Thirty Paintings in 30 Days - Day 8

Have been to a couple of agricultural fairs over the years (great fun) and discovered the world of exotic chickens - they are amazing.....some a little odd, but for the most part beautiful and very unique looking birds. The inspiration for Dilly came from the Silkie breed of chickens.

'Dilly'
6"X6"
Acrylic mixed media on birch panel 

Thirty Paintings in 30 Days - Day 6

Not your momma's 'little red hen'....

'Dixie'
5"X5"
Acrylic mixed media on birch panel

Thirty Paintings in 30 Days Day 4

I almost feel like I should be writing bios for these chickens......

'Albert'
5"X5"
Acrylic mixed media on birch panel 

Thirty Paintings in 30 Days - Day 1

It's here....the September thirty paintings in 30 days. Didn't think I had the time to participate but decided would be good 'practice' and 'warm-up' before working on some larger pieces..... will see how that works out?! No real plan, other than to keep them small and perhaps a month of chickens?

'Penny'
5"X5"
Acrylic mixed media on birch panel 

Thirty Paintings in 30 Days - Day 6

We have gone from a 'winter storm watch', to a 'winter storm warning'. Expected snowfall in the next 24-36 hours is expected to be  35cm (~12"). The temperature is forecast to drop and a wind chill in the -26C (-18F) on Thursday. So what does that mean for me......will blanket our large animals this evening (will keep them warm and dry) and give them a couple of bales of hay, make sure the generator is gassed up (fingers crossed we don't loose power) and fill up a couple of water containers - better safe than sorry. So what does the weather forecast have to do with painting? I will not have to/want to go any where and I am going to paint!!! I would like to make some progress on some paintings that are so close to being 'finished (but is any painting ever really finished?!) and get caught up on my 30in30.

Didn't have a lot of time for painting today but that is okay. I am happy with direction the dogs are going. I am not nor will I ever be a realistic painter. That is just not the painter I am. I love the freedom to work without a reference and instead from memory. If I do need a little help with one of the 'dogs' I can always sneak a peek at one of ours - they like to spend time with me in the studio - especially having their afternoon naps. Makes a very nice atmosphere for creating.

 7"X14"
acrylic mixed media on canvas

Dotty - if you are reading this - she needs a name! Please!!

Thirty Paintings in 30 Days - Day Twenty-Eight

Not sure where the day went! Trip to town, appointment, errands....back home....This is my offering for Day Twenty-Eight of the Thirty in 30. Perhaps a reference for a future painting? This painting is more reminiscent of some of my mono-prints. Not that good a composition but - it is what it is. Hope you are having a good day!

Day 28
8"X8"
Acrylic mixed media on
Somerset printmaking paper

Thirty Paintings in 30 Days - Day Twenty-Seven

I started this painting at Joan Fullerton's workshop. I have 4 other paintings that are in various stages and am looking forward to working on them in the days that follow. Joan wanted us to have multiple paintings to work on during the five day workshop. That way you were less likely to overwork any one painting. Having said that, I think this is a bit overworked. Still not entirely happy with the colour.......will leave it for a bit and revisit it at a later date - or not!

Only 3 more days left of daily painting. Having stuck with it I am finding it quite natural to head up to my studio at some point in the day and even if I only have an hour can still do a small painting. This has been such a great habit to cultivate! Hope you can find some time in your day for a little painting.

Day 27
12"X16"
Acrylic mixed media
on birch cradle board

Thirty Paintings in 30 Days - Day Twenty-Six

Here is today's offering. This was painted using the same palette as yesterday's. Had squeezed out quite a bit of paint and had to use it up! I am tired after my 5 day workshop. But it was so worth it. Will spend the day unpacking and tidying up my studio and will be ready to go with my offering for tomorrow's 30in30. Will also spend some time today checking out the great paintings that other artists have been posting. Thanks again to all who have stopped in and taken a look and left comments. Happy Painting!

Day 26
5"X5"
Acrylic on Arches 140lb hot press paper

Thirty Paintings in 30 Days Day Twenty-Five

Last day of my workshop with Joan Fullerton. Five days (for me) is along time to be painting away from home. When you paint on your own, sharing space with 18 other artists can be overwhelming at times - but it is also good. Different styles and approaches to subject matter, differing opinions, questions I hadn't thought of, connecting and exchanging contact info, being pushed out of my comfort zone of home - just a few of the benefits. And of course the big one is having access to the artist/instructor - in this case Joan Fullerton! Wherever you are painting - enjoy yourself and just go with the flow!

Day 25
5"X5"
Acrylic mixed media on
Canson mixed media paper

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Day Twenty-Four

When I started the 30in30 I didn't pick a theme for my paintings. Sometimes when I pick a subject/theme I end up stifling myself and making it harder for me to paint! At day 24 I it is pretty clear to me that landscapes became my subject of choice. Hope you are enjoying painting your chosen theme or just leaving yourself open to whatever inspires you. Enjoy the day.

Day 24
5"x5"
Acrylic on Stonehenge printmaking paper

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days - Day Twenty-Three

Made sure to paint extra last week so would be able to keep up with the 30in30 while I am attending Joan Fullerton's workshop. Enjoying the workshop and being around other painters - such a great opportunity to see how others work and interpret the instructions for some of the exercises. Joan is a great instructor - love watching her paint. Such an interesting person.

A monochromatic, mostly 'cool' palette - for me very calming - I love blue!

Day 23
5"X5"
Acrylic on
Arches 140lb hot press paper

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days - Day Twenty-Two

Fall will officially arrive here in about an hour. And the rain and probably some snow too! Our sunrise is beautiful this morning - this is one of my favourite times of the day. Off to feed our horses and then to my workshop with intuitive artist Joan Fullerton. So glad I have been participating in the 30in30 - what a difference it makes going to a workshop having been painting daily! Hope the sun is shining where you are - have a wonderful day!

Day 22
Acrylic mixed media on
Canson mixed media paper

Thirty Paintings in 30 Days - Day Nineteen

Haven't had a lot of spare time to view all the art on the 30in30, but the days I have viewed....WOW!! Such a variety of subject matter, mediums used and techniques. Is so inspiring.

The colours are changing quickly here and if the wind visits the leaves are quick to fly. I love this time of year - the light, the colour....and in the cool mornings there is a beautiful stillness. Have a wonderful day wherever you live and if you are painting for the 30in30 - thank you for sharing.

Day 19
5"X5"
Acrylic mixed media on
Canson mixed media paper

Thirty Paintings in 30 Days - Day EIghteen

Kept today's painting simple. Chose some different colour mixes and I am happy with the end result. At the start of the 30in30 I would never have tried this! So glad to be participating!

Day 18
5"X5"
Acrylic on Canson mixed media paper

Thirty Paintings in 30 Days - Day Seventeen

Trying to get a few paintings ahead for the challenge. I am enrolled in a 5 day workshop with Joan Fullerton next week. So excited to have this opportunity to take a workshop with her. So I need to get going on these small paintings. I think this will be a good thing as it will force me to paint faster, work looser and not be so picky over the small things. Have posted the before and afters of todays effort....not sure how I ended up at the 'after' - hmmm should you admit that?! Have a wonderful weekend and if you are painting 30 in 30 looking forward to seeing your paintings.

Day 17  'Start'
5"X5"
Acrylic and mixed media
on 140lb hot press watercolour paper

Day 17 'Finish'

Thirty Paintings in 30 Days - Day Sixteen

Wasn't sure if I would get time for Day 16. Our weather has been incredible the last few days and it makes it so hard to be indoors. After a wet summer we are finally being rewarded with some hot days.

These are not my usual colours but thought it was worth a try. I always have a pile of 'fresh' paper that has been cut or torn into different sizes. So at the end of a painting session, if I have any left over paint on my palette I will use up the excess paint on these pieces of paper and I sometimes use them to lift paint while I am painting. I like working this way because I have a piece ready to go, with a lot or a little paint on it (not 'intimidating' white). With this image I was trying to be bolder with my mark making and have a few more neutral areas. Some parts work, some not so much but I am giving myself permission to experiment.

I sometimes scan these papers before working on them. It is a great way to see where you started and where you ended up.

Day 16 'Start'
5"X5"
Acrylic mixed media
on Somerset printmaking paper

Day 16 'Finish'

Thirty Paintings in 30 Days - Day Fifteen

Mostly neutrals today, with a touch of some transparent red iron oxide. I participated in Jane Davies' online workshop on advanced colour. It was a lot, a lot of work - mixing, matching, colour swatches and more colour swatches. But, it was well worth the time and effort! I figure if I keep mixing and experimenting with the lessons from that workshop things will eventually begin to become second nature. I have a long ways to go! Hope all your painting is going well.

Day 15
5"X5"
Acrylic

Hmmm - when you take a 'step back' and look at it in this format needs more line work and going back in with some coloured pencil or crayon to punch it up a bit. Still can.....

Thirty Paintings in 30 Days - Day Thirteen

'Hit' the reset button today. Needed to 'shake' things up a bit and freshen up my painting 'mind'. I don't find cruciform paintings easy to do - mine always seem to end up looking extremely stiff - like this one! This definitely was a challenge to paint but glad I gave it a try! I've been working on this off and on and think it might be done. Think I'm ready to go back to some semi-abstract landscapes now!

Day 13
9"X9'
Acrylic mixed media on
140lb cold press watercolour paper

Thirty Paintings in 30 Days - Day Twelve

Late posting today! Getting back into the 'regular' routine - running behind, but it all eventually sorts itself out.

Enjoyed painting this image. It is on birch panel and I really like working on the panels. I like going back in with palette knife, dried out pens, wood skewers, etc and the wood will take the process of making those marks really well - not so paper as you can imagine. I do coat the boards before starting with a couple of layers of GAC100 - helps to prevent the lighter areas of paint from yellowing over time. This is caused by the lignin in the wood. I really like this piece - it looks deceptively simple, but there are several layers of paint and lots of 'drawing' back in using the above mentioned tools. You do have to take a close look to see some of the lines, but I think it is worth a second look. The mountain ranges seem to go on forever here - row after row is how I would describe the view from on high! Have a great day and happy painting.

Day 12
6"X6" on Birch Panel
Acrylic mixed media

Thirty Paintings in 30 Days - Day Eleven

I keep going back to horizontal lines and stripes. One of our assignments for Jane Davies' on-line workshop '100 Drawings On Cheap Paper'  was working with stripes. This was one of the most challenging assignments for me during the 10 week workshop. I am also focusing on seeing the landscape as a series of horizontal shapes, sometimes irregular and at other times symmetrical. For this image I limited my palette to raw umber, titanium white, cerulean blue and hansa yellow deep. I wanted to experiment and practice mixing more neutrals. There is not a lot of value change between the tones mixed using the acrylics in this composition. The Caran D'ache does help to add some 'brighter' bits of colour.

Day 11
4"X4"
Acrylic, Caran D'ache watercolour crayon
 & Graphite pencil on Canson Mixed media paper