100 Paintings Challenge: # 7,8,9,10,11

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.

Friday, July 2, 2010

# 7,8,9,10,11

We've been away on a holiday to Goa...so a few of these are all sketches from a journal I kept during the holiday. My daughter got me a set of paints, so I experimented with some new colours! We are in the middle of the monsoons here in India so there was constant, often torrential, rain, but the surroundings were lush and green, so many shades of green, and the paddy fields filled with water! All the pictures were done plain aire and I totally enjoyed the experience. Its more complicated in a way, as one has to be able to focus on what needs to be kept in the picture and what doesn't.
# 7 Tiger Lillies

# 8 Tilling Fields
Another view from the veranda of our guest house. Through the rain the farmer continued to plough his fields! Goa, being on the sea also is full of Coconut trees!

# 9 The bread fruit tree
I last saw these trees when I was in Jamaica. I was delighted to see one growing right in the middle of our guest house garden. It brought back so many memories! The leaves are large as is the fruit which is served cut into slices and fried...and tastes like fried bread! Tottaly delicious, but also totally fattening!!
One of the reasons for joining this challenge is also to experiment within the water colour range...so I tried using a pen for this picture. My daughter is from design school, so was very encouraging, which helped! I really enjoyed that and it seems to have added depth to my picture!

# 10 Coconut Palms
Another view from the veranda, really tall coconut palms in the foreground and paddy fields behind. This is a painting 10X14" in size and done on water colour paper. I used the pen again and feel it definitely strengthened this picture.

# 11 Bird of Paradise
This was a picture of the entrance to the guest house but taken from inside the room, looking at the view through the open door. The blue window looks into the kitchen... I really loved the yellow flowers (am not sure what they were) and the orange bird of paradise. The rain had washed all the plants and they were shining...the colours were so bright!

I painted more on this holiday then I have done in a long time. I think the inspiration was constantly around as I love painting from nature...and there was so much of that. After Kolkata it was wonderfully quiet and became a very peaceful week! More pictures will come from this trip!

3 comments:

Teri said...: They are all wonderful Brinda. What a wonderful vacation with all that inspiration around you.; July 2, 2010 at 11:04 AM
Elva Paulson said...: I love these glimpses from your part of the world, so very different from mine. ... and I salute you for experimenting. I particularily like the mixed media in the breadfruit tree and the challenge of tackling the farmer tilling his field. Good work!; July 2, 2010 at 11:41 AM
Kelly said...: Wow! So exotic. I bet painting all of these scenes will help you remember your trip. I loved all the scenes, especially the view of the farmer plowing in the rain.; July 2, 2010 at 10:52 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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