DPW flower and reflection challenges

Since I all my plans didn't quite work today, I was determined to at least get some painting done finally.  So I braved the 98°.  This challenge put forth by James Coulter on Daily Paintworks, instructed outdoor painting for an hour only.  It was almost 10AM when I finally stepped out the door to paint my blackeyed Susans which were planted by my neighbor Shirley for me by the gazebo.  They looked tired so I watered around first to give them a chance to perk up a little bit.  After I carried everything I needed outside I realized I was using a different tripod/easel which was not compatible with my artbox.  So I ended up just holding my artbox on my lap and proceeded to paint after I set my mobile phone timer to 60 minutes. 

 "Blackeyed Susan in 98° Heat" 12x9 oil on canvas

This next photo was the beginning and after that, 30 minutes later I had what I thought was gonna be the finished painting within an hour.  But I actually feel pretty good about the painting after 50 minutes of working in the heat and the ants that made their way to under my sundress.  I now realize one doesn't wear sundress plein air painting.  But I enjoyed being outside, hearing soft movements among trees and ground from birds and other moving things.  Butterflies visited the flowers but I didn't bother to paint them in.  Of course I actually could have painted them since they were so wiped out by heat and were very thirsty.  But my brushes wouldn't have done them justice.  I still have 10 minutes I didn't use, I wonder if I should tweak a bit more?  I finally got in the house after hauling everything back in at 1PM.  Suffering for the love of painting outdoors is fun as long as I have air-conditioned house to come home to ;)

 

^^First stage of the painting^^

 "Cherries and Cream Reflections"  2.5"x3.5" watercolor on paper

I painted this last week for the DPW Reflections challenge.

I am brave enough to report that I've failed my 30-day painting challenge.  I had to forfeit because my dear artist neighbor Shirley sold their house and were moving to another state.  I helped her for two weekends at her garage sale.  She had given me artist furniture and other supplies and I had to make room for them in my art room.  And since my art room was already busting at the seams, I had to move most things out so I could rearrange and sort through things.  When I decide to organize, I try very hard not to just pile everything back in.  I really sort. 

Above is the new development.  I moved my desk at the corner where I am now surrounded by windows on two sides.  These pics are actually from last week.

This the artist furniture Shirley gave me.  I had been DREAMING of having something like this!  What a wonderful gift! :)

One view of the old pile.  It doesn't look half this bad anymore.  But my rotator cuff problem has flared up again.  As I was painting today it reminded me of watching Serena Williams play tennis with a lot of grunting.  But all I was trying to do was raise my hand up to my eye level.  Hey, the painting looks pretty good though :)

Cat Nap and Rembrandt ACEO watercolor art

"Cat Nap" 16"x12" watercolor on paper

I do love sleeping paintings!  Somehow they make me feel like I too have caught up on my rest!  This painting will be delivered today to Poor Richard's Art in Rogers, Arkansas along with some prints.  Recently they have sold a giclee on watercolor of my "Dreaming Sweet Dreams" and my original ACEO below.

"After Rembrandt Self Portrait 1659" 3.5"x2.5" watercolor on paper

This favorite ACEO I've painted was sold by Poor Richard's Art for $350.00!  It's quite exciting for me because it breaks my old ACEO record of $250.00 for this small format art!  Giddy and so grateful!!!

 

Here I wanted to show my "Bed Hair" ACEO along with my latest obsession the wasabi peas!!!  I've been crunching and doing my 30 days of painting this summer.  Hope you're all staying cool and doing outdoor fun stuff!

30-day painting challenge day #3

"Poppy Landscape" ACEO/ 3.5x2.5" watercolor on paper

Here is a website explaining ACEO click --> HERE

I am challenging myself to just paint daily for 30 days.  I won't be painting a finished piece but I will paint something everyday which I don't do.  Well some days I take pictures all day or read an art book or peruse art websites but those too get in the way of creating.  So I painted this at 11:50PM last night lol  But it was done at 12:30 - I love that panic button!!!  This is a monthly challenged in Wetcanvas miniature group.  I had never participated in any of that before, usually I just go to the image library.

This video prompted me to do the 30-day deal from email my brother and sister sent me.  By the way this painting is day #3

http://www.ted.com/talks/matt_cutts_try_something_new_for_30_days.html

DPW Old Mill and Tools challenges, etc.

"Neglected, but not Forgotten" 3.5x2.5 watercolor on paper

I'm surprised this painting fell together in an hour.  I had an hour to produce something before I had to fix dinner but I still went ahead and grabbed a blank ACEO watercolor paper (btw a gift from a dear friend Barbara Ann Spencer Jump).  She was kind enough to gift me a variety of watercolor papers in 2.5x3.5 format! This is equivalent to winning the raffle ticket for me because I can only cut trapezoids for some reason!  Check out the submissions "Paint What You Paint With Challenge"

I felt SOOOO challenged by the DPW Old Mill challenge!  It's not so much that the reference photo was low resolution and dreary.  But I admit, I'm not a landscape artist and I'm especially not used to painting with a with a make-believe prettier picture in my head HAHAHA  So I submitted anyway, such as it was....

"Solo Mio" 7x5 watercolor on paper

Finally, I took a picture of myself....rather, I happen to like this one picture I took recently of myself so I thought I'd paint it for the DPW All About Me challenge.  I started painting it before Romel Delatorre workshop, but I think was a mistake not to finish what I had started before the workshop because I was simply dying to paint when I got back!  It would have behooved me more to paint something on a blank canvas.  My saturated brain was not ready to go backwards.  So I'm disappointed in this painting.  I'd like to start painting with more subtlety.  We'll chalk this one up to painting while I'm in transition but I am sharing it here as starting point (fingers crossed).  We'll see where I go from here :)

"Departure" oil on linen 6x6 inches

Umm here is the reference photo don't laugh!  I am the only one allowed to laugh!  Oh of course you can laugh! :D