Q & A

Some questions have come up and I thought I would share the info here so that everyone would know:

Q. Can I share the same image on my personal blog as I do here?
A. Yes, you can. Just be aware of your audience. This blog is meant as an area to focus on the making of art whereas your personal blog may be more about why you made the art, the subject matter, etc. Keep it interesting for your viewers by giving different information according to the location you're posting - your readers will love you for it!

Q. May I mention that I am doing the challenge on my personal blog?
A. PLEASE do!!

Q. Can I add a link to my personal blog within a post?
A. Because I don't want the 100 PC blog to fight for attention with your personal blog, I would rather that you did not. You CAN refer them to the participant's roll on the left and mention there is a link there. (See Krista's posts as an example.)

And one final comment from me:
As each of you get started, please do a bit of an intro of yourself, your chosen medium and a few words about what you're trying to accomplish by taking on the challenge. This can be done with or without an image. Thank you!!

'Airport Girl' and Introduction - Teri

I am always amazed when serendipity hits my life.   While spending Christmas in Wisconsin (I am a snowbird in Arizona) I happened to read Krista's Blog and noticed the "100 Paintings Challenge" so I came right over to look.

Then I saw the announcement on Laure's Blog and I knew I had to do this - pure serendipity!

We got back to AZ today and one of the first things I did was sign up!

I thought it would be fun to start with my 'Airport Girl' that I did while waiting for the plane.   It really tells where I am.  I love to do an illustrated daily journal but I am finding that all the painting I do is fast, too fast sometimes and fairly small.  When I painted 'Airport Girl', I thought of what I had read and decided to do a better sketch.  I think I got her 'waiting' posture okay and I did paint her on the spot but I want to

IMPROVE!

Laure suggested 'Improve' must be my word for the year.  And so it shall be.

 I intend to improve by taking more time when painting and painting larger.

One thing I am going to work on is landscapes.  I find them very difficult and tend to avoid them.  I also know that I will be inspired to try new things during this year.

Thank you Laure for being so innovative in helping us struggling artists!!

A Froggy Swimmer - Krista

Painting #2 of 100 Paintings
Watercolor, 4x6", 140 lb Arches Cold Press

I chose this painting for the bright sunlight and shadows, and the froggy was cute too.  Practicing those hard edges and values.  For some reason, I’m attracted to painting people.  I’m still drawing and painting a wide range of subjects to find out what I like doing best.  Funny how when I painted Troy, he ended up looking as he does NOW, not as a chubbier preschooler.  I eliminated all of the unnecessary background and made the inflatable frog a bit simpler.  I tried Laure’s technique for the water of putting down some squiggly lines and then brushing clear water over it to blend the lines.  Photo reference attached.

Also blogged about on my personal blog, describing a more personal point of view.  Click on my blog link at left, then my 100 Paintings Gallery.

Lily Pond - Krista

  #1 of 100 Paintings
Watercolor, 3.5" x 5", 140 lb Arches Cold Press

Ok, I guess I’ll go first.  I’ve already done about 18 paintings because I didn’t want to wait until the first of the year to start.  I was afraid I might lose momentum if I didn’t start right after the latest class ended.

First of all, thank you so much, Laure, for providing a forum like this, where we can share our paintings and keep each other motivated in this goal.  Thank you also for providing any feedback necessary.  You are very generous with your time in doing so.

For this painting, I deliberately chose something with hard lines and a dark background.  I knew it wasn’t going to be a pretty painting, more of an exercise.  I don’t even mind that it is opaque, because my goal was to get really heavy with the pigment without too much mud, but at the same time, I wanted it subdued.  Tried varying the greens a little and tried not to blend too much.  This was a painting demo out of a book titled, “The Big Book of Painting Nature in Watercolor, but I don’t have the photo reference handy.

Also blogged about on my personal blog, describing a more personal point of view.  Click on my blog link at left, then my 100 Paintings Gallery.

As Good A Time As Any

W • E • L • C • O • M • E

I am often asked when is the best time or right time to start the Challenge. The answer is always "Now." There is no "best or right time" as there will always be obligations, family, day jobs, and all manner of things that will interfere. However, it is a good idea to evaluate where you are in your "artistic life" as well as "time obligations" you will be juggling. Being realistic about this is the best way to set yourself up to complete the Challenge successfully. 

Consider your work/family/art life balance, your current skill level, and how motivated you are - these factors will make a huge difference in your commitment to starting and staying with the Challenge. If you find yourself hesitating or that you have reservations about starting - wait until you can fully commit. Work through the reservations before beginning the Challenge. 

There will be highs and lows, good days and bad. There will be times when you wonder why you ever started the Challenge in the first place. There will also be glory days when you will thank your lucky stars you started it as you begin to see progress, but make NO mistake - it's called a Challenge for a reason. One hundred paintings in one year works out to nearly two paintings a week. That's a tall order!

If you're committed, motivated and ready to go, send me an email by clicking on the link in the right hand column, and let's get started!