Embrace the Struggle: Day #30

                                  "Painting is just another way of keeping a diary." Pablo Picasso

Day # 30 is here and to celebrate the end of the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge I decided to channel my favorite artist of all time: Pablo Picasso.  My work over the last month is a diary of sorts, a visual journey of what it was like to paint with the non-dominant hand setting no expectations.  Of course it was a struggle. It first took hours as my hand tried to interpret the instructions my brain was sending.  My brain tired from breaking every motion into several messages. Some days I felt overwhelmed just with the notion of keeping up.  But on the whole I enjoyed the struggle: I learned, I was distracted and I was proud.

So with a nod to old man Picasso, I present the last painting of the left handed series:

"Embrace the Struggle"

7" x 5" acrylic on cradled board

$30 here til january 10

This whimsy is probably another self-portrait of sorts but I think many of us can relate to the thought as well as the experience and symbols.  Enjoy the colors, honor the journey and milk that struggle for all you can. Here's Pablo again, "Are we to paint what's on the face, what's inside the face or what is behind it?"

Good question, no?

edge detail of "Embrace the Struggle"

Thanks so much for sharing this struggle with me.  I promise not to take such liberties with your mailbox again in the near future!  Back to once a week postings...I have really appreciated your comments, encouragement and, of course, your purchases.  Many thanks.

Cindy

to see more work from the 400 other participants in this challenge go to www.lesliesaeta.blogspot.com

Day #26, Rounding the Corner with Contour

I just couldn't bear to have the recently failed contour line drawing be the last.  So, in honor of my brave friend who is returning to (teaching!) ballet and tap after a 7+ year hiatus I decided to play with some toe shoes.  Contour is always like jumping off a cliff, you just have to take a breath and do it!

Here's my work page for both efforts.  I really liked the first one despite a little too much foreshortening on the foot in the air.  I think it is simple and clean.  I took a break noting my errors and came back to do another round.  Of course I made new errors in this one but i thought it was believable enough to go ahead and finish it out with some lines for shadows.  Then of course the watercolors were right there so one thing led to another.....

Toe Shoes

7" x 5" ink and watercolor on paper

I know very little about ballet so I couldn't even properly name this sketch.  But I think I like it.  Ballerinas sure can contort their feet...I can't imagine supporting my entire body on just my toes.  I went ahead and matted this piece because the black mat helps bring out the thin lines of the drawing.

You will find this on my etsy shop for $30.00 this month, or contact me if you won't need shipping.  I am definitely in the mind set to find some more ballet feet and try some more poses.  Hope you enjoyed your weekend.  Tomorrow marks the beginning of the last week of this 30 in 30 challenge.  Yippee!

#25 Uncapped the Paint

I think the muse was not finished with the fountain in Eola Park yet...because when I discovered I could get some of the tops off the acrylic paints it was the park I rushed in to paint.  With palette knife!

 You may not recognize this if you are not an artist...it is a palette knife and comes in many shapes and sizes and is used in place of a brush.  Why I thought it would be easier to work with than a brush is beyond me...it is sort of like icing a cake with the paint being the frosting; only you are going to use several colors of frosting and attempt to get a recognizable subject onto the canvas.

Eola Park Part II

8" x 10" acrylic on canvas

$30.00 plus shipping

It began as a very high key painting (meaning the darkest darks were relatively light) but I kept feeling at loose ends without some grounding deep colors...I think I am discovering that I really enjoy the lower keyed work where the lush darkcolors guide you around the composition.  It was not full sun when I did the photo so I will try another and see if the colors emerge better.  This 30 in 30 challenge makes for tight deadlines and the light outside doesn't hang around to help me out.  Oh, and yes, for this month I will include the 8 x 10 canvas in my $30.00 special.  It is a standard size so it should be a cinch to find a ready-made frame for it.

Here are a couple more shots of the work in progress.  It was wonderful to be back in touch with the paint and I didn't even mind the fact that when finished I was wearing quite a bit of it!

my set up as I begin to work...I took my composition from several different photos of the park

detail of the fountain; palette knife usually results in quite a bit of texture and I even found an old toothbrush to add a few more spatters for the water spray....I want you to feel like you may get wet if you stand too close!

to purchase: contact art@cindymichaud.com or check my etsy store here

Day #16 All Up From Here

A friend of mine took took a heron photo several years ago and as soon as I saw it I wanted to paint it.  He gave me his permission but somehow I never found time until I accepted the challenge of 30 paintings in 30 days. If I felt intimidated before by this design, I know I was crazy to attempt it with my left hand...but fools rush in. Besides I have a heron holding a lotus (statute) in my yard. and there is something about the duo that appeals.

I actually could not complete this in one day because the necessity of layering the dark areas meant a lot of time spent waiting for paint to dry before the next layer could go on.  Too wet and you end up lifting it off.

A helpful painting tip is to turn everything upside down so that your brain sees 'shapes' instead of 'things' it might remember how to paint.  In my case, I often have to turn the painting around and upside down just because some directions of brush movement are easier that way with my left hand.

I'm calling it done here.  It is so easy to get lost in the tiniest of details and working on a small piece, 7" x 5," seems to call for more little details than if I were painting it larger.  And just so you know, I discovered that in the Chinese culture (where the lotus symbol is very important) if a heron is painted with a lotus it means "May Your Path Be Ever Upward."  What a lovely thought.  Not certain if this is a baby heron or an egret but regardless I think Hershel the photographer should take it as a divine sign that he came upon this scene in the woods and was able to capture it.

If you wish to share this blessing with someone, you can purchase the painting here.  It comes matted to a size of 10 x 8 and can be shipped wherever you choose.  Just this month the 30 in 30s are only $30 + shipping.

and P. S. to Hershel - don't go comparing the painting to your photo!  I do not project my drawings and I take plenty of liberties with color and composition....because I can: I am an artist and I am a woman.