Daily Painting Practice - a study in painting glass

More practice for the larger studio painting I am doing this week. I finally have a place in a painting for this glass vase which I bought months ago at an antique store. I am under strict supervision when browsing antique stores. The deal is, if I buy something it must be used in a painting and the painting must sell before I get to buy another piece. So I am forced to be very selective. It must also be under $10.00. Starving artists can't be choosers.

click on the picture to enlarge the image
Glass Study
8"x10"
oil on masonite

Here is a close up of the glass. I used Indian Yellow and a lot of Liquin for the base. The Indian Yellow is a wonderful transparent yellow. I think it may be the only transparent yellow paint. I dipped my brush into the indian yellow and a touch of cadmium orange. I did not mix the paint ahead of time but just allowed the brush to lay the colors on the canvas. I scratched out the highlight.

Just a quick post today. Happy painting everyone!

Painting oranges in a bowl

This is a larger study of the oranges in the bowl from yesterday's set up.
I am only working with a few colors. Titanium white, cadmium orange, burnt sienna and ultra-marine blue.
Here is a close up. I love brush work like this and the thick and thin paint. Take a good look though..... It won't last. I have a horrible time controlling myself from this point on. I think part of the problem comes from having several finished versions of the same painting in my head, all in different styles of painting. Maybe as time goes by I will feel comfortable with just one style...or maybe two....or maybe not.

click on the picture to enlarge the image

Oranges in a Bowl - Study
6"x6" oil on masonite
SOLD

I told you this would happen. I started to over work the oranges so I made myself put down the brushes and walk away. I like the Van Gogh feel of this one. Simple and fun. Those are the best paintings to end the day with.

Daily Painting Practice Season Two Begins

This is a new year so I tried a new approach with this first study. I coated the entire panel with a Liquin and Turpentine mix. Then started painting into it. I wasn't really comfortable with the feel. But this is practice and who said we should always be comfortable?
I thought the composition had that breakfast in Italy feel to it.

click on picture to enlarge the image

Orange Delight - Study
8"x10"
oil on masonite

SOLD

It feels good to be painting again. I have not painted or posted a blog for almost three weeks so forgive me if I do too much babbling. I think the time away was a gift and I am so grateful to be seeing clear again. Moody artists should take note. You are not alone. I think all artists have a genetic requirement that makes us go through mood swings or periods of self doubt. It may be God's way of balancing the universe. We get to play with beauty and occasionally we need to feel like we may lose the gift.

Being away (in Bolivia) not only helped me to kick my habit of .. I must be on the computer every hour to check email and the latest updates on every daily painter's blog in the universe..., but I was also able to clear my head of silly things like feeling depressed if my little practice paintings did not sell on Ebay, or I really got into trouble listening to myself say things like I can't do "real art".

So I am back. I feel like I am entering my sophmore year in my homeschool of art. This year I am changing the way I approach my daily painting practice and how I will post on my blog. On Mondays, I will show the setup and composition I will be working on for the entire week. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I will be posting small daily studies or practice pieces for the larger painting I hope to have done each week. Thursdays, I will post something painted just for fun and Fridays I will post the finished painting of the week.

I am hoping this approach will keep me focussed on my goals for the year and also keep me challanged. Painting is hard work. The more I do the more it seems I learn just how hard it really is. This first year has been remarkable. I have learned so much and gained a lot of confidence. So back to work!

Oh- and thanks to everyone who commented and wrote emails while I was away. The encouragement and support we give each other is the best antidote for doubt and fear.

Back in the saddle again

I'm back from blog rehab! I have gone three weeks without looking at a computer. No favorite blogs, no favorite artist websites, no Ebay sales, not even email!!!!!!

The first few days I had the shakes, I walked around a lot mumbling and bumping into things. But I eventually cleared my head of passwords and the need to check out what every other artist in the world did yesterday. I did a lot of thinking and asking God for help and direction while I was away. (I was actually in Bolivia visiting my daughter's in-laws). I have not painted for the past two weeks. This was a much needed break and made me very hungry to get back to work.

It has been a little over a year since I quit my day job and started painting full time. This past year I told myself would be like going back to school. It has been a time of learning new skills, practicing, experimenting, and practicing some more. School is now over. I feel the next step is to start producing larger and better work. So my Daily Painting Practice routine will be different and so will my blogging posts.

My new routine will be to complete a larger studio painting (12"x16" minimum)each week. I will post the finished painting at the end of the week. My daily painting practice pieces will be small related studies for the larger paintings. My other stretch goal is to complete one large canvas(24"x36") or larger) each month.

I have new goals for the year also.
1. Get representation from at least 3 new galleries
2. Get into 1 juried show
3. Actually begin to make an income from my work. (More than if I worked at Wal-Mart full time)

I will begin posting new work starting next Tuesday January 30th.

daily painting practice- Will Return January 22

I will return to Daily Painting Practice on January 22 2007. Lots of people are making resolutions this time of year and I have my own to work on. I will not be posting for the next 3 weeks. I am starting quite a few new projects in 2007 and I need to adjust my schedue and work habits a bit. One truth is I have become addicted to reading artist's blogs and I need to get my head out of the computer and into the studio. Not to worry though-

While I am away in art blog rehab, I hope you will enjoy some of the sites that got me hooked. Warning these blogs can be addictive!

In addition to the links on my blog I highly recommend these. For your daily dose of art history and some fascinating information try these wonderful blogs: First,(Lines and Colors) - you could spend hours on this site alone. (Your Daily Art) is for a quick hit of art history and(Making a Mark) will feed you a dose of interesting topics.
For those interested in a little different perspective and like to read about the business side of art try looking at the(Intrepid Art Collector) and (Art Biz Blog).

If I need a place to remind me about how to enjoy art I often fall back to (Anthony Zierhut). Three other places to go to see and learn how art can fill your life are(One mile from home) and (Studio Notes) and (Life Plein Air).

But here is my holy grail and the winner of the best site for learning to be an artist. Anyone who says " I want to be an artist but I can't afford art school" will see what it is really like to dedicate yourself to practice. This is the best art school on the internet. I have been following (Learning to See) since Paul started posting. His dedication is humbling and inspirational at the same time. I have learned so much from this guy. I feel I owe him my first born....( my first born is grown and married and may see this as an opportunity to travel to England)

Anyway- enjoy these while I am away from my computer. I'm going cold turkey. Feel free to leave comments, I would like to hear what you think of these blogs. Back soon!