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.