Day 24 of 30-Day Photography Challenge (Animal)

Day 24 Animal

No-brainer for this one. I happen to live with an animal by the name of Suki Kabuki Tuki Tuki, or Suki to her closest friends and select associates.

Suki and I have been together since I saw her photograph on a Small Dog Rescue website in Blaine, WA about 8 years ago. The photo showed her in a plastic cone,  just recently out of surgery. She was a mess. But she was a mess for which I instantly fell.

Suki, or Anabelle or Daisy Mae or whatever she had been named by the rescue, had originally been the beloved pet of a woman who passed away and the woman's children were saddled with their mother's dog. An accident--legitimate--befell the dog, which was rushed begrudgingly to the vet's office. It turned out the people didn't want to, or couldn't, pay for the necessary surgery and they instructed the dog be put down. The vet called the rescue, the rescue paid for the surgery, which necessitated the removal of a shattered eye. I saw the dog on the website and the promptly re-named Suki has been with me since.

Miss Suki is the subject of today's challenge.

Day 23 Patterns

Yes, again I can't decide which to use. I loved the patterns carved in the soapstone and the patterns in the fan, even the ribs of the fan make a pattern, a repetition. I loved the pattern of the vintage molded glass. And to finish off the trio of photographs, I love the pattern of the dots in the day lily.

Patterns ... love 'em!

Day 22 Inspirational

Inspiration can be found anywhere. Whether we're ready to see it or not, inspiration abounds. But when we're ready and open, we recognize the gift of what was there all along.

I have found, for myself, that my inspiration can be found in nature. If I can walk among the trees, down a grassy path, along a shell strewn shore, so much the better. But, I live in a more urban area. Nature still exists in urban areas. Nature exists cheek and jowl with man-made things, often debris and junk, castoffs.

My inner whoever is delighted and enchanted when, as in this photograph, I come across a simple solitary pine cone resting against a rain-soaked weathered bit of corrugated cardboard. I'm inspired. I gravitate to the contrast of angles and lines to the curves. I love shadows cast, patterns identified.

Part and parcel with seeing such, is happenstance. This isn't a staged photograph. The lighting and the subject matter are found. I'm merely an observer, not a creator. I photograph what is already there.

This is my inspiration.

Another Double Up ... Days 21 and 20

Day 21 Faceless Self Portrait

I tried taking a photograph of my head from the back without any of my face showing. I tried a goodly number of shots and all of them turned out looking like Cousin It of the Addams Family.

Back to the drawing board.

Feet! This is an apt self-portrait because I LOVE to go barefoot whenever possible, any time of the year. I do bow down to the radical drop in winter temperatures and will then sometimes wear socks, but chances are barefoot is how you'll find me around the house.

This has been a good challenge, because it forced me to consider what other than a face could be considered a self-portrait. I thought of photographing my hands, but that would be hard to do if one is holding an iPhone camera. And I had already included my hand in a previous photograph.

The photos I took of the back of my head were interesting. I don't often look at the back of my head in my mirror. I usually comb or brush my hair and assume that the back is good to go. However, I am intimately acquainted with my toes, as in applying nail lacquer or accidentally stubbing my toe on a table leg.

I've enjoyed looking at things from a different perspective. Working with yesterday's challenge was a surprise. I wasn't sure what I would find at the bottom of my purse. I toss everything in there and oftentimes it's quite a while until it gets cleared out. Whew! Nothing incriminating. This time.

Day 20 In My Bag

Day 19 Something You Want

I'm a woman of very few wants. I'm at a point in life where I no longer want things and have started divesting, lightening my load.

I want what I suspect a lot of people want.

I have had recent email comments from several folks I've met through my Etsy business, which seem to share a common desire to connect with life more meaningfully. Not the often exhausting drive to make money, or attain status, but a search for a slower, simpler existence, able to take time to savor the joy of the moment, to reflect, to daydream.

I think there's a way each of us can find a balance, where we earn what we need, but still have time to reflect on who and what we are all about. I think it goes beyond happiness. Total bliss is just another imbalance, no?

I look at what I've just written and realize once again how privileged I am. I live in a country and a time that gives me advantages not possible for others with fewer options. I don't take my life lightly. I have what I need today. I'm grateful.

I came up with something, but I don't know how to photograph it. Or maybe I'm simply not clever enough to stage such a photograph.

Okay ... Okay ... Getting back on point. Here is something I want. I want options.

I want to wander along some warm sand beach beach-combing as I go, listening to the ocean, smelling the water and watching it dance in the sunshine, without a departure schedule, marveling at the ocean's treasures left at my feet.

Well, shoot! I already have that option, don't I? I just need to come up with a way to make it happen!

Day 19

Something You Want

(Options)

Day 18 My Shoes

Day 18

My Shoes

30 Day Photography Challenge

My shoes? Sure why not. I slide open my closet door to a tumble of rights and lefts. A good start. Then I saw a dusty bag at the back and yanked it out from under some other shoes. My tango dancing shoes! Oh my, I haven't used them at all since moving to Spokane. I had so much fun with that.

Just beyond the dancing shoes you'll see the clod-hoppers I now wear in Spokane oh-so-very-cold-in-the-winter. Not good for tango.

It was nice to see the sexy black heels, reminded me of what once was. And who knows? I might get back on the dance floor. I see there's something starting Monday nights. I just might check it out.

Day 17 Technology ... that little gizmo holds HOW MANY photographs?

Technology is as technology does. I'll be the first to acknowledge I don't understand a thing about computers and programming and how everything connects. I do understand I would be in a world of inconvenience if I didn't have it at my finger tips. Look at this little thumb drive! Just look at it! It's my back-up for thousands of photographic images. All on that little gizmo. Perhaps I should be backing everything up on the Cloud, but I'm not ready and willing for that just yet.

It's exciting to use this ever-developing technology, even though I feel I'm stumbling, fumbling along trying to keep up. Looking ahead to what's just on the horizon in technological advancement is amazing, the stuff of science fiction. I look forward to the next incredible breakthrough. It's change in the making.

And look at what impact technology has had, is having, on photography! Oh my!

Day 17

Technology

30 Day Photography Challenge

Double Your Pleasure ... Day 16 AND Day 15

Whoops! I forgot to upload my 30 Day Photography Challenge subject for yesterday, so I'm combining it with today's upload.

Day 16 subject is "A Good Habit."  I certainly have a lot of not so good habits, but one that serves me well and which I am most in the habit of performing is writing in my daily journal. Although some days it's more like ranting and raving, or bemoaning, or regretting, or celebrating, or praising, or self-congratulating. That's what is so effective for me about maintaining a personal journal. I can vent or be silly or be too serious and I'm the only one who knows. I value this good habit as a means of anchoring myself.

I don't write anything of earth-shattering importance, no secrets to take to my grave, nothing really of any merit other than to myself.

I got to thinking back to a time when I wondered what happened to my Grandma Lyon's journals, which I had learned she wrote. But none of the family knew what happened to them. It made me think about how fewer people are actually writing things down, versus a digital means of journaling. A time will probably come where nothing will be written, there'll be no journals with family photos tucked in, or a winning ribbon from the local art show, or dried rose from an anniversary bouquet.

Day 15 photo subject matter was "Silhouette." I took a photograph of the silhouette of a poinsettia, but you can still see bracts of color, not in silhouette. Something better than nothing, eh?

Day 16   A Good Habit (Journal Writing)

Day 15   Silhouette (Poinsettia)

Day 14 Eyes

My sister Mel and I chatted about eyes tonight. We came up with eyes of a potato, eye of the tiger, eye of a needle, cat's eye, the evil eye, the stink eye, not a dry eye in the place. I have a carved wood mask with a Third Eye, I have a Shark's Eye shell I collected from a beach on Honeymoon Island, Florida, I have a carved wood monkey with a fez and crazy eyes, and I have African made glass beads to ward off the evil eye. It's amazing how many references there are to eyes and so many choices for photographing.

Photograph my own eye? It's not to be found. Both of my old lady eyes are disappearing into my eye lid folds, it's quite amazing that I can still see out of these ol' slits!

No, today I'm fulfilling the challenge with tiger eye cabochons. I wish I had them set in a fabulous piece of jewelry so I could capitalize on the opportunity. Alas, no bodacious jewelry with these cabs ... yet.

Day 14

Eyes

30 Day Photography Challenge

Uncut Tiger Eye Slab and Cabochons

Day 13 Cannot Live Without

Hmmm ... what can I not live without? Coffee? No, if I were told by my physician I had to give up coffee for health reasons, I could.

I seriously can't think of anything I cannot live without. If something were to happen to me or those I love, I would find a way to overcome or cope or, if nothing else, simply accept. I would dig deep and find a way to live without that unidentified something. I would survive.

However, for the purpose of this Photography Challenge, for something to photograph, I would say that being able to see is very, very important to me. So, today's photograph is of my prescription tri-focal glasses.

I got my first glasses when I was 12 and it was incredible to me how much more of the world I could see. It was truly magic! I kid you not! I felt like I had super eyes and could see inordinately long distances.

For a long time I could read without my glasses, but time has taken its toll and my sight has worsened and I am totally dependent upon my glasses to read anything. I cannot hold things far enough away to read them without the aid of my glasses.

30 Day Photography Challenge

Day 13

Cannot Live Without

Day 12 Sunset ... and change

I don't get many sunset opportunities where I now live. With trees, buildings blocking my view I don't see much western sky, just straight up sky. Today, however, there wasn't any appreciable sunset. It seemed to go directly from freezing dismal afternoon to freezing dismal dusk.

I referenced my inventory of sunsets, looking for a sunset taken on this date, December 6, and the only one taken on this date was back in Birch Bay in 2010. Coincidentally, that was the month and year that I made my decision to eventually leave Birch Bay, a bittersweet decision. Not sure where I was headed next, just knew it was time.

Moving from Birch Bay to eventually Spokane meant major change. I've learned a lot about myself since then. One of the unfortunate trade-offs was no more stupendously glorious sunsets over the bay. The photo I've uploaded today was chosen only because of the same date as today.  I could publish a book with the incredible sunsets I was blessed to see in Birch Bay.

So, I hope you don't mind my travel back through time and substituting a photo I had taken then for today's challenge. A wonderfully unanticipated benefit has been to be reminded that change can be good. Attitude makes or breaks a situation, so why not embrace a positive attitude?

December 6, 2010 Birch Bay WA Sunset

Day 11 Something Blue

And so the photography challenge continues. Some subjects have been more challenging than others. Today's left me with so many options it was hard to narrow it to just one. But I did, and I am, right now.

Day 11

Something Blue

30 Day Photography Challenge

(Why do I type this heading every time? Silly, no? It just seems more official, 

although there's nothing official about this challenge. It's just a personal pursuit. C'est la vie)

Thrift Shop Blue Jeans

Post Note: After I posted this I realized I had more to comment about it. 

As a woman of a certain generation in a western society, when one says "something blue" I immediately connect with the something borrowed, something blue of weddings. I'm not real big on weddings, although I've had two of them. But it was just so drummed into my skull that the simple words themselves evoke images of weddings and the importance of having something blue. I pooh-poohed that notion when I learned of today's challenge subject, but I would be less than honest if I didn't at least acknowledge it. This challenge is about images, and for the most part the images are from my day-to-day existence. Images, imagined and tangible are important. It's a form of shared communication. Okay. I'm done. Seriously.

Day 10 of the 30 Day Photography Challenge

Today's photography subject matter has to do with childhood memories. I have a lot of great memories. But I've photographed just one today.

My mother was very artsy-crafty and was always working on home projects with us kids, there were five of us in the Hinsvark family. Especially at Christmas we would sit around the dining table making ornaments and decorations out of whatever Mom could get her hands on for free. We lived on very frugal means, and that meant finding ways to be creative without too much expense. She would collect used Christmas cards, wrapping paper, outdated wallpaper sample books--anything and everything--and we'd have a blast with poster paints, papier mache, flour paste and lots of glitter.

I immediately thought about the fun we had cutting lengths of paper and gluing them together into links for paper chain garlands. We were boisterous, all actively grabbing for glitter or what not, singing Christmas songs. It is a good memory.

Once the decision of subject was made, I also decided to use an outdated calendar of ancient Japanese woodblock scenes for the strips. I spent four years of my childhood in Tokyo, Japan and I'm still very much attracted to Japanese art, textiles, decorative aesthetic. I cut strips from the calendar and linked them together. There are bits of Japanese landscapes, snow scenes, and/or calligraphy on each of the links.

As a result of talking with my sister, Mel about the subject of today's photo, we're going to continue making the links and use the paper garland in the living room. We've both been a bit "Bah! Humbug!" and perhaps this will ease us into a more festive frame of mind.

Day 10

Childhood Memory

30 Day Photography Challenge

Day 9 ... oh yes it is!

Today is Day 9 of the 30-Day Photography Challenge, the subject of which is Someone You Love. My sister, Mel, was babysitting her granddaughter Susan and I couldn't resist photographing them together. Lighting is terrible, focus is abysmal, but the someone loving someone is unmistakable.

Day 9

Someone You Love

30 Day Photography Challenge

Painting Activity, Too

As for other artistic activity going on, I provided about a dozen acrylic paintings to Park Place Apartments, an independent living community in Spokane, WA, for display during December. I think there are two other River Ridge Association of Fine Art members who are also in this exhibit. I am a standby alternate, so unfortunately, I just rushed everything over and don't know too much about the venue or the other artists.

The administrative staff take it upon themselves to install exhibits in their venue, so I plan to go over in a week or so to see how it all looks. Exciting!

This is one of the paintings I prepared that morning to take over. It's an acrylic on 9" x 11" canvas board, titled "Golden Leaves Red Wind."

Day 8 Routine

Routine ... any routine, my routine? I had to think about this a bit. Because I'm, for all intents and purposes, retired. I don't routinely get up at a specific time each morning. Often when I get up is determined by when I put down my book and turn off the light and go to sleep. If it's a good tale, I might not get to sleep until almost time to get up to go to work, if I were working. So, you can see, I can't use that as a routine. I'm very inconsistent.

Oh! Okay! I have one. I have two.

I routinely remove the stickers/labels from fruit from supermarket fruit and stick it up on the back-splash by the sink. I also stick them to my daily journals, or even include them as part of collaged art correspondence I send. Routinely, the labels end up on the back-splash. Ta-Da! My first photograph.

Another routine I have is to take off my jewelry when I go to bed and toss it slap-dash onto a rattan tray on my nightstand. Eventually it piles up and at some point I transfer the baubles to a jewelry box on my bureau. Ta-Da! My second photograph depicting a routine.

Day 8

Routine

30 Day Photography Challenge

Day 7 Changes to Come

Now that I'm sitting down to write this blog entry I realize I misread today's challenge subject. I thought it was "Change." I should be more careful when taking on a photography assignment.

I didn't photograph something today that would imply changes to come. I was out this evening to pick-up some burgers and French fried onion rings, but my usual foodie haunt was closed. I forgot it was Sunday. I noticed I was low on petrol, so drove to a shopping center to fill 'er up, where the lights of a restaurant caught my eye. I've noticed it before, but hadn't gone in.

My sister Melba likes to go to the same places, places she's familiar with, places she and Steve had gone to before he passed away. I usually defer to her when picking up dinner for the two of us.

Bless you for bearing with me, here is the point. I decided to go in. It was a change from my usual routine. As is said, if you don't change, nothing changes. I took a chance. If Mel didn't care for the cuisine, it was only one meal and she could fix herself a PB&J sandwich.

The name of the joint is Tecate, which I learned is also the name of a town in Northern Mexico about 40 miles from San Diego, CA. The city's claim to fame is Tecate Beer. I'm still trying to find a place for good Mexican food here in Spokane. I think I found one! I ordered the chicken flautas and the steak tacos al cabon. Alas, I did not have a Tecate beer, having some Pyramid ale at home, which I did indeedy have with my Mexican dinner. I think Melba enjoyed this change, too.

I changed my choices. Because of this, I can infer other changes might result. See! I did meet the challenge after all!

I like photographing images with light bouncing all over the place, with neon brights. I wish there had been more people, but I was there a little early for the dinner crowd. I also like the letters, visual lines, contrasts of dark and light, and variety of shapes.

Day 7

Changes to Come

30 Day Photography Challenge

Day 6 Obsession

A strange subject, obsession. It's a very strong word, that of something consuming, excessive, compulsive, bordering on frantic, neurotic. An interesting subject, one that I don't think I gave adequate time to mull over. I consider my obsessions, which I don't really feel I have. Although, I'm sometimes dogged in my pursuit of things. Perhaps an obsession of mine is to gather, to collect things. I gather shells and rocks. It might be called obsession.

I used to collect beads, but that period seems to have passed. When I told my sister about today's challenge topic, she immediately said, "Your vintage things." I had to pooh-pooh that one because I'm not obsessive about vintage things. That's strictly a business in order to make some income. Although the hunt for, or the gathering of vintage things to sell might bump hips with constituting a consuming activity. I gather, collect.

However, my first thought was my love of good coffee, of grinding the beans, smelling the resulting aroma that fills the air, of how that first taste of coffee in the morning sets the stage for a good day.

It's good, I'll go with coffee as fulfilling the challenge of obsession. Of course, I managed to slip a shell into the photograph, as well.

Day 6

Obsession

30 Day Photography Challenge

Day 5 After Dark

I was quite taken with the bistro chair of yesterday's challenge photo, and so today's photograph is another version of that very chair ... after dark. I love how the red and green neon lights from the coffee shop are reflected in the chair. I also like that if you squint your eyes to disengage from object nomenclature, the image expands into shapes and diagonal lines and cross-hatching.

Day 5

After Dark

30 Day Photography Challenge

Day 4 Something Green

It's now the end of November and to my mind's eye there wasn't much that's still green. Although when I let out the dog to do her thing, I noted the grass was still green, the evergreen trees still green, albeit it more drab.

But, once one started specifically looking for "green," there it popped up hither and yon.

My first thought was to photograph a green GO-signal, but no, too easy. I kept my eyes peeled. Oh, there's something interesting, but it was something I normally would have photographed. I looked for something with a little more reach, stretch.

Not feeling well but still wanting to meet the challenge, I had photographed a green something nearby. Three things green nearby, to be more to the point.

30 Day Photography Challenge

Day 4

Something Green

Day 3 Clouds

Now here's a subject that I neverendingly love to photograph. There never ceases to be something about the sky and clouds to capture, whether stunning and awesome or gentle and dreamy.

Today's clouds over Spokane were few and more of the gentle variety, where they could be seen above the slight autumn haze. I took a couple of different ones and, as it often the case, I simply cannot decide which ONE to use for the challenge. There don't seem to be any attendant rules, nothing that stipulates I cannot use multiple shots. So, that is what I choose to do.

In the first photograph you can just barely make out a slight parhelion in the clouds toward the bottom of the sky. Perhaps with a better camera it might be more distinct.

For the first two photographs, I had to drive to a place where I could find unobstructed sky. It wasn't that far away, just a few blocks. The last photograph shows what I see when I step outside the house; electrical and utility wires everywhere, and generally a jet trail or three.

Day 3
Clouds

Challenge Day 2 What You Wore

I'm not a clothes horse, no fashionista here. So, when I saw today's subject, I choked. Who cares what I wore? But, it's not at all about me, is it? It's simply a photography challenge.

Bite the bullet and get 'er done!

Even though the photography challenge isn't about me, this is what I wore today. I often wear scarves, hence a scarf. I always wear jewelry I've made myself or earrings or a ring made by other artists. I often wear something black.

The scarf in today's photograph was purchased for a buck at a thrift shop here in Spokane, WA. The sterling ring was designed, cast, and finished by Vesta Ward of Southern California. I purchased it from Vesta at the Denwar Show in Costa Mesa, CA right around this time of the year about 25-30 years ago. Vesta Ward is no longer. Denwar Show is no longer. But I still cherish a piece of her legacy.

Day 2

What You Wore

What did I gain from today's photography subject? Stop dreading a subject and just shoot! Distance my feelings of inferiority from the subject for the purpose of the photo shoot. AND, there's more than one way to shoot a subject! Hmmm. This is going to be fun!

What the ... ANOTHER Challenge? Day 1

Yea verily, another challenge.

A Redlands, CA artist friend of mine, Lori Sandstedt, posted to her Facebook page that she was going to participate in a 30 Day Photography Challenge she came across on Pinterest. You can read the blog progress of that challenge at www.littlebennet.com. Lori, on the other hand, three days ahead of me, is posting her daily results on Facebook.

I was looking for another something to write about, and thought this challenge seemed, well, challenging. I've never worked within a framework of a specific subject each day. It should be fun.

Here's the format I lifted from Pinterest. Sorry about the quality, or lack thereof.

Day 1 Self Portrait

I must make mention that I'll do just about anything to keep from having my photograph taken. The camera is not my friend, I am not photogenic. BUT, in the spirit of the challenge, I'll do it.

It wouldn't be a challenge if it weren't challenging, so it's fitting that I'm being pushed to photograph subjects--people-- I wouldn't otherwise be drawn to photograph.

I admire photographers who work with images of people. I own several amazing photographs of people taken by other photographers, because I love the story conveying aspect. I enjoy looking at the person or people, they're in a setting, they're doing something. But I'm daunted by the act of me photographing people. Could it be because I'm too self-conscious, concerned about their approval?

I remember once being asked as a favor to photograph a friend for an artist bio she had to put together. I drove her completely bonkers with my slow, cautious endeavor to provide her with a photo. She ended up not using it--thank goodness--because it was too real, not at all flattering. I didn't use complimentary lighting to advantage, I didn't have the right composition, wrong, wrong, wrong. It was a mess.

So, perhaps I should to take more shots of people. I'll have to give this more thought. I will say I took the above self-portrait about 20 different times with my iPhone, rejecting all but this one. I found something disturbing about all of them, but this one I can sort of live with.

That's a point I'll make, too. All of the photographs I'm using for this 30 Day Photograph Challenge will be through my phone camera.

Autumn Leaves on a Windy Day Painting

A painting today.

I tend to look down when I walk along the sidewalk, always have. I see such interesting things. It used to embarrass my young sons because one never knew when I'd spy something incredible and have to stop and take a photograph of it ... pieces of gum, shoe imprints, rain ghosts of dusty leaves, odd tickets, candy wrappers. One just never knew. They could never prepare for the moment when their mother would abruptly stop, stoop, and shoot a photograph.

I'm glad they can laugh about it now, and that it has become the family point of pride in their artist mother. Wait! How did I get off on this tangent? Oh yes, I remember now.

Last week I was walking west on Garland and I noticed pretty little yellow and green leaves on branches that had fallen to the sidewalk in the brisk wind. My sister Melba commented they might be from some kind of locust tree. There were other leaves, too. I also went this week to a Japanese garden in Spokane and there were pine needles strewn all over the place along with more windblown leaves. I liked the wild randomness of it.

Working from photographs I--yes--stooped to take, I came up with this painting. The background is red (Alizarin Crimson and Burnt Umber) because the leaves looked so bright and pretty against the red bricks along the sidewalk. I have used windy brush strokes that I hope convey motion and not mish mash.

Windy Day Leaves
8" x 10" Acrylic on Canvas Board

Just another day in the life ...

Nope. No painting today. I did repair and paint a little vintage bookend, but that's for a different blog than this.

However, in downloading my trip photos from my camera for file, I somehow came across a photograph I took in 2012 of a dandelion. Yes, a humble dandelion blossom gone to seed. I then played around with a Film Grain effect and came up with this photograph.

And so, why, you might ask, did I blog about this photograph? I have no reason whatsoever. Other than I've been blogging daily for the month of September, and it's a nice habit to have gotten into.

That being stated, I'm going to see how long I can keep up with the blogging with paintings or with photographs. They won't all be du jour but I hope you'll enjoy seeing them nonetheless.

Last Day of the September 2013 Painting Challenge

Hooray! Today is the final day of my personal challenge to create a painting a day for my birth month of September.

I've wanted to do more three dimensional work, so why not start today? I've white washed a weathered old piece of wood 12" x 12" x 2". I randomly struck black nails at the bottom, although they're all within a pre-determined space ... doesn't look like it, though, does it? I didn't want them to be uniformly spaced. With a broad brush, I painted three vertical white acrylic strokes, added 4 black nails at the corners and wired across the top and the bottom with a thin black wire. I wanted to achieve an off-balanced balance. Hmmm.

In any case, I had fun. The old wood kept sucking up the white paint, but I liked the resulting weathered look. Fun! Done!

Today JKay Borland and I hung a dozen of my paintings, along with her ten paintings at Reflections Kaffee Haus and Eatery on Wall and Riverside in Spokane, Washington.  These paintings in the photograph are on the entry wall. We also displayed on two other walls in the eatery. Our styles seemed to complement the other, and we got it to work in spite of having to use pre-existing nails in the wall--appreciated the opportunity to display even if spacing of the work was a little cattywampus.

These puppies will remain on display for the month of October. My first showing in Spokane!

My small mixed media "Red" in the center
and acrylic "Seaweed" at the upper right.

Reflections Kaffee Haus & Eatery
618 W Riverside Ave, Spokane WA
Open 7:30 a.. to 4:00 p.m.

www.reflectionskaffeehaus.com

Next to the last day of my painting challenge! Day 29

I had been messing around with a photograph I had taken of a crow a couple of years ago. I used a couple of effect filters and one caught my fancy. So, I threw the blank canvas board on my multi-tasking counter and set to trying to render an interpretation in acrylics.

I have mixed feelings about this one. I think it needs something more ... or something less. I like the general feel of it, so I'll keep working on it, but wanted to post an exercise for today's challenge.

Here it is ... all 11 x 14 inches of it in acrylic on canvas board.

Day 28 Painting

Today in Spokane was raining off and on and chilly. It reminded me of my last day at Ocean Shores about 10 days ago, which was also blustery and raining. I took a photograph of the ocean during the storm and this painting comes close to capturing the stormy white churning of the surf.

There's more identifiable sky in the painting than there is in the photograph. I'll go back into the painting later and work more on toning back the sky. There was something about the rainy sky that obscured clouds. Haven't quite got it yet.

But it was a good exercise for today. This painting is acrylic paint on 11" x 14" canvas board.

Friday! How is this possible so soon? Day 26 Painting

While on my road trip along the Pacific coast last month, I stopped and climbed around on the rocks and saw limpets, broken pieces of seaweed, rocks and pebbles, a few shells. Today's painting in acrylic on an 8" x 10" canvas board is of one of those lengths of seaweed, and the strong shadow cast on that sunny day.

Today I also painted frames, since my display commitment is rapidly approaching. I think I have enough frames and now need to get everything assembled, priced, labeled and packed so I don't ding up the frame corners, etc. It's happening! Monday!

Here's today's painting exercise.

Day 26 Painting

I worked on a 10" square wrapped canvas in acrylic paints today. Played with arcs and angles.

This one probably won't make it into the grouping of paintings I'll be displaying MONDAY!

Egads! Monday! I was aware I had signed up to do the first display in October, but I was thinking the end of October.

So be it.

Here's today's exercise:

Painting Day 25

The painting challenge remains in place to try new methods and directions, but at this morning's meeting I committed to showing some paintings with the River Ridge Association of Fine Arts group, so I'm painting on a larger scale in hopes of having something to exhibit. Obviously this new wrinkle will influence what I choose to paint only because I would like to put together about 5-10 works that share a commonality, but I hope not too much influence.

I want to maintain the playful, exploratory nature of the challenge. Time will tell if I succeed in that endeavor. However, because today was rainy and cold--Fall is knockin' at the door--I decided to try painting autumn leaves.

The photograph is of a work in progress. I've not worked out all the angles of the composition just yet. Working in a larger scale in the same amount of time has been interesting. I got further along today than I anticipated. Huzzah! BUT, the painting is not finished.

Work in progress for September 25 is acrylic on 11" x 14" canvas board:

Painting Du Jour 24

Another little departure for me. I acquired a much used pair of men's Tony Lama cowboy boots at a garage sale. Don't know why. Just liked the leather and the stitching and that they were very used. It seemed there was a story in those boots somewhere. So, why not start off the story with an illustration, eh what? First pair of boots I've ever painted. Who would've guessed?

Thus, September 24th painting exercise. Acrylic on canvas board about 8" x 10"

Missing Paintings from Sept 18 and Sept 19

I think those are the ones I had uploaded to Facebook because I couldn't figure out how to upload them to my blog from iPhone. So, these photographs are the ones I used on Facebook. Not great quality, but at least they give you and idea as to what I painted those days.

Both paintings are acrylic on canvas board and are about 6" x 8"

Du Jour 23

While traveling down in California last month, I took several photographs of morning glories. I've attempted in today's painting to capture that subtle coloring. I'm afraid I can't do subtle well, but here's today's exercise.

Oh! I forgot to convert my missing photos from my iPhone and upload them. Tomorrow's another day.

Today's painting is with acrylic paints on canvas board 6" x 8"

Day 22 Painting ... Autumnal Equinox

Yes, you're right! I did miss a couple of days. I did have Paintings 18 and 19, and I'll upload them tomorrow. I did them during a quick birthday getaway and uploaded them to Facebook from my iPhone camera, but I couldn't figure out how to upload them to this blog. So, they'll be uploaded tomorrow.

However, I was distracted with other matters so Paintings 20 and 21 did not get painted. I'll catch up on them tomorrow, but for today here's just a single acrylic painting on paper. It's another one of those situations where I had a framed commercial print and I just painted over it en frame.

Here's approximately 3" x 3" Equinox Moon

Day 17 Light in Blue Blues

I happened to be staring at light coming in a small basement window and was mesmerized by how everything else in the room disappeared as I focused on the light. Our brains are amazing how they alter reality. Anyway, today's painting deals with this perception.

Tomorrow morning I head out to Ocean Shores, WA for a couple of days of solitary thought and perhaps some enlightenment as to who I want to be when I grow up. It's a traditional birthday vision quest.

My thanks to Mel's daughter-in-law for graciously allowing me to stay at their family vacation cottage. It will be interesting to see what I paint the two days I'm there. I don't think I'll be able to upload them until I return, but I'll see if I can do it all via my iPhone.

Painting Challenge, Day 16

I've a little quirk--well, among many--in that when I doodle, I doodle in threes; three little hash marks, brush strokes, lines. And they normally happen in clusters at angles to another cluster of three. Don't remember when I started doing this, it's been that long in the doing.

However, I've never done a painting of the marks ... before today.  This is solely acrylic medium on stretched canvas. I can see some areas I want to go back in and adjust, but the challenge is met. I enjoyed using a very dry brush to achieve the almost air brushed areas. I originally had three hues: Naptha Red, Burnt Sienna and Titanium White. But it seemed flat, so I added areas of Cadmium Yellow Medium and a Turquoise. It's getting there.