Within Reach 8x8 oil

Within Reach 8x8 oil

Here is my final painting of the 30 day painting challenge!  This painting, started on location at a local apple farm last week, was finished on location yesterday.  There were a few fluffy white clouds in the background.  Looking at the painting today, I decided that I didn't like the clouds and painted them out, and here is the final painting.  

Well that was a fun month!  A few of the paintings will be trashed for sure, but overall I really like what I have accomplished this month.  I didn't find this challenge nearly as hard to accomplish as in previous challenges.  I believe this is because I have a regular painting schedule already in place, which for me, is the key.  Tomorrow I will post a collage of all 30 paintings.

Hmmm, what shall I paint next?

Zest of a Lime - Sold

Zest of a Lime, 8x6 oil

Here is painting #26.  When I started to think about it, there are so many ideas of what to paint for the letter 'z'.  Here is one idea.  I didn't know if I would be able to make a curly peel with my handy little zester tool, but after sacrificing a lime or two, (in the name of art), I finally figured out it's all about the pressure applied to the lime.

Wow! only four more paintings to go for the month of September!  A few people have asked me what I'm going to paint after the alphabet is done.  Good question.  This afternoon, as well as on Saturday and Sunday, I will be painting down at Spencer Smith Park, here in Burlington.  It's part of the Culture Days Celebration.  I am hoping that I will be able to post those paintings.  If I'm not happy with them then I guess I'll have to come up with another plan.

Favourite Yellow Paint

Favourite Yellow Paint, 8x6 oil

It took me ages to figure out what to paint for 'y'.  I realized that my subject matter was sitting right under my nose.  I have a few empty tubes of yellow paint sitting in my paint drawer.  I'm not sure why I keep them, perhaps in case of a paint emergency I might be able to squeeze another drop of paint out of them.  I stopped this painting at this point because I really like the way it looks being a drawing as well as a painting.  In fact, I got to this point last night and couldn't bring myself to put another drop of paint on it.  After leaving it overnight, and seeing it in the morning, I still couldn't bring myself to paint anything else on it, so here it is, finished, I think.

Michael Harding's Artists Oil Colours, imported from England.  I discovered this brand of paint at the local art store.  It is superior to any paint I've tried.  I especially love the Cadmium Yellow!  When it was discontinued at that store, I had to find another supplier.  Now I get it from Gwartzman's Art Supply Store in Toronto.

This is painting #25, only 5 more to go for September!

Xylophone Express - Sold

Xylophone Express, 12x6 oil

I found this very well used Xylophone pull toy at an antique market last weekend.  Good thing, because I don't know what else I could have painted for the letter 'x'.  I love the character of old worn toys.  Made of wood and metal parts, nothing plastic about it.  

This is my 24th painting of the month, two more to go to the end of the alphabet, 'y' & 'z'.  After I'm done the alphabet I'm not sure, at the moment, what I'll be painting; perhaps the plein air paintings that I'll be doing on the weekend, if they turn out.

Wasting Water

Wasting Water, 8x10 oil

There is nothing more irritating than the incessant dripping of a tap in the middle of the night.  Well, there might be a few more irritating things than that, like a mosquito in the bedroom or a dog barking outside just when you've fallen asleep.  Come to think of it, I guess there are plenty more irritating things than a dripping tap, except that when the hydro bill arrives you'll be irritated with yourself for not fixing that leaky tap.

Painting #23, seven more paintings to go in the 30 day challenge.

VW Van - Sold

VW Van, 8x8 oil

For my 22nd painting I chose to post this plein air painting that I did in August. The person in the painting was just added today.  It was painted in Dundas Square, Toronto.  My husband, Andy Griffiths, was helping to run the entertainment, raising funds for The Sick Kids Hospital.  This annual event is called Punch Buggy for Sick Kids.  My favourite out of all the cars was this VW van, from the 1960's.  I would love to own one of these!

I would like to sell this painting for $200,  and donate half to Sick Kids Hospital.  I am fortunate that my children had never needed the services of this hospital, (they are young adults now), but my heart goes out to all those parents and their children who do need it.

(Feeling) Utterly Upside-down - Sold

(Feeling) Utterly Upside-down, 8x8 oil

What's a 30 day challenge without a sock monkey?  Here is painting #21.

Next weekend will be a big weekend.  It's Culture Days in Burlington!  I will be painting en plein air at Spencer Smith Park all weekend.  I usually go out to paint on Monday afternoons with a group of artists.  It's with this group that I will be painting next weekend.  This group is based on our commitment to painting en plein air.  We have loosely named ourselves Monday Painters, for a lack of a better name, but in reality we should just be called Plein Air Painters.  There are no fees.  An email is sent out as to where and when we will be painting next and all those who can make it will reply to say when they will be there.  It's wonderful to be part of something like this.

Tons of Toothpicks - Sold

Tons of Toothpicks, 8x8 oil

September 20, here's today painting.  This old box of toothpicks has been around for so long, it looks antique!  In fact I stopped taking any toothpicks from it and put the box in my studio because I knew I was going to paint it one day.  

Sunny Sunflowers - Sold

Sunny Sunflowers, 10x8 oil

'Sunny Sunflowers', even in a darkened room, they almost seem to have a light of their own.  Here is #19 out of 30 paintings, for the month of September.

Last night was the reception for the group show, 'Ordinary Beauty', at the Dundas Museum.  It was a wonderful evening, thank you for joining me.  If you couldn't make it out, the show will still be there until October 13th.

Rolling Country Roads - Sold

Rolling Country Roads, 10x8 oil

For my 18th painting I decided to use a plein air painting that I did a few weeks ago.  I just had to make a few minor adjustments to it and it's perfect for my letter 'r' painting.  After driving out west earlier this summer, and seeing the straight flat roads of the prairies, I've acquired more of an appreciation for the hilly winding roads of Ontario.

3 Quacks

3 Quacks, 10x8 oil

Here is painting #17.  One of the fun things about this challenge is that I have an excuse to paint some things I wouldn't normally be painting.

Today will be a busy day getting ready for the reception at the Dundas Museum.   The reception is from 5:30 to 8:30 tomorrow, Thursday evening.  It'll be a good break from this challenge, but I may have some catching up to do!

Peas and Pods - Sold

Peas and Pods, 12x6 oil

Here is painting #16.  I love how peas have little stems; you never see that when you buy a bag of frozen peas!  Unfortunately I can't grow peas in my garden.  Not because they can't grow, but because the rabbits just love them and eat them all up.

O for Olives - Sold

O for Olives, 6x4 oil

It seems to me, you either hate olives or you love them.  I've never met anyone who is indifferent to them.  For the record, I love them!  In fact I ate the ones I painted as soon as the painting was finished.

Painting #15, half way through the challenge and still going strong!  I must be doing something right this time, like planning my time better or making sure to take breaks between paintings.  Perhaps I'm keeping my paintings simpler, or maybe I'm painting faster, (maybe all of the above).  By this time, in the other painting challenges I've done, I would be exhausted by now!

As I make my way through the alphabet... I'm wondering... what shall I paint for the last 4 paintings?  No time to think about that now, on to the next painting... 'p'.

Oodles of Noodles - Sold

Oodles of Noodles, 24x12 oil

Here's painting #14 of the month, almost half way through the challenge!  I thought since I chose to keep this painting simple, it wouldn't take much time; therefore I should use a larger canvas.  Well I couldn't have been more wrong!  It took me forever to paint those noodles!  

Mmmm Margarita

Mmmm Margarita, 4x6 oil

For painting #13 I chose to paint a Blue Margarita.  When I started painting the first cocktail, 'Kir', I had no idea that I would be painting a series of primary coloured cocktails.  After I had painted 'Lemony Lemon Drop', I realized blue was my only choice for the next painting.  I love the way they look all together!

                              

Lemony Lemon Drop

Lemony Lemon Drop, 4x6 oil

Here is painting #12 of the 30 in 30 challenge.  I was searching for a martini recipe for this next painting, and found this in allrecipes.com.  It's very lemony and not too sweet, you can adjust the sweetness to your own liking.  It also has a bit of mint, which is a nice little touch.

Kir Please

Kir Please, 4x6 oil

Here is painting #11.  Kir is a wonderful cocktail of black current liqueur and white wine, a ratio of 1 part liqueur and 9 parts wine.  It can be made with red wine, champagne, or even a different flavoured liqueur, but black current and white wine is my favourite combination.  Actually it's the only combination I've ever tried because I love the black current flavour!

Jam Jars - Sold

Jam Jars, 8x8 oil

Here's the 10th painting of the month.  Well I've made it through the first third of the challenge!  I'm starting to get behind a bit now.  These jam jars were a lot of fun to paint though, I actually had to force myself to stop painting.  There are still a couple of bits that I would like to get to, but sometimes when I leave a painting for a few days, I realize it doesn't need anything.  Most of my paintings this month will be for sale in the Burlington Studio Tour, www.artinaction.ca, (the first weekend in November), unless of course they are sold beforehand.   If something catches your eye, send me a message here or on Facebook and I'll answer your questions.  Now on to the next painting...

The Ice Cream Incident

The Ice Cream Incident, 6x8 oil

Painting #9, 'The Ice Cream Incident', or should it be called 'The I Scream Incident'.   Has this ever happened to you?  The last time I dropped my ice cream cone was actually this summer.  My husband and I had decided to treat ourselves and went to the gelato shop, downtown Burlington.  We waited in a long line, but knew it was worth it; we would be rewarded in the end.  So with our treasures in hand we chose to go for a stroll along the lakeside promenade.  How romantic is that.  We carefully crossed the street.  Not even 10 steps into our walk and oops!  There went my ice cream!  It even managed to hit my clothes on the way down.  I felt like a three year old child, in fact I wished at that moment that I was 3, then I could have screamed and cried my eyes out!  My husband shared his cone with me, which in the end, was sweeter than having my own, and much more romantic.

Hot, Hot, Hot - Sold

Hot, Hot, Hot 10x8 oil

For painting #8, I chose to paint some very hot peppers from my garden.  When I cut these peppers up I have to be careful not to rub my eyes for the rest of the day!  Wow, they are hot!  I grew some of these peppers a couple of years ago.  What I hadn't used fresh, I dried and put in a jar.  I am sure they have lost a lot of their potency judging from the strength of these fresh ones!   I will have to replace the older dried peppers with this year's batch for sure.  I had saved a couple of the little green boxes from some raspberries earlier in the season, with the intention of using them in a painting eventually.

I have no idea at this point what I will be painting next.  Hmmm, what starts with 'I'?

Gorgeous Grapefruit - Sold

Gorgeous Grapefruit, 10x8 oil

Day 7 already?  Here's my seventh painting of the month.  I've had this grapefruit sitting on the counter, waiting to be eaten.  Every morning my husband and I have gotten into making smoothies for breakfast, packed full of berries and other wonderful things.  This grapefruit just keeps sitting there, forgotten.  Since I was nearing the letter 'g' I thought what better day would there be to slice it open and paint it/eat it. 

Finch Food - Sold

Finch Food, 12x6 oil

September 6, my sixth painting of the month.  I had all sorts of plans for this painting, but in the end, I didn't want to labour over it too much.  I like how fresh the flowers look.  There was supposed to be a Goldfinch in the painting as well, but decided that it didn't really need it after all.  There may be a 'Finch Food II' painting in the works at a later date though. 

(Almost) Empty Egg Carton - Sold

(Almost) Empty Egg Carton, 8x8 oil

A little late posting painting #5 today, the internet had been down for quite a few hours.  I love painting every day items.  There are so many stories that they can tell.  It may be just a reminder of a moment in the day or time spent preparing something special.  An item that you see all the time, but have rarely ever looked at.  If you think about the egg carton, some one had to design the box to house the eggs, and keep them safe.  It doesn't always keep the eggs safe, but does a reasonably good job.  I wonder when the egg carton was first invented?  Years ago I did a painting of an egg carton that my eldest daughter (who was in preschool at the time), had painted to look like a caterpillar.  It was brightly coloured, had pipe cleaner antennae and Pink Fruit Loop eyes.  It was the first time a child of mine had brought home a project that she had created, plus I was afraid it wouldn't last, (and it didn't, the cat ate the eyes before the next day had arrived).
 

(Dubious Decision), Green Tea - Sold

Dubious Decision, 6x8 oil

Painting #4 in the 30 in 30 challenge. The cups were very unstable when stacked like this.  As I set this still life up, the thought of painting them in this precarious position didn't seem like a good idea.  One tiny bump and my painting would be called 'Disastrous Decision'!   In the end, while balancing the top cup with one finger, I took a photo.  I am pleased with the painting, disaster avoided!

Curious Cow - Sold

Curious Cow, 12x6 oil

Painting #3 in the painting a day challenge.  Have you ever noticed that when you stop to look at cows, they all stop grazing and look at you?  I'm sure they are curious as to what you are doing there.  This was a half painted plein air painting that I decided to finish off for this challenge.  It also fits into my scheme.  So far I have been naming my paintings alphabetically.  I have a feeling that there are going to be some very oddly named paintings!

Beautiful Boxes - Sold

Beautiful Boxes, 18x24 oil

Painting #2, The mystery of the box!  There is something intriguing about an unopened box.  The mystery of what could be inside.  These boxes are from a store in Niagara-on-the-Lake.  My husband and I went to Niagara-on-the-Lake to celebrate our anniversary this year.  We love touring the wineries and discovering new wines.  The downtown area is pretty, with some unique shops.  One shop that we stopped in sold all kinds of hats.  We both found hats that we fell in love with, and when purchasing them the sales girl asked if we would like them in boxes.  As soon as I saw the boxes I said yes to both of us having boxes, knowing that they will become part of a painting!  

Abandoned Apple Core

Abandoned Apple Core 6x6 oil 

The first day of September is here!  Tomorrow life will get back to 'normal' for those who have children at home.  They'll be sent off to school, wearing new outfits, ready to start a new year of challenges and accomplishments.  Shiny and new, just like the apples that will be left on the teacher's desks.  Do children bring apples to school for their teachers?  A Norman Rockwell sort of image comes to mind.  Happy Labour Day!

This month for me represents a month of paintings!  I have chosen to join the hundreds of artists and do a painting a day, for 30 days.  I can't believe this will be the fourth time doing the Leslie Saeta 30 in 30 Challenge.  It's a lot of fun and hard work, and definitely a challenge!  I will be posting here every day, as well as on lesliesaeta.blogspot.ca.