting although I am pretty sure I will not be painting tomorrow.  My plan is to do a few larger works (when you paint 6x6 even 8x8 is larger!) I'd like to set up a complex still life and work on it over the course of a week.  I am still in love with landscapes and I feel the 5x7 format does not do them justice. I am still torn between oil and pastel so I will continue to do both.

 

To Leslie Saeta and everyone else in the challenge - thanks, its been fun.

"Sweet Hungarians" and good news

"Sweet Hungarians" 6x6 oil

Available through Sullivan Fine Art Gallery, Bedford NH

Day 29 of 30 in 30, I lost count and thought I was done!

 

I painted these yesterday morning.  They look very hot, I was even careful arranging them but they are actually quite sweet.

 

"Tranquil Morning" pastel $175.00

 

I just got the message that this painting was accepted into the Center for the Arts juried show in New London NH.  My  reservoir oil painting was rejected, I got the rejection notice first and almost missed the acceptance.  I have to pay more attention to e-mail.

 

Yesterday I varnished about 20 small paintings.  Today I will mat the pastels.  I plan to take some time to check all my work from the past few months.  Some are good just the way they are, some need tweaking and some just don't make the cut.

 

I may paint this morning or I may just go to the beach.  What is pretty in the summer is gorgeous in the fall.

 

 

"Cheek to Cheek"

 

"Cheek to Cheek" 6x6 oil

Available through Sullivan Fine Art Gallery, Bedford NH

 

 

This is a companion piece to "Party Dresses" because I liked painting that one so much. 

 This was fun too.

Lake Massacupic

"Lake Massacupic" 7x10 pastel $150

 

This is another scene from my Sunday drive. This lake is in Manchester NH. When I fly I know to stay to the right of it to stay out of Manchester's airspace.  This challenge has helped me work more quickly and also to find more time to paint.  This was done during my prep time at school.  I was able to do that because I got to school at 6:30 to do all my progress report grades.  First quarter is half over.  It also helps that I have the nicest group of students that I have had in 26 years of teaching!

Rose-Colored Wetlands

"Rose-Colored Wetlands" 5x7 nu-pastel on charcoal pastelmat $100

 

Day 26 of 30 in 30

I attended a class last night-home at 11, was up at 5 and started work at 7. I am teaching tonight so this got this done during my lunch break.  It was a very relaxing thing to do but I am still ready for a short break when the challenge is over!

 

This is the same location as my last two posts, just a slightly different view.  In the fall even the swamps are beautiful!

 

Autumn Wetlands

Autumn Wetlands 5x7 pastel matted to 8x10 $100

Day 25 0f 30 in 30

 

Yesterday's post was done in oils.  I decided I wanted to do it larger and in pastels.  This is the small pastel study.  It was done with nupastels on charcoal pastelmat.  For the larger version I will use sennelier and Terry Ludwig pastels but I will stick with the charcoal colored pastelmat.

September Wetlands

 

"September Wetlands" 5x7 oil $100

 

The foliage is just starting to turn, there are bits of gold and red and still lots of green.  The wetlands turn first, swamp maples and small brush turn scarlet and magenta. 

Seeing this on-line I know just what it needs- a concentration of light mid field. One of the best things about blogging is "seeing" the work in a different light.

This one is begging to be larger and in pastel - I can't wait.

Lonely Girl

 

"Lonely Girl" 6x6 oil $100

 

#23 of 30 in 30

I thought I would name my paintings for song titles, old ones. In the 60's there was a song called "Wipe-out" this one almost carried that name.  Every time I wanted to quit one brush stroke placed just right kept me going. I took process photos but didn't save them because this bears no resemblance to anything that came before the three wipe-outs.

 

 

Afternoon Delight

 

"Afternoon Delight" 5x7 oil $100

 

I did this early in the week, before I started my pastel beach series. Today I plan to paint a still life referring to Carol Josefiak's step by steps.

Dunes again and Blogging

 

"Dune Grass in Sunlight" 5x7 pastel $100 on pastelmat

Day 21 of 30 in 30

 

I struggled with this piece, I wiped out the ocean, I wiped out the wave, I adjusted the shadow temperature.  I was working on pastelmat, the most forgiving of surfaces.  This was from the same reference as "Dune Shadows" without the fencing.  I gave it another look and had to laugh - it had at least three focal points - just like me - going in too many directions at once! so I cut it in half!  Here is the other half.

 

I called this half "Dune Grass in Shadows"

 

I read Carol Josefiak's blog about choosing a title that is not the obvious and I love it when I read great titles.  Unfortunately I'm tired and this is all I've got!

 

Speaking of blogging - I've "met" so many interesting on-line painters with this challenge that I wanted to add their links or blogs to my page.  I accidently added myself as my own follower. Now every time I post I will notify myself.  My blog support friend is right now enjoying a vacation in Paris so for the time being I copied names-with a pencil!

Public Access

 

"Public Access" 7x10 pastel on Wallis Museum Paper $150 matted to 11x14

Yesterday's Painting "Sandy Path" was a pick of the day from Dailypaintworks
.  You can see it on their site or on their facebook page.  Thank you Daily Paintworks!

 

Along the eastern New England coast there are many beaches with small public access  paths. They are adjacent to private property often separated by fences. This one was in Salisbury Ma.

 

Day 18 of the challenge and I've finally settled in.  I have started to find a focus and I am no longer feeling like I have to paint all week-end to stay ahead. It helps to plan a series - if 4 can be called a series.

 

This was my underpainting block-in.

I wanted to choose colors that would be good if they poked through.

Washed with alcohol- this wasn't what I was expecting. 

Set kitchen timer for 15 minutes.  Not for the painting - I put Arroz con Pollo on to cook while alcohol was drying. Ist. layer of pastel or maybe its called the second block-in.

 

I took a break to analyze my painting and eat Arozz con Pollo - delicious!

 

This is spirit week at school - tomorrow is class colors,

teachers wear purple - not a problem for me! and I get to wear jeans.

 

The finished painting again

Dune Shadows

 

"Dune Shadows" 7x10 pastel $150

Day 19 of 30 in 30

 

Home from work at 3 and back to work at 6.  I wondered if I would have time to paint.  I could at least get started.  My plan was for a watercolor under-painting and to continue with my dunes theme. I bought a block of Arches cold pressed and the under-painting went smoothly especially since I was covering it and could be as splashy as I wanted to be.

Then the nightmare started, I figured out I should have bought hot pressed!  Those little holes were so annoying.  Just when I thought I hated it I decided it wasn't so bad after all.  Some smoothing to fill holes and I finished.  I got to paint after all, I don't need hours I just need to get started! I do like the watercolor under-painting but I will try a different surface.  So far my favorite is pastelmat - I may try this little scene again tomorrow.

 

Here is the watercolor under-painting

Sandy Path

"Sandy Path" 7x10 pastel on pastelmat $150

 

This was so much easier than yesterday's version.  The pastelmat is so smooth and forgiving. I like this one a lot.  Maybe it was the surface or maybe just being the second in a series helps.  We'll see - next I am going to try one on a white surface with an underpainting. Wet or dry - I haven't decided.

 

I just entered two oils and three pastels in a juried show - I will have to wait until Oct. 1st for notification, then I'll have to think about frames.

 

"Clearing" 7x10 pastel on Art Spectrum Colorfix Terracotta $150.00

 

The day was cloudy, it rained a little and just as we got over the dunes the sky cleared.

I decided to spend some time on landscapes in pastel. 

I like the Art Spectrum paper and I am going to try a similar scene on pastelmat

and also on Arches with a watercolor wash and compare my results.

I am trying to stay loose, to suggest the scene with a few strokes but it is so hard

 and I end up putting in every blade of grass!

Green Apples on Purple

 

"Green Apples on Purple" 6x6 oil $100

 

I had a revelation, an epiphany, an aha moment of sorts. Yesterday I was discouraged, I had a wipe-out which meant I was behind or at least not caught up.  I am not able to paint everyday.

 

I looked at some paintings and read a few posts and realized I was not the only one feeling this way so today I decided to have some fun.  I wanted to try colors I don't usually use.  Katia Kyte inspired me to see how colors affected each other and Helen Griffith's painting of 9/14 inspired me to try painting with as little white as possible.  So I did this today and even though I don't particularly like the results, I had fun and I learned and that's what its all about.

 

I like to sketch with a golden section grid.  It helps me compose but I also find it relaxing.

 

 

 

Sunflowers with Basket

Sunflowers with Basket 6x6 oil $100

 

Day 15 of 30 in 30

 

I painted this yesterday, it was the second painting of the day - the first was of pumpkins and was a total wipe-out.  After this cheery one I went on to finish the Reservoir painting.  I will post that later.
 

 I have decided that I like commercially prepared panels. Prepping them myself is too much work and I don't like the results.  I just got an order from Blick that included a Classpack of Project panels. They are 3/8" thick with a gessoed surface similar to Ampersand and a slot on the back to make hanging without a frame easy. A pack of 12 (6x6) was $21.69 not bad.

 

What I like best about the challenge is the camaraderie with other artists.  It is so much fun to read blogs  and to exchange comments with other artists.  I feel as though I have made quite a few on-line friends and for that it has been well worth participating.

 

I find that now that I am back to work it is harder to paint and post every day but that is no surprise.

 

 

This is my sketch for today's painting

 

 

The block - in

Partial Wipe-out



"Glad"

 

"Glad" 5x7 pastel $100

Day 14 of 30 in 30

 

Friday, on the way home from school I stopped at the farm stand hoping to buy more mums.   I teach full time and I manage to keep up with the 30 day challenge by painting most of the week-end.  Most of the mums were gone when I got to the register but the glads were beautiful.  I figured if I didn't get to them right away, more blossoms would open and give me another chance.  They did not weather the ride home well.

 

I tried many different set-ups planning for Saturday morning's painting session and nothing worked. Granted I was tired from my first full week with 60 teen-agers! I pulled out my pastel pencils - no mess - and just relaxed.

 

Now it's Saturday morning and I'm ready to paint! First on the agenda is to finish my Reservoir painting. The deadline is tomorrow but submission is electronic so it doesn't have to be dry. Oh - and I was informed "that's not Quabbin - that's Clinton Reservoir" so a new name along with a new layer of paint!

Quabbin

Quabbin 16x20 oil

This is the larger version - it needs work but not tonight-I think I will give it a rest until this week-end.

I need to:

• Pull the light reflections over to the right- more of a triangle, not straight down.
• Soften the bush edge where it rises into the water at the point
• Fade the rocks on the right so they don't become the focal point
• Dull the grass behind the rocks
• Play down all those sky holes - they were fun to do!

Anything else?

Quabbin Reservoir

 

"Quabbin Reservoir" 5x7 oil $100

Day 12 of 30 in 30

 

I did this little study to work out some problems I was having with the 16x20 version. I am still having problems with the larger one especially in the reflections.  When things are not quite right I sit with a pencil and paper and make note of the parts that need work. I will post that one tomorrow. Sometimes it helps to see it on-line, then the errors jump out at me! 

 

The Quabbin reservoir is the largest inland body of water in Massachusetts.  In the 1930's several towns were taken over and flooded to create the water supply for Boston.  It caused much controversy at the time but is very peaceful looking now.

 

My yesterday post "Lady in Red" was a Daily Paintwork pick of the Day!

Thank you Daily Paintworks!

Lady in Red

"Lady in Red"  6x6 oil
Available at Sullivan Fine Art Gallery, Bedford NH

Day 11 of 30 in 30

The farm stand is on the way home - I can't resist.  I get veggies to eat as well as flowers and veggies to paint.  I try to find the most attractive stems without looking too weird. I painted this last week-end. 
I spent the evening working on a large (for me) painting-16x20. It has been a struggle trying to get tree reflections on a lake without overworking.  I want to enter it in a show and the deadline is next week. It should be finished tomorrow.

The challenge has inspired me in so many ways.  I want to capture color reflections like Katia Kyte, try a limited tertiary triad like Carol Josefiak and play with color like Patricia Awapara. I also have a few new pastels that I'm anxious to try and my Blick order comes on Thurs. 

I just figured out how to add a followers widget on my blog and I want to figure out how to add a list of the blogs I follow - there just isn't enough hours in the day!

 

 

Party Dresses

 

"Party Dresses" 6x6 oil $100

 

Day 10 of 30 in 30

 

I like this one! Done on the week-end to get ahead because I knew I would have a busy week. I still managed to post my Lowell Boat Shop paintings wrong. I posted #8 two days in a row but I deleted one and added the second painting so everything is fine now. 

 

Ladies in Waiting

 

"Ladies in Waiting" 5x7 oil $100

 

Another from Lowell Boat Shop on the Merrimac.

This is day 9

I'm tired, I was on 8 when everyone else was on 9.  How did I lose count? I posted every day. I kept a list.  I just figured out that I posted the same picture two days in a row.  I can't fix it tonight because I posted from my work computer. So this is the real #9.  I did both of these this week-end. I decided to spend the evening working on a larger piece that I want to enter in a juried show.  The deadline is coming up - I like the sky, I wiped the lake reflections out three times.  I figured I better give it and me a rest!

#8 30 in 30

 

"Resting" 5x7 oil $100

 

This boat was moored on the Merrimac River next to Lowell Boat Shop.

Their sign said 1793, 200 years of wooden boat building.

Autumn Marsh

 

"Autumn Marsh" 5x7 oil $100

Day 7 of 30 in 30

 

Things did not start off well - I managed to get through a busy week painting and posting every day.  I thought Saturday would be my catch-up time.  I even woke up thinking I had a painting to post- but it was a dream! I actually dreamt that I painted a still life close up with mums in a basket.  I was feeling overwhelmed so I did this little marsh study to warm up.  Now I'm ready to paint! Oh and I have to go to the farm stand to buy some mums and a basket!

Mt. Monadnock

 

Mt. Monadnock Watercolor 5x7 (matted to 8x10)

 

I do love the mountains!  This was done from a photo I took at Jaffrey airport in New Hampshire.  The runway is rough and slightly uphill but it is next door to a wonderful ice cream stand.

 

Monadnock means a mountain alone, not part of a range.  This one sits half way between New Hampshire's White Mountains and the Berkshires of Massachusetts.  I hiked it many years ago.

 

My favorite is oils and pastels but I switched to watercolors for this because it was more portable and I spent the day on the move.

 

Mt. Ascutney

 

Mt. Ascutney from St. Gauden's estate 6x6 oil $100

Day 5 of Leslie Saeta's 30 Day challenge

 

I had a full day at work, did errands for my daughter, had dinner with my mother and uncle, typed for my husband and only managed to put aside 1/2 hr.to paint.  I thought I would only have time for a block in - of course I kept going!  I am working at staying loose and making every brush stroke count and having a time limit does seem to help.

This summer we visited the estate of the sculptor Saint- Gaudens in Cornishl NH.  This is the view of Mt. Ascutney from the grounds.

Day 4 of LeslieSaeta's 30 Day Challenge

"Hanging with the Bunch" 6x6 oil $100

 

This is so much fun! I completed 30 in 30 on my own on Aug. 31st.  so I wasn't sure I would be up to joining Leslie's challenge on the first but I am so glad I did! The other artists are great, the paintings are inspiring and it is so great to do this with other artists.  I feel like I am making a whole lot of

on-line friends and the support is wonderful!

 

 

This is the radish painting I did a year ago!

 

Parked in the Grass

 

"Parked in the Grass" 6x6 oil $100

 

 Day 3 of 30 with Leslie Saeta

I liked the way this was just sitting in the sunlight.

Tractors are so varied and so interesting.  I love the tires!

Mountain Song

"Mountain Song" 5x7 oil on panel $100

 

Day 2 of Leslie Saeta's 30 Day challenge and still having fun.

 

This was painted from a photo I took from my many trips

 to the White Mountains this summer.

  I wish I knew all the mountain names.  I think this is Mt. Ascutney.

Sunflower

 

"Sunflower" 6x6 0il on hardboard panel $100

 

I bought some sunflowers at Peter's Farm in Salem NH

I liked this back-side view

 

This is the first of my new 30 in 30 challenge that I am doing with Leslie Saeta. http://lesliesaeta.blogspot.com

 

There are over 300 artists involved.

I have yet to figure out how to upload to her site.