Day 30 - Blue and New!

Well this is it - my last painting in the challenge! My lovely new "slippers", ones I can nip to the shop in, pop out in the rain for logs etc. Soft leather, so comfy but looking a bit too new for now!

I feel they are just right for my last piece - they are new, I have made new friends, new followers, new paintings and new discoveries about myself - like I can get up at 5am....and function!!!!!!!! I did my first 5am start the day before Lisa Daria was on ArtistsHelpingArtists - I laughed out loud with amazement when I heard she has got up at 5am EVERY morning for 4 years!!! Well, I thought, I've done it once, I can do it again and so I have! I will continue with the early rise as it does seem to work for me, my head has nothing in it but painting, the  mundane household stuff hasn't had a chance to creep into my subconscious. The challenge has been a roller coaster of emotions, tiredness, frustration, inspiration, disappointment, elation, empowerment, pride.......

I started this blog in July 2012, so it has only been 6 months! I hope I can keep posting regularly and keep my followers interested. To "B", I say thank you for your patience..... to all my followers, friends and everyone who took part in the challenge, thank you for the ride!

Day 29 - Elvis had Blue, I have Green!

These are my painting shoes, green suede slip ons - I wore them on the first day of my first "proper" painting class and I am still wearing them today - well, NOT today,as I have been painting them, I have been in my stocking soles!

I wear them whenever I paint, I wear them at Life Drawing Sessions twice a week, I wear them probably more then I should - like to the supermarket for milk etc! That's why my new blue leather mules were bought - so I can respectively nip to the shop!

Day 28 - A Plum Deal!

I must admit to painting plums before but this time the view is overhead, I am fond of this particular viewpoint!

This was done on a black ground today. I had some paint left from my tulip painting, the pinks I mixed with white gesso and prepared a couple of boards and I used some of the turquoise in this painting. I am now using Chroma Brushcleaner and it is cleaning the turquoise off completely! I slept like a log last night so am refreshed today!

An Artist is born - my brother's little granddaughter painting in my studio for the first time, on Sunday! I love the way she dips the brush in water then dabs off the excess - I did that just before I handed her the brush - she was obviously watching my every move! I have never posted a video before, I hope the quality is okay!

Day 27 - Put Your Tu-lips a Little Closer

I was up at 5am this morning to do this one, trying to get the tulips painted before they go over! I have to say it took me ages to wake up!

Usually the huge mug of coffee I take down to the studio with me boosts me into action but I had a terrible night's sleep and really did not want to get out of bed! I have ALL day to paint today but I know I also have a messy house to clean and clear ( I mentioned that yesterday) and it is old Mother Hubbard in the kitchen cupboards (they are bare) so I will have to DRAG myself to the supermarket... I hate food shopping, it is so boring and everything has shot up in price every time I go. I am having a right old moan folks, sorry - I promise to cheer up by tomorrow!

Day 26 - His and Hers

Where has this day gone? I have plittered and dithered and now am rushing at the last minute, running out of energy! B's wellies alongside my wellies!

I spent a lot of money on these pink wellies a few years ago and I admit they are very comfortable compared to your bog standard ones but they have faded and not evenly either! The seams are pinker than the rest! It has been a bright breezy day, my favourite kind of days so I we headed to Gatehouse for a long walk! We just got home when my brother arrived with his wife and granddaughter! The house like - A TIP - my hair clapped to my head after wearing a hat for 2 hours! Why does this happen? When my housework is all done, newly baked cakes cooling, my best clothes on, my looking hair lovely and my daily painting all completed - no one visits! Sods law!

Day 25 - Pink, I think!

I love tulips, my second favourite flower! These pink lovelies called to me - "paint me" and I used the opportunity to include a shade of turquoise too!

Tulip leaves are a very unusual shade of green as well as being matt (not shiny) so my green mixing was tested to the limit. I like the soft pastel shades of this little painting mainly as it is a complete change from the last two paintings I have completed in my 30 paintings in 30 days challenge.

Day 24 - The Last Four

I think I am beginning to like my black ground again, so much so I have gessoed some more boards! This is the last plum tomato painting for a while, I will have these last four for my lunch tomorrow - so say "goodbye" everyone!

You will see the lime green cup, as I love it! I needed to use up the colours I had mixed yesterday so this has been a money saving exercise too! Time to clean my palette, ready for tomorrow! Let's hope I can keep up this momentum in February!!

Day 23 - Tom Cup

Another black ground today, though I told myself last night that I wasn't doing them anymore as it is too hard! This one is, kind of, "in your face" colour - not something I usually do but the black makes me! Honestly, it is weird!

I have one more black board left, I wonder what tomorrow will bring! The tomatoes are going down.... I have started my diet so I need to eat them instead of biscuits!!!

Day 22 - Peggy's Spoon

My second daily painting on a black ground! I feel I am beginning to get back into it - this one isn't as dark as yesterday's! I love turquoise blue and would use it in every painting if I thought I reasonably could but it stains my brushes! 

I love this spoon, a set of six my late mother in law gave me. They are 1950's and the handle tapers off at the end, very stylish! I know I haven't shown the end of the spoon, I ran out of board! Maybe next time! I will be giving the cherries a miss for a little while - B has now eaten them! I have eaten the grapes.......supplies are getting low!

Day 21 - How did you get up there?

It has been ages since I used black gessoed boards as I had ran out of black gesso! I managed to get a new tub so prepared a few boards for my daily paintings. I actually found it very difficult to adjust to painting on this colour again! 

For years I used black pastel paper and also my black base for oils, I am kind of regretting buying the gesso but it is expensive so I will soldier on! I love Cathleen Rehfeld's paintings, she paints on a black ground.

Day 20 - Life Drawing 2

I thought I would do another little oil from my life drawing sketches. The only problem is I never actually ever get the time to draw the face in detail so when it comes to tranferring it to a painting, I just can't make the features up!

I first painted a coastal harbour scene which didn't photograph well at all! Then when I went to get myself another coffee from the house I fell up the garden steps, breaking the china cup! Luckily I managed to roll into the flower border at the side and save myself from either broken specs or bones or both!! I felt like a stunt double but my poor hardy Geranium is possibly not so hardy now!

Day 19 - Cherry Kiss!

Another cherry painting! I love the loose quality of this one, what I'd really like to achieve on every one I do but it just doesn't happen! 

I was in such a rush to photograph this that I dropped it on the floor - wet paint side down! Aghhh! I have had to remove fluff, dog hair, bits of whatever with the end of a Stanley blade! Maybe I am having a clumsy day! 
I had a late night - my niece's 21st birthday party! The girls were all wearing 6 inch heels - my feet ached just looking at them! When the dancing started I held my breath waiting on someone toppling over - 2 bodies did - 2 lads showing off their dancing skills!! They limped off the floor holding the offending leg - sorry I had to smile, couldn't help it!!!

Day 18 - My Cup Runneth Over!

Thank goodness it is Saturday! I feel less pressure to get my daily painting done when the weekend arrives! I love painting cherries and haven't done any since the summer, so here we have them!

I got up late today - not 5am!! I stuck a chicken in the oven and headed to my studio. I took my time getting the composition sorted but feel as if I have rushed it a bit! B made all the coffees and even lunch so I am done nice and early! I hate to eat the cherries but they are so beautiful to look at!

Day 17 - Life Drawing

This has been a struggle today. I was taking a painting class this morning, our first for the new year and I was nervous, as I always am on the first morning. They have all been working hard during the holidays, they are such a good group of students! I attended life drawing Wed and Thur evenings so decided to do a small oil study from one of Thur evening's drawings.

I am happy enough with the figure, the pillow behind him leaves a lot to be desired!! See below the drawing I worked from and also another drawing I really like. the female drawing is from Wed evening's session.

Day 16 -Tom-Tom

I have been wasting such a lot of paint doing these paintings that I decided to paint the same subject 2 days running! This time a slightly less complicated composition!

Even after completing this one, I still have some paint left! It is very very cold here and snow forecast for Friday! I hope my students can all get to me okay, though I wouldn't want them taking any risks! Hopefully the forecast will be wrong!

Day 15 - Mini Toms

I had never come across a mixed packet of yellow and red little plum tomatoes before so they went straight into my basket! I didn't make life very easy by pushing them into the shallow jar! This was a hard one, maybe a simpler composition next time!!

As "B" watches me carry down all this food to the studio, I am sure he iswondering when I will get the time to actually cook something using the said produce! Maybe 1st February? Our freezer has still food left over from the Xmas period somewhere in it's depths, so every day it is "lucky dip" time!!! Sorry about the quality of the photo, it is difficult when I can only take the photo after dark, I usually do it outside in daylight.

Day 14 - Green Dream

This was a joy to paint - at 5am this morning! Grapes are so gorgeous when the light is on them.

I slipped my painting overalls on, on top of my fleecy pyjamas, grabbed the torch and headed to the studio, 5.05am - large cup of coffee in hand!
I am beginning to love this time of the morning, three hours later I have my daily painting complete. Time for my shower and tea and toast!!
The floor is dry!!!Hooray! I have spent this evening putting everything back in place, moving some things, throwing out a little. I am teaching again on Friday morning, therefore explaining my desperate need for the blessed floor to dry quickly!

Day 13 - Rollercoaster!

I have enjoyed doing this little painting so much - it makes me smile, I was even smiling when I was painting it! 

The trials and tribulations of emptying the studio, covering the contents up against the elements,painting the floor - it not drying because of the damp weather. Leaving cream coloured footprints all the way from the studio to the house, cleaning the footprints! Finally almost trapping myself inside by painting from the door into the room!! 
Who'd have thought painting a 16 sq ft floor could be so difficult?

Day 12 - Likely Pear!

After my late night, early morning and SNOW.. I got home late afternoon to start my daily painting! Luckily the studio floor had dried. On the way home I did my food shopping and bought these lovely pears.

I have only ever painted pears in pastel, which I love doing! So using oils has been fun today! We had a wonderful time at my dear friend Irene's surprise 60th birthday party last night! Boy, was she surprised!!
My studio floor has dried so all I had left to do was paint along and under the counter and storage shelves. I started this after I got my pear painting finished of course! I was halfway through the floor when I realised that I was painting away from the door and trapping myself inside!!! Luckily I managed to squeeze myself under and over my plan chest, easels, trolley etc and start at the other end!
Tomorrow I plan to paint Cathy's subject suggestion with a floor connection!!

Day 11 - Pegged!

I enjoyed doing this little one just because of the bright colours. It is so damp and foggy here just now, someone please turn the light back on! 

I am struggling for subjects for tomorrow and hubbie hasn't had any more light bulb moments! We have a late night tonight so I hope I will be able to produce something worthwhile! I have just painted my studio floor, last coat hopefully so whatever I produce tomorrow I don't think I will be using oils. I have removed my watercolours, gouache and inks from the studio so I can work at the kitchen table till the floor dries! With this damp weather the drying may take some time! Have a nice weekend everyone!

Day 10 - Measured!!

I was up at 5am this morning to get my painting done! I thought I'd left the electric heater on at low during the night but soon found out I hadn't turned it on at the socket! So I quickly turned it on plus my gas heater - it didn't take too long for the place to heat up! This was a tricky one!

So it is now not quite 9.30am - I have cleaned up from painting, emptied my studio, swept up and have given the new floor it's initial coat of paint. Please let it dry quickly so I can get the second coat on and dry before bedtime! I can now get some housework done - my washing has been out for 2 days and it is dry - shame on me!

Day 9 - Moo!

Well, I was out at work all day today so this has been one of those challenging days! I started this one last night, did a little this morning and finished it off tonight! 

Tomorrow, I will have to work till I drop, I must tidy my studio, I can hardly put a foot down without treading on something. The bin is overflowing with paper encrusted with oil paint. It has turned so cold here that I have to heat the place up for ages before I can enter to get on with the act of creating!!! Next week my life drawing sessions starts back, so I will be posting my best effort as my daily painting - I will put some colour on, promise!

Day 8 - Light bulb moment!

My husband ran about the house last night trying to find me things to paint - he literally had a "light bulb" moment! I love the shape of these little golf ball bulbs. I got up at 5am this morning to paint it! You thought I was mad before?

I have a friend coming for coffee at 10am before we head to Tai Chi and I have a mountain of housework to get done before then, as well as fix my hair etc! After lunch I am attempting a new and complicated vegetarian recipe, then hopefully I can get back down to the studio to make a start on Day 10s painting which I can finish hopefully tomorrow! Phew!

Day 7 - Orange Today!

I have been out working all day today so this has been my most difficult day so far. My shoulders are aching from tension! I love Gerberas and find them very hard to paint as I want to paint every single petal but I DON'T want to paint every petal!

I am happy with how they have turned out - eventually! They were wiped a couple of times! My studio is a shambles, I am climbing over lamp cables, cups, mugs, gessoed boards, etc. 
The vintage car I painted earlier was done a long board that I gessoed black. It only covers about a third of the board. So I started on the flowers on the remaining part of the board as it was black and I was practising (you know how you do). So of course I really like this painting now and it is attached to my car!!! To make matters worse, the car is landscape and the flowers are portrait!! Am I making any sense? 
Now for my next problem, I have all these paintings to do but I also need to paint my studio floor before next week before my classes start again! Aghhh!!!!

Day 6 - Fancy a Cuppa?

I bought B and I a nice red stripy mug each, thinking it would be more festive to drink our first coffee of Christmas morning in bright cheery mugs! Truthfully they are just too big for me, I prefer small cups or mugs!

The teapot is a carboot find, Wedgewood and holds just enough for two! I love it's shape and colour. I think I might work on this one a bit more later, the objects are not "sitting" well enough....

Day 5 - Eggs Alive!

This egg has been SO hard to paint, as for the shells..... I want to, as far as I can paint as wide a variety of subject as I can. By the end of this month, I might have changed my mind! I finished this one fairly early today and thought I'd get ahead of myself, by choose a piece of veg, simple I thought! I haven't completed it! I have to go out tomorrow to get my dear friend a birthday pressie so no painting till I get back.

My house is still a mess, dog hair floating about everywhere. I WILL vacuum tomorrow, I will, I will....

Day 4 - Brrrrmmm....

I gave myself a hard task for Day 4's painting in the Thirty paintings in Thirty Days Challenge! I have loads of photos from our August Vintage Car Rally and have painted 2 so far, today was the day to paint the third! I have done NO housework, not even made my bed!

I have another appointment this afternoon, so this is me done for the day, this little one took almost 4 hours to paint. I might leave the cars for a wee while...... I have kind of went of the subject matter for now! B said why didn't I choose an easier car to paint! Take it from me, there are no easy cars! I wish everyone doing the challenge all the best for the month!!! Happy painting!!

Day 3 - Phew!

What state am I going to be in by Day 30? I had today all planned out, a little bit of gardening till 11am then the rest of the day to paint my third painting in the challenge! I did the gardening, then thought I could fit in clipping the dog's coat before lunch - it has been so long since she had a trim that she was just not having it, she quietly sat down when I wanted her to stand, hid when I was ready to do her face, rolled over when it was time for her back.... talking of back, mine was breaking by the end of it all!!!! B had to make lunch as I still up to my armpits in fluff! To cap it all, I got a call to meet some people at 3.30pm!!

At 6pm, I headed to my studio to get started on my painting! I was finished by 8pm - I don't know how the USA artists are getting their paintings complete and posted before me when they are 7 hours plus behind our time! They must be up at the crack of dawn and doing the paintings first! Mmm, maybe I should try that! 

Day 2 - Chill!

I have received some wonderful encouragement (you know who you are) after my Day One panic in my Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge!!! It helped me a great deal! I decided to go back to my still life and to try and forget I am IN the challenge! I'm not saying I actually managed to forget but I TRIED!

As B is still on holiday, he fancied a bit of retail therapy today (sorry ladies there are some husbands who actually enjoy shopping and he's not for loan, swap or sale) so we spent most of the day at the shops, all the while I am desperate to get home and start painting! As I didn't wake up till 9.30am we didn't exactly get an early start. I finished my 8th Peter Robinson detective novel in the early hours, hence the reason for my lie in!

So I have just spent the last 3 hours tonight executing my painting for today! It's not my best piece of work but for just 3 hours work, it ain't bad!

Day 1 - Help!

I am mad, why did I volunteer to do this - 30 paintings in 30 days!!!! Today has been SO hard! I haven't painted from photos for a year so today was so frustrating not being able to "see" and how flat everything appears within a photo!
I decided to use my water based oils and paint on board (my usual). I found myself trying to put in so much detail! I thought I had cured myself of that terrible disease! I wiped that, then tried another photo, figurative one. Rubbish! 
I played a little with my new inks to try and release some of my frustrations! I pulled out another photo, coastal this time but also pulled out my pastels and a piece of sanded paper.

I am still not satisfied with the finished article but here it is! Tomorrow I will NOT be using a photo so I will have to hunt around for a still life subject. I feel completely stressed, not quite the way I'd hoped to feel..........so on to DAY 2.