Backyard Ballet

Backyard Ballet

9x6, soft pastel

Swim lessons, baseball games, picnics, and dance recitals are all things I love about the warm days of summer.  It's foggy, freezing cold and snowy outside...Oh how I miss those summer days!

This is Emily performing in her first ballet recital. I believe she was two years old and so proud of her little pink tutu and sparkly tiara.  Recitals for Maddie and Emily always took place in the spacious backyard of their teacher's home.  It is there that parents, siblings, and grandparents gather to watch the kids' summer performances (I think the grandparents were even more excited than the kids).  It's a perfect way to spend a warm summer evening!

Hide 'n Seek

Hide 'n Seek

11x7, soft pastel

Today's painting is of Zack at the tender age of two.  It's a scene that always makes me laugh because he wanted to play hide and seek.  Not having much experience at it, he hid behind this tree and truly believed that he was well hidden. He must have thought if he snuck a peak to see where I was I wouldn't see him. As a good grandma would do, I played along and looked all over the backyard calling his name "trying" to find him.  I laughed a lot when I painted this one.

Scoop....Dump

Scoop...Dump

8x8, soft pastel

Day four...a break from the snow!

Today's painting is a typical scene that took place whenever my grandsons came to visit.  They always knew where the dump trucks were stored and loved to play "scoop...dump" under the arborvitaes.  Scoop...dump is a name I believe my daughter came up with which describes exactly what they do...nothing more...nothing less...a lot of scooping followed by...(you guessed it) a lot of dumping.

Say Cheese Frosty...Say CHEEZZZZE!

Say Cheese Frosty...Say CHEEEZZZEEE!

8x6, soft pastel

Oh my....Day Three of the challenge.  After today, I had to ask myself:

   1.  I'm not comfortable painting snow...why did I tackle three snow scenes right off the bat?

   2.  I wish I had built in a few "easy and quick" painting days...I'm in dire need of an easy day! 

   3. I thought today would be easy since there was only one person in the painting...but I scaled the  painting down too small (6x8)...a fatal flaw.  Trying to get the likeness of my sweet grand-daughter was tough given that her face was all of one inch square.  WHAT was I thinking? Eeeh gads!!!!

(A couple hours and one beer later, I feel much better. I refined Maddie's eyes and smile a bit and will call it good for today)

This snowy day on the farm wouldn't be complete without a nice big fat snowman!  Maddie's smile was full on...as is often the case for a young child taking a picture.  You can almost feel her exuberance.  Now, if she could only get Frosty to "say cheese"!

There's Snow Place Like Home!

There's Snow Place Like Home!

10x8, soft pastel

Three of my grandkids live on a farm. There are no other kids nearby...not for many miles. They learned at an early age how to entertain themselves and more importantly how to play together and get along.  Ok....maybe once in awhile they get on each others' nerves but overall they get along very well!

This scene is of a beautiful winter day on the farm. With lots of snow to make a "sled hill" in the backyard, the kids spend hours on their outside activities. This scene is of Maddie and her little brother Jake taking their turn down the "hill".

Stolen Smile

Stolen Smile

8x8, soft pastel

Happy New Year!   This is my first painting for the 30in30 Challenge hosted by Leslie Saeta.  If you're curious about the Challenge, check out Leslie's blog at:  http://www.lesliesaeta.blogspot.com.   I believe there are close to 900 artists participating.  It's a great feeling to know there are other artists out there doing the same thing...it should be fun!

I hope to complete 30 paintings in 30 days...however, I must admit if a painting needs more time than what I can do in a day...then I'll take the time to complete it over an additional day or two.  I'll share work-in-progress images for those days (should they occur).

My theme "Family Matters" starts off with a painting I call "Stolen Smile".  This is from an image of my grandson Brian who is now over a foot taller than me!  On this particular day Brian just couldn't resist eating the raisins that were intended for Frosty's smile.  From the looks of it...I think he may have eaten half of an Oreo eye as well!

What was I Thinking?

The past couple weeks have been filled with holiday events and fun with family and friends.  It's been a wonderful time!  In addition to that I've been scouring my reference photos for painting possibilities for Leslie Saeta's January 2015 30in30 Challenge. To post my first painting early on January 1st, I'll have to start painting tomorrow. Yikes!  I'm a little concerned. I seem to be going into this Challenge more in a funk than fully prepared!  What was I thinking?

Having completed my first Challenge last September I would have thought I would be much more prepared and thus, excited.  My trepidation must come from the fact that I am fully aware of what it's going to take to complete the Challenge ( at least to my satisfaction).  I know there are going to be moments when I am frustrated, dejected, embarrassed to post what I've painted, and questioning why I am forcing myself to complete this silly Challenge.  There will be nights I drop into bed exhausted and annoyed...bad dreams will ensue. The laundry will pile up. Preparing meals will consist of anything fast and easy.  Food in the house will dwindle down to a few cans of soup and bread crumbs.  The dust will gather and the floors will be a mess!!  My poor husband and dog will have to beg for what little attention they will get from me.

Oh why, oh why did I sign up for this??? Who intentionally puts themselves through what is guaranteed to be an exhausting and frustrating month of non-stop painting?  I guess I did.  I secretly wish I could delete my name from the map listing the participating artists and locations that Leslie posts on her blog: www.lesliesaeta.blogspot.com.  Then I would just go about my business as though I had somehow overlooked signing up.  

Then I remember those breakthrough moments. The progress I've made over the past year and especially during the month of September.  The few pieces I was very happy to call my own. Painting daily almost guarantees progress in one way or another.  For me, by the end of September I realized my best style falls somewhere in between Impressionism and Realism.  Would that be Imperialism? (Just kidding)

Without pain...there is no gain.  I will prepare today and hit the ground running tomorrow morning.  January's "theme" will be called "Family Matters".  My family provides such loving encouragement.  They help me overcome my self doubt and help me see myself as an actual artist. The artist I always wanted to be as a child.  So I'll dedicate this effort to all of them.  See you tomorrow?