I'm challenging myself to create 30 paintings in 30 days. I've seen many other artists do this and I have heard and seen so many good things come from it. I'm excited to see what happens with my art and what I learn on this journey, which I will be sure to share with you here each week.
I'm keeping the paintings small because I only have a short period of time after work to create them. One might think small is easier because there is less surface to cover, however, I am finding there are some challenges with smaller work. But I am able to complete a painting in the time frame I have allotted myself, so right now the 4 x 4 to 5 x 7 canvases are working.
1 of 30
I recently read that using a watercolor pencil is a great way to sketch your subject on your canvas before painting. If you make a mistake you can just wet the area and rub it off. I decided to give it a go.
I used a pale green watercolor pencil on this canvas. What I didn't realize is that the white paint would blend with the green pencil marks and create its own color mix. You can see it very clearly on the side and back wall. At first I was unsure if I wanted to keep it, but as I continued to paint I liked how it looked. A happy little accident.
Going forward, when I use watercolor pencils to sketch on my canvas I'll make sure I use a color that compliments the color palette I have decided on, just in case it shows through.
2 of 30
Sunday night I decided to do 30 paintings in 30 days. Monday I started the challenge. No plan. No idea what I was going to paint or what color palette I was going to use. I knew if I wanted to stay focused and do this then I needed to get more organized. I quickly decided to make my main focus nature. I love landscapes and waterscapes, plants, flowers, and (wild) animals.
When I was thinking about what my first nature painting would be I thought, how wonderful it would be to walk up the steps to my home and pass by these luscious plants every day, and from that thought came this bouquet of large plants.
3 of 30
I live in an area where I can drive along the Gulf Coast and visit multiple beaches, which is what I did last month, the weekend before my birthday.
The day was absolutely beautiful, until right before it was time to turn around and come home. That’s when a storm started brewing.
My cousin and I hopped out of the car and snapped some photos of this gorgeous stretch of beach, one of those photos became the inspiration for this painting.
I love all of nature (mountains, fields, water, etc.) but there is a sense of peace and calm that comes over me when I listen to and watch the water slide up to the shore and splash against the sand, that I don’t feel in quite the same way anywhere else.
4 of 30
I think my photos are starting to get slightly better - or maybe it's just the fact that I am in love with light and shadow and seeing the sunlight in the background makes me happy. Either way, I really like this painting and photo.
If you look closely you can see some brush stroke lines in the sky and water portion of the painting. The night before I had a good bit of left over paint that I couldn't get it back in the tubes (I hate wasting paint) so I used a fan brush and covered this canvas with the leftovers. I picked up the dry canvas the next night to paint this on it, not realizing the brush stroke lines would show through. I like it though. It gives it some texture. Another happy accident.
The inspiration for this painting came from a blogger I follow, Lucy Atkins, better known as Ms. Craftberry Bush https://www.instagram.com/mscraftberrybush/ If you don't follow her, click the link and start following her. You'll be glad you did. She is such a talented artist and posts the most beautiful every day photos and she is just so sweet. Plus she has an adorable dog, Brody.
Anyway, Ms. Craftberry Bush was on vacation and was sharing a video of her location and I thought it was beautiful so I took a snap as the video was playing, then cropped it and used that image to paint this. I made a couple little changes, but that's the beauty of creativity, you can mold things to your liking.
What I Learned This Week
Using watercolor pencils is a great way to sketch on your canvas, especially if the color of the pencil blends well with your painting. If you're not comfortable using watercolor pencils then I would recommend chalk. It wipes off easily and can be painted over.
Plan ahead. Pick a color scheme and plan your painting subjects ahead of time. This doesn't apply if you're wanting to see what you come up with daily and want to paint freely and have the time to do so. However, because I work full-time, I only have a short period of time each night to paint so I need a bit more focus, and it's just how I like to paint. I am a planner :)
Have all of your supplies where they are easily accessible.
Take the time to take good photos. I felt rushed - I painted and then had to photograph the artwork before the sun went down and the quality of my photos suffered because of it. I also like to have a good background, so this week I will be planning how I want to photograph my art and what props to have with them.
I am more relaxed and have more fun painting when I am listening to good music (as opposed to having the TV on as background noise).
If you have any tips or tricks you use when painting, comment below. I would love to hear from you.
Have a great and creative week!
Rebecca ~
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