100 Paintings Challenge: What's Left of Fall- #1

Quantity over Quality

Sounds odd doesn't it?! Quantity over quality………

The purpose for quantity over quality is because most of us strive to paint a quality painting each time we touch brush to paper. We sometimes get too caught up in the quality of our paintings and don't finish them for a myriad of reasons including "it's not good enough," "it doesn't look right," and "it looks nothing like I thought it would."

By focusing on quantity, we set aside the search for perfection and begin to paint for the practice of it, to learn what works, what doesn't and to keep going - no matter how good or how poorly a painting is turning out.

Giving/Receiving Encouragement

One of the things that can help us to grow quickly is encouraging comments - it keeps us motivated to continue painting. We are often “too close” to our own work and someone else, with more distance, can easily see areas to be improved.

Giving Encouragment:

• Be positive and upbeat!

• Use constructive criticism if you offer a critique.

• Be specific about what works well and why OR what does not work well and why.

• Re-read your comments BEFORE posting to make sure they say what you want them say!

• Be kind and courteous.

• Consider that you may not know what the artist’s “vision” is for a particular piece of artwork.

Receiving Encouragement:

• Try it on for size - if it fits, great. If not, disregard the comment(s).

• Take the comment in the spirit it was given - to be helpful.

• Do not fire off a comment in anger or hurt.

• Do not retaliate by being hurtful in your comments back to someone who has hurt you.

If you feel someone is being unfair on a repeated basis, contact me directly so that we can discuss it off-line.

PLEASE NOTE: As moderator of this blog, I reserved the right to delete any and all comments and/or posts offensive or harmful to other participants. This includes excessive negativity. I reserve the right to remove a participant from the blog if offensive behaviors persist after a written warning is issued. All decisions will be final and not open for discussion.

Hello everyone at The 100 Painting Challenge! I made it here in one piece, safe and sound and thrilled. I am very excited, as you can see, to be making this commitment. Although the idea was scary

to me at first, now I've jumped in with both feet.

I'm making my debut in the challenge today with #1, What's Left of Fall, a 7x10 watercolor still life on 140lb Arches cold press paper. It began as a twenty minute work for Teri Casper's Twenty Minute Challenge and as it needed more work to consider it finished, I planned to use it as my first piece here.

I've been painting still life's of found objects, fruit, leaves, beach pebbles, shells as my motivation. These items are out for me to see during my day. When I have some time, while my new granddaughter naps, I arrange the objects and paint quickly. My aim has been fighting resistance, so painting quickly is key. Besides, when I labor over a work it's possible to ruin everything, so I stop!

This challenge has been a major push for me to get myself painting regularly, to decide which mediums I truly want to continue using, and keep resistance at a nice, long distance away! Thank you so much for this opportunity. I welcome any comments, questions, and criticisms and look forward to our conversations!

Artistic Development

• This blog is dedicated to artistic improvement. It is a venue for the committed artist to receive ENCOURAGEMENT while taking on the 100 Painting Challenge.

• It is a place to discuss struggles with the challenge.

• It is a place to celebrate milestones, accomplishments and breakthroughs.

• It is a place to offer encouragement to others.

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• It is NOT a place to share negativity or any off-topic subject. This is an art blog.

• It is NOT a place to lurk. The expectation is that each artist will be posting at least 4 paintings a month, one per post.

• A painting may only be posted once.

• The painting should be posted on this blog and not direct participants to another link.

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• Up to two paintings may be posted by each artists for critiques and feedback each month.

About the Challenge

The 100 Paintings In a Year Challenge is intended for artists that are dedicated to the growth and development of their style as well as their artistic voice. The challenge also provides a means for overcoming areas in need of improvement.

The paintings should be a mix of small, medium and large pieces, some sketches, plein aire, and studio work; work from life as well as from photos. The variety is meant to push the artist out of any rut, to provide ample opportunity to create no matter what other time obligations are going on, and to challenge the artist if they do not create in one of these categories. The work can be done in any medium, but it is strongly advised that the artist consider choosing one medium in which to do the Challenge as this will help facilitate faster growth than trying to master multiple mediums.

DO NOT JUDGE the artwork! When a piece is complete, set it aside and move to the next piece of work. Learning to suspend judgement of our work is a major step forward in the development our skills.

Once committed, the expectation is that the artist will fully participate in the blog by posting on a regular basis as well as leaving encouraging comments of others' artwork through comments.

The challenge may be started at any time.

7 comments:

Mermaid's Palette said...: Welcome, Dora! This is a good start!
Sheryl; January 31, 2011 at 11:26 AM
Teri said...: I always love your beautiful nature still life's Dora. How fun to see the transition from 20 minutes to a completed beauty! So exciting to see you participating here.; January 31, 2011 at 4:13 PM
Dora Sislian Themelis said...: Thank you Sheryl and Teri! I'm ready and excited to get to #2.; January 31, 2011 at 5:30 PM
Kelly said...: ...this is beautiful, Dora! I love the name you've given it too!; February 1, 2011 at 10:45 PM
Elva Paulson said...: Welcome to the challenge. I look forward to watching.; February 2, 2011 at 8:48 PM
Dora Sislian Themelis said...: Hi Kelly and thank you!; February 3, 2011 at 8:14 AM
Dora Sislian Themelis said...: Thank you so much for the welcome Eva!; February 3, 2011 at 8:15 AM

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Monday, January 31, 2011

What's Left of Fall- #1

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