100 Paintings Challenge: September 2012

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.

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Watercolor Landscape #31 Dora Sislian Themelis

Blowing off resistance isn't easy but, I pushed through and worked on this latest watercolor painting while out in my garden.

#31 Seed Heads ©2012 Dora Sislian Themelis
14x20 Watercolor, Arches cold press

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Claire Paintings 16 17: More memories from NOLA Live! 2011

The signs of Fall are starting to show, and it reminds me of last fall when I traveled to New Orleans by myself to meet up with Laure Ferlita and others for NOLA Live! What a wonderful time I had!!! My journal still has many blank and half-filled pages, but I really want to fill them all up as I have so many fabulous memories from our experience together - and I don't want to forget any of them.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Quick Watercolor Landscape #30 Dora Sislian Themelis

A quick twenty minute watercolor landscape painting to keep me in the loop. It's been a tough summer of low motivation and inspiration. Maybe things will change now?

# 30 At the Park ©2012 Dora Sislian Themelis
5x7 Watercolor, Canson paper

Friday, September 21, 2012

Elva # 80 and 81

A few days ago I watched an amazing sight. Literally thousands of sooty shearwaters were heading North. For more about the event be sure and read my blog.

I painted the shearwaters after I got home. They were too far away to do a decent job of drawing them on location.

I sketched and inked this little painting on location. I planned to paint it too, but suddenly the fog came in and totally erased any sign of the little island and of the sea lions and cormorants. I could still hear them though.

Both were painted in my Aquabee sketch book.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Elva #78 and 79

One careful study and one quick sketch. Baby toads are so sweet. He was barely an inch long and had such a big head. The toads have just recently emerged from their tadpole stage. I sketched him from one of my photos and then added watercolor.

The turkey painting didn't scan as warm as the original looks. I wanted to capture the golden grasses and the open oak forest with lots of turkeys foraging for grasshoppers, lizards, seeds, etc. Sketched on location and most of the color added after I got home. Painted in my journal (which means it wasn't good paper).

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Elva #76 and 77

I'm in experimental mode. I got the itch to paint with gouache. I hadn't touched my gouache for over a decade so most of my tubes are hard as rock. But I was in 'experimental mode' so I made do with a very limited palette: White, Cad yellow, Payne's grey, and a beautiful blue -- cerulean (?). Note: no green.

I'm not used to how thick the paint is, but it is fun to be able to paint light over dark. I just may have to go through my old paint carefully and figure out just what few tubes I need to buy so I have a more complete palette. I think I'd like doing some of my field sketching with gouache.

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Elva #74 and 75

Both of these are quick watercolor plein-air paintings done in my Aquabee sketchbook. Otter often visit a small pond near here in the late summer, early fall. For several days they feast on newts and salamanders.

The falls is less than a mile from the pond. A lovely trail leads to it.

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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