Two Paintings a Week for a Year

A Sunny Morning
8x10
Oil on Canvas Board
Challenge - Week #2 - Painting #3

 

Two Paintings a Week for a Year

I Love Geraniums

8x10
Oil on Canvas Board
Challenge - Week #1 - Painting #2

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Online Class

There are two techniques I have never tried while painting before. The first is using a grid to aid with the drawing - example below... 

The second is painting a transparent under-coat - example below...

 

I have under-painted many times while painting with watercolors. That technique in watercolor is called glazing.  I have never glazed or under-painted while oil painting. Typically, what I do is tint my canvas with ochre before starting an oil painting like the paintings below:

In oil painting, the technique of painting a transparent undercoat helps you to establish light and shadow areas.  It is also a background color to determine where to lay down the cool and warm areas of your painting. 

The other technique I haven't used before is gridding my canvas and image for easier drawing. I will be using this when I draw on my canvas from now on!!! I'm not sure if I'll use it for watercolor paintings since the surface of watercolor paper is very sensitive. 

Below is an example of a painting I am presently working on. The painting is of a picture I took while my husband and I were visiting Ireland. Gridding out the photo and canvas was helpful in getting the landscape and cows placed and proportioned correctly on the canvas. 

Below is the finished painting from my online painting class:

 

Two Paintings a Week for a Year

"You Were Created to Paint"

I have not had any painting deadlines for some time now, so I have not been in my studio doing a lot of painting. About a month ago, I started taking an online painting class which has changed that scenario. My husband David loves it that I am back painting. He said to me, "You were created to paint." He is right!!! A week or so ago, he presented me with a challenge. His challenge is for me to paint two small paintings a week and post them on my blog for one year. I did not have to think long or hard on whether I should accept the challenge or not. Yes!!! I accept!!! 

Stumbling Blocks:
Okay, if you know an artist, you've probably already figured out that goals, rules or anything that reeks of structure is almost impossible for them to continue working at for more than, oh, maybe a month? That might be stretching it a bit - how about a week?
In addition to structure, many times "life" gets in the way of good intentions. 
Then there are words. If I'm going to blog, getting out of my right-brain mode and into my left-brain mode to think of actual words makes it difficult to write a blog post at times. 

The Solution:
First, since it's my husband's challenge, I'm making him responsible for keeping me on task. 
Second, I have a few paintings already finished, so I'm ahead of the game for now - just in case life gets in the way :)
Third, I am taking an online painting class - that will help me stay on task. A few of my paintings will be from that class. (I will always label those paintings.) 

Can you buy any of these paintings?
Yes! All small paintings that I paint this coming year will be available for $50 each. 

Bonus: Once each month I will give away one painting! I'll have details in a future post about how you can enter for a chance to win one of them!

On-line Painting Class

 I signed up for an online class mid-February. I really haven't painted much since my sister passed away a year and half ago. Plus, with this insane lockdown business, everything has been canceled. As an artist, having deadlines is helpful in staying motivated. One morning I woke up and realized just how much I missed painting. There were a couple of artists that I follow who also offer online classes. I went online and checked out their info, weighed out the pros and cons to each class and chose 'Once Upon a Time in Provence" instructed by Dreama.

Dreama paints in a very loose, colorful style. My painting style has always been quite colorful, but because I was trained in a very oldy worldy, traditional way, I do not paint loosely at all - better than years past, but still too much in the lines. I am presently into my third week's lesson and have decided to blog about my process. If I write down what I am learning along the way it will be easier to change up, remember and apply these lessons to my own painting style. This process is not to paint like Dreama. It is for me a practice outside of my own box to stretch and develop my own style in a new direction. 

Below are the first three paintings. I will talk about them more in a new post.