Shot of Toothpicks

Shot of Toothpicks

6x6, soft pastel

Day 3 of the #stradaeasel challenge is a cute little shot glass I use to hold toothpicks.  I love it for its heft...perfect for holding small things...a fun little still life!

Little Jug

Little Jug

6x6, soft pastel

Since I’m focusing on still lifes lately, I thought I’d do the 31 day #stradaeasel challenge practicing with my still life props.  Love this little jug.

Little Cutie

Little Cutie

9x12, soft pastel

I told myself there was no way I was going to do a 31 day challenge after my marathon month of painting in December...but, I’d already sketched this one, so what the heck.  Maybe I can achieve 15 in 31. This challenge is for the full 31 days of January sponsored by Strada Easel.  Here goes.

A Simple Life

 A Simple Life

20x16, soft pastel

The final push to complete this painting was a twelve hour day. I woke at 4:30am ready to knock it out...by 5:00 pm I ended up at the final stage...the “let it sit and percolate” stage.  While I’m happy with where it is right now, I also know there are bound to be a few tweaks before I call it finished.  Who knows, I might wake up in the morning and feel it’s finished "as is"...we’ll see.  

That’s about it! I hope you enjoyed following the process on this piece. Of course it reminds me of home...because it IS in my home but it also reminds me of simpler times and the perseverance of our ancestors especially our pioneers. They were strong and resilient as is the kettle and wool rug in this piece. It was definitely labor, but ultimately a labor of love! 

The Artist Within Summary

The journey I've been on since 2014 to find "The Artist Within" has been a lot of work. Far more than a full time job but, I've loved it! I spent hundreds of hours in the studio, met many new friends, and painted whenever and wherever I could. I remember at the beginning of this journey reading that "not until you paint 300 (some say 500) paintings do you find your style and voice as an artist". That statement alone was a very intimating thought...but here I am, finished with painting #521. So many of them were disappointing at the time because I was impatient to improve. Now that I look back on those pieces, I see the progress I was making. Each one taught me something and I can even find beauty in the worst of them. I'd say that old adage is more accurate than not. 

I'm sure there will be my fair share of duds in the future but I'll keep on striving for a masterpiece along the way. I hope to paint 30in30s on occasion to keep me on my toes and more playful with my subject matter. And, I hope to create more meaningful pieces as I did during this past year. 

I'm thankful to have lived long enough to experience this journey and am blessed with cherished family and friends in my life. Without them, this would have been a much lonelier time. 

Many blessings to you as you continue your own journey through this crazy life of ours!

Happy New Year!

Work In Progress - Part 5

Work In Progress - Part 5

More work to do on the rug...and then on to the side table...very time consuming but fun!

Work In Progress - Part 4

Work In Progress - Part 4

Some areas come together easily...some are a bit more tedious...but all in all things are progressing along just fine. Although, Benny now relies on “dad” to take him to the green belt for a 2-3 mile walk most days.  He’ll be glad when this one is over.

Ben is pouting on the ottoman.

Below is an earlier picture when I was painting in the living room. The lighting changes so quickly in that room that I eventually had to resort to bringing the props to my studio and replicating the lighting in there. 

FYI, the intended lighting for this still life scene is mid-Dec. at dawn, when there is no natural light in the room, only wall sconces lighting the scene from above and to the right. As you can see below, there was a lot of natural light coming in from the large windows behind me by the time I stopped painting for that day. Lighting is always a challenge when painting "plein air...even indoors"  (ha)  Controlled lighting in the studio was a must from this point on. 

Work In Progress - Part 3

Work In Progress - Part 3

I think I know this “style” of painting is the right style for me simply because I lose all track of time...often only looking up after several hours of painting and many many podcasts later (unless of course I hear Benny’s dreaded ball drop).

Today the day began by dropping the painting on the floor when I was rolling the easel into position. Drats!

But I persevered and after a few more days, progress had been made.

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