100 Paintings Challenge: Claire returning to the Challenge

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.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Claire returning to the Challenge - Painting #1

Hi, I'm Claire. I started the challenge in January 2010 and managed to post 31 paintings during the year, but life overwhelmed me about mid-year 2010 with family responsibilities so I backed out for awhile. It is now a new year and things have settled down so it feels like the right time to rejoin the Challenge for 2011. Being a new year I've decided to restart my painting counter at 1.

What really speaks to my heart about painting is working in a journal (maybe about 5x7 or 5x8 size) and mixing images with casual text. I want to record small events (or even exciting things) in my life and I really enjoy capturing family memories. Many of my favorite pages are related in one way or another to my family. I've even designed a series of beer labels for my oldest son in my sketchbook - and have an open order for 4 more! So 'what' I paint can really vary.

This painting is from November 2010. I chose this painting to post for my re-entry to this blog because it is one of my more recent personal pieces - not done for a class or for anyone else -- just for myself. The text describes part of my day and my reflections on the time change last fall. I literally just sat down at the kitchen table and started sketching/painting and writing about my day and what I saw before me. It was sort of a magical or zen like state (not at all my normal frame of mind). I hope to do more of this type of journaling in 2011 and hit my #100 before the end of the year.
<<< Goal #1: more painting/journaling. >>>

The past few years I've adopted a focus word for the year and I've found it to be very interesting. My focus phrase for 2011 is 'Color my world' (and you can read more about it here).
<<< Goal #2: put more color in my life - play with more colors in my paintings. >>>

One area that I would like to focus on for 2011 in painting is people. Yes.... they intimidate me - it is hard to do them. I'd like to explore them both from sketching and then painting as well as paint only (oh that sounds scary!).
<<< Goal #3: put more people into my paintings/pages. >>>

A "treat goal" in 2011 is to do some travel sketching. Many times in the past I've taken a trip with art supplies in tow.... but returned home without sketching even a page. I have an upcoming trip to Denmark and Ireland and I am determined to do some sketching in my journal.
<<< Goal #4: as Nike says ... "Just do it!!" >>>

A bonus for the year ... is that I'm super excited to see what you will all be painting!

2 comments:

Mermaid's Palette said...: Claire-
I love your journal page! I agree with the scariness of painting people and also want to get over it! Am looking forward to seeing more of your work!
Sheryl; February 3, 2011 at 12:24 AM
Kelly said...: Claire, I enlarged the painting so I could read the journal page...what a perfect moment (or hour)...and the way you recorded it is so inspiring. I love when I experience those special moments. I always think I'll be able to remember how I was feeling forever and draw on the feeling, but usually...I forget and go on to the next "hour." I'd like to capture a few "life" moments like you did too. I capture lots of bird moments, but not to many others! The painting is beautiful too...; February 3, 2011 at 7:09 PM

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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.

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