January 31, 2016

30 Paintings in 30 Days, January 2016

30 Paintings in 30 Days, January 2016

Here are all 30 paintings from this month!  I love seeing them together like this.  Now to clean up my studio and move on to projects that are waiting to get done.  Thank you for following me this month.    

January 30, 2016

XO

XO, 6x8 oil

Here is the final painting of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge!  I have thoroughly enjoyed the journey this month, and can still say that I can't think of a better way to start the year.

January 29, 2016

Spending Time Together - Sold

Spending Time Together, 8x8 oil

Two of my favourite perks of the day!  Taking a walk and grabbing a cup of coffee.  Allowing myself time to think about things other than the task at hand.  Recently I'd forgotten to bring a reusable cup, so I thought I would use this one as a prop for a painting.

January 28, 2016

Toast and Coffee? - Sold

Toast and Coffee?, 10x8 oil

I never make soft boiled eggs.  Probably because I don't care for eating them that way.  I imagined this painting to have a soft drippy egg.  Well after making three hard boiled eggs, then this one, that was as close as I was going to get.  The yolk is more like gelatin than liquid, (more to my liking, if I was going to eat it).  This is painting #28 of the month!

January 27, 2016

Soft Boiled - Sold

Soft Boiled, 8x8 oil

I decided to paint eggs for my 27th painting; just three more paintings to complete over the next three days.  I really haven't found this challenge as hard to keep up with as in past challenges, although it did get a bit tough around the two week mark.  The 'before and after' theme that I chose to follow for the month has been fun, as well as limiting myself to the subject of food or food related items.

January 26, 2016

A Study for Jam Jars and Daisies

A Study for Jam Jars and Daisies, 6x8 oil

I actually set up this still life with five jam jars in a row.  When I thought of the time it would take to paint it, and the size I would want it to be, I decided that it'll have to wait until after this challenge is over.    

January 25, 2016

Wild Blueberry - Sold

Wild Blueberry, 6x8 oil

Here is today's painting.  I think I like the label on this jar just as much as I like the jam/spread inside.  This is my 25th painting of the month, getting close to the end now! Five more paintings to go.

January 23, 2016

Golden Beets - Sold

Golden Beets, 8x16 oil

For my 23rd painting of the month I chose to paint this bunch of golden beets.  I can't believe I've already painted 23 paintings this year!  All of the paintings have been painted from life, without the use of photos.  It's a really good exercise, although sometimes the still life will tend to shift or move while I paint.  Flowers start to wilt or in this case the beets began to lean to the left more and more.

January 22, 2016

Hot & Spicy - Sold

Hot & Spicy, 10x5 oil

If you've ever chopped a jalapeƱo pepper, then you know never to rub your eyes afterwards.  I have done this more often than I care to say.  I have tried wearing rubber gloves while handling the cut peppers, but the gloves just seem so cumbersome.  This is painting #22, only seven more to go!    

January 21, 2016

A Few JalapeƱos - Sold

A Few JalapeƱos, 6x6 oil 

Here is painting #21.  I chose to paint jalapeƱo peppers because I love their deep green colour, (and the spicy hot flavour).  

January 20, 2016

Just Because

Just Because, 8x16 oil

I would say Gerberas are one of my favourite flowers.  I love that they come in a lot of colours and are fairly large in size.  Unfortunately they have no scent.

This is the twentieth painting of the month...only ten more to go!

January 19, 2016

Milk and Cookies - Sold

Milk and Cookies, 5x10 oil

Here is painting #19.  Who doesn't love a nice cold glass of milk and a few yummy cookies for a snack.

January 18, 2016

Happy Day - Sold

Happy Day, 8x10 oil

There's nothing like a few fresh flowers to brighten the day.  Here is painting #18.  Happy Monday!

January 17, 2016

Refreshing

Refreshing, 16x16 oil

For painting #17 I decided to get a bit larger.  I looked at my stack of smaller canvases and thought how nice it would be to sink my teeth into something larger.  What was I thinking!  With this size I and amount of time I could have painted at least four small paintings.  Oh well, I enjoyed painting it all the same.  

January 15, 2016

Two Cups

Two Cups, 7x9 oil

Here is painting #15.  Fifteen more paintings to go for the month of January!

January 14, 2016

Party of Pears - Sold

Party of Pears, 12x6 oil

Here is painting #14 of the painting challenge.  Almost half way there!  Out of all the 30 day painting challenges that I've done, I'm finding this to be the easiest.  I'm thinking that it's partly because I have developed good work habits and have learned to manage my time well, but I also think I have become more efficient in how I paint and know where I want to go with each painting that I start.  Let's see how the next 16 days will go!

January 13, 2016

A Lone Pear - Sold

A Lone Pear, 6x6 oil


Sometimes the stars just do not align properly!  I made an attempt to paint a pear last night.  It took me about four hours and I was struggling with it the whole time.  I know I wasn't focused, but it was a simple little pear.  I looked at it this morning and decided I should try it again with a different pear.  I painted it within two hours without a hitch.   So I took a photo and uploaded it to post here.  After typing the title my keyboard stopped working.  Luckily I'm able to use another device to post it.  Then I looked at the date and yes, it's the 13th day, 13th painting, hmmm.   

January 11, 2016

Dessert is Coming - Sold

Dessert is Coming, 8x10 oil

Sometimes, before painting a still life, I would have all sorts of ideas as to what I would like to paint.  Setting up one arrangement after another.  That's how it went with this set up.  In the end I chose to go with this simple set up.  I love this point of view and seeing the layers of colours.

January 10, 2016

A Good Start - Sold

A Good Start, 8x8 oil

Here is painting #10.  Already a third of the way through the challenge.  I think the biggest challenge is what to paint next.  Since my theme is 'before and after',  the 'before' painting is hard, because I also have to think about the 'after' painting at the same time.

January 09, 2016

Fast Food - Sold

Fast Food, 12x6 oil

Here is painting #9.  All my paintings this month are from life.  I've been asked what my painting set up is.  I always stand when I paint.  To get this angle I've place a small table on top of another table.  I find that sitting and painting is hard on the back.

January 08, 2016

Trois Petits Macarons - Sold

Trois Petits Macarons, 6x8 oil

This is my 'after' painting of Les Petits Macarons.  Originally I had the idea to paint the pink cookie by itself with a bite taken out of it, but that painting will have to wait.  These cookies have become part of my collection of still life objects in my studio...they are a couple months old, (hard as rock unfortunately).  I'll have to wait to take a bite out of some nice freshly baked ones.

January 07, 2016

Les Petits Macarons - Sold

Les Petits Macarons, 6x8 oil

I love macarons.  I love that they are so colourful and have wonderful flavours.  I also love that they remind me of my trips to Paris.  

January 06, 2016

Simple Things - Sold

Simple Things, 12x6 oil
I love doing a painting a day!  Here is painting #6, as I continue painting from life with my theme of 'Before and After', in this 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge.

January 04, 2016

The Sweetness Within - Sold

The Sweetness Within, 12x6 oil

Here is painting #4 of the challenge.  I enjoyed working on this painting, it came together very quickly.  Hopefully the rest of my paintings in the challenge will come together as nicely as this one.   

January 03, 2016

Bowl of Sunshine - Sold

Bowl of Sunshine, 10x8 oil

It's the third day of the year, and it already feels like New Year's Eve was ages ago, as we all get back into our regularly scheduled lives.  The only difference is, the house is still filled with Christmas.  Besides the clementines, chocolates, and games still around, the house is filled with festive decorations.  Even the beautifully decorated Christmas tree is still looking almost as fresh as the first day we got it.  Too bad Christmas can't last just a little bit longer.

January 02, 2016

The Hidden Treasure - Sold

The Hidden Treasure, 9x7 oil

Here is my second painting of the year.  Well, actually I lie.  I did do another painting of the whole pomegranate that I may post at another time.  After cutting open the ripe pomegranate and painting it, I made a salad and added some of the pomegranate seeds to it.  Yum!

January 01, 2016

A Pomegranate - Sold

A Pomegranate, 9x7 oil

Happy New Year! I can't think of a better way to start the year than doing a painting a day.  I always have good intentions in December, but my time seems to get eaten away somehow, finding very little time to do the thing that I love most, painting.  My goal this month is to get back to basics, doing simple little paintings from life.  My theme of the month will be 'Before and After'.