SO loving this! I now have *drumroll* one hundred and twenty finished paintings!!! Four months of daily painting (or as close to it as humanly possible) and I'm just about blown away. Hands up if you didn't think I'd make it this far... ha! I did it and I'm on a roll!! Feeling good and happy to see all the visits to the page, happy to see people sharing the link on facebook, and happy to have a chance to talk about what I'm doing and why. So, thank you EVERYONE for being a part of this adventure and for supporting me in my goal!!
Today is my dad's birthday... no I won't say how old he is... but he's not old so there. I wanted to paint him something, but he didn't answer the phone when I called him to see if he had any requests. I could have gone the golf route, or perhaps a tractor (seriously considered that one) but instead went with a little joke just for him. It's a vase with a spoon and a spatula and I called it "Kitchen Spoon". Years ago he and my mom had a go at making their own homemade wine. Well, lots of funny memories go with that for sure! So, there you go Dad... a little flashback just for you. :)
So... I promise to do the gallery by the end of tomorrow. Even if it means no sleep for me... I will do it. Then I think we're good to go for selling the first third of the year. If you want something let me know and we'll arrange a price. I took a stab at pricing in an earlier post so if you want to scroll back there I think it's got a "calling dibs" reference in the name. I'm starting prices high-ish... mostly for the fact that the money's going to kids, and if I went by traditional pricing formulas they'd be much higher... so really, you'd be helping kids and getting some art for less than you would in a store. Mind you, it's my art... so there you go. :) Open to negotiation while they're still online... and then when we do a big sale, I'm hoping to work out some sort of auction method... that's still in the planning... I've got some time. :)
Ah... I see I'm starting to ramble on... I guess it's bed time. Tomorrow will be the big push on the gallery. Looking forward to it! Good night!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Pictures Pictures Pictures!! Week 17
Almost a whole third of the way through the year! I now have four boxes of carefully cataloged paintings in my basement... I finally ran out of shelf space and creative stacking options. So... wow.
Oh, and in other, relatively interesting news (just kidding) Prince William got married today to his long-time sweetheart Kate Middleton. I declined to get up hours early to try to watch it on my computer... and as it turned out, I wouldn't have been able to anyway as my wireless router decided to stop working overnight. Chris figured out how to get us some internet and we can get the router replaced at the store (yay). So... even if I had gotten up at 4am to watch the nuptials, I wouldn't have been able to do it anyway. Sleep wins. I did, however, watch the highlights as soon as it was possible. Yup, got a little teary watching the happy couple.
I suppose it might have been appropriate to do a Will & Kate inspired painting this evening... but it didn't even cross my mind. Weird. Instead, I did a watercolour/acrylic painting of "Pussywillows" that was inspired by a couple of photos I took on our recent nature walk with the kids. They are so soft! Bizarre name... but quite pretty. Anyway... I did a watercolour background and acrylic for the pussywillows. It was an attempt to make it resemble the macro photography effect. Mixed results though. Anyway...
Here are this week's paintings and links... and sometime this weekend I will do up a March/April gallery to go with January/February. Then you'll be able to see all the paintings quickly and easily. Fun!
So congrats to the happy couple... and enjoy the week's work. :)
Oh, and in other, relatively interesting news (just kidding) Prince William got married today to his long-time sweetheart Kate Middleton. I declined to get up hours early to try to watch it on my computer... and as it turned out, I wouldn't have been able to anyway as my wireless router decided to stop working overnight. Chris figured out how to get us some internet and we can get the router replaced at the store (yay). So... even if I had gotten up at 4am to watch the nuptials, I wouldn't have been able to do it anyway. Sleep wins. I did, however, watch the highlights as soon as it was possible. Yup, got a little teary watching the happy couple.
I suppose it might have been appropriate to do a Will & Kate inspired painting this evening... but it didn't even cross my mind. Weird. Instead, I did a watercolour/acrylic painting of "Pussywillows" that was inspired by a couple of photos I took on our recent nature walk with the kids. They are so soft! Bizarre name... but quite pretty. Anyway... I did a watercolour background and acrylic for the pussywillows. It was an attempt to make it resemble the macro photography effect. Mixed results though. Anyway...
Here are this week's paintings and links... and sometime this weekend I will do up a March/April gallery to go with January/February. Then you'll be able to see all the paintings quickly and easily. Fun!
So congrats to the happy couple... and enjoy the week's work. :)
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| April 23 - Fairy, Interrupted |
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| April 24 - Happy Easter |
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| April 25 - Tail Feathers |
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| April 26 - Election 2011 |
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| April 27 - Starry Fern |
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| April 28 - Spring Buds |
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| April 29 - Pussywillows |
Thursday, April 28, 2011
118 and Counting
Every time I add up just how many paintings I have downstairs it pretty much blows my mind. I almost can't believe it... and if I didn't see it every day, I probably wouldn't believe it! Getting close to 1/3 of the year done... just a few more days. Wow. Just... wow.
Tonight I finished up a painting that I had meant to do yesterday but had to leave because the canvas was too wet. I did a sort of cross-hatch background with a few different greens... it did sort of blend a bit, but you can see the pattern a little bit. It probably won't show up in the photo though... then I did some leaves and plants over top in white and citron. My mind has gone blank on what I called it though... most likely something with garden in it... will check tomorrow for sure. Picture day and all :) I like it better than the one I did yesterday, though I still like yesterday's too. This is a little different... just trying stuff out to see what I like and what turns out.
Tomorrow is the big royal wedding... I think I'll be watching it on the internet sometime after it's already happened. I think it's great that they're getting married... good for them... it has certainly been a long time coming. However, I'm just not prepared to get up three hours before I have to, hunch in front of my computer, and watch whatever I can with headphones in. I'm sure there will be no shortage of coverage tomorrow and at a later date. They'll probably sell dvds eventually. Well, anyway... good luck to the early risers hoping to catch a glimpse of royal matrimonial bliss. I'm just not enough of a morning person or a Prince William fan to drag myself out of my comfy cozy bed. :)
Speaking of which... see you (and all the pics from the week) tomorrow! Good night!
Tonight I finished up a painting that I had meant to do yesterday but had to leave because the canvas was too wet. I did a sort of cross-hatch background with a few different greens... it did sort of blend a bit, but you can see the pattern a little bit. It probably won't show up in the photo though... then I did some leaves and plants over top in white and citron. My mind has gone blank on what I called it though... most likely something with garden in it... will check tomorrow for sure. Picture day and all :) I like it better than the one I did yesterday, though I still like yesterday's too. This is a little different... just trying stuff out to see what I like and what turns out.
Tomorrow is the big royal wedding... I think I'll be watching it on the internet sometime after it's already happened. I think it's great that they're getting married... good for them... it has certainly been a long time coming. However, I'm just not prepared to get up three hours before I have to, hunch in front of my computer, and watch whatever I can with headphones in. I'm sure there will be no shortage of coverage tomorrow and at a later date. They'll probably sell dvds eventually. Well, anyway... good luck to the early risers hoping to catch a glimpse of royal matrimonial bliss. I'm just not enough of a morning person or a Prince William fan to drag myself out of my comfy cozy bed. :)
Speaking of which... see you (and all the pics from the week) tomorrow! Good night!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Mini Painting
It's along the lines of Enchanted Garden, only it's a 3x5 board. I started with a different painting with a different pattern design, but sadly the background was too wet to continue, so I veered off to do this one. I really liked the way the other paintings turned out with the vines, leaves and little starts, so I made a smaller version.
I'm not going to go on too much... but I called it "Starry Fern" and I think it's simple and cute. :)
And now, to bed... long day... need sleep! Good night!!
I'm not going to go on too much... but I called it "Starry Fern" and I think it's simple and cute. :)
And now, to bed... long day... need sleep! Good night!!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Election 2011
Ok... so I caved and did a small painting in tribute to our upcoming election. It's a 4x6 board and is a stylized version of the Canadian flag with the colours of the five main political parties. For those of you who are unaware, they are the Conservatives (who currently hold the power, albeit a minority gov't), the Liberals, the New Democratic Party, the Green Party, and the Bloc Quebecois. Dark Blue, Red, Orange, Green, and Light Blue respectively. Now I'm not going to discuss much of my own views because politics is so volatile a topic, and there's a lot of political talk floating around Facebook and the rest of the media so I don't think I need to add my two cents. Well, at least not out loud. I think the painting pretty much spells out how I feel. More or less anyway.
One of the biggest things I want to say about the election is that it is crucial that everyone who is legally able to vote gets themselves to a polling station and exercises their right to have a say about their country. Vote!! Apathy is no way to enact change on any level. Also... if you don't vote, don't you dare complain if things don't turn out the way you want them to. Here's to Canadians saying what kind of Canada they want. Vote early, or vote on Monday... just VOTE!!
One of the biggest things I want to say about the election is that it is crucial that everyone who is legally able to vote gets themselves to a polling station and exercises their right to have a say about their country. Vote!! Apathy is no way to enact change on any level. Also... if you don't vote, don't you dare complain if things don't turn out the way you want them to. Here's to Canadians saying what kind of Canada they want. Vote early, or vote on Monday... just VOTE!!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Unintentional Art
Hmm... unintentional or unplanned? I suppose since I intended to paint something it was intentional... but I stared at that canvas for about forty minutes before doing anything at all.
I started with some black paint, then some green, added some blue, and then went from there. It wasn't planned so much as just, well, this colour fits my mood at the moment... let's just see what happens.
I called the painting "Tail Feathers" because it kind of looks like peacock feathers. Just a bit. In a sort of abstracty kind of way. Nothing I planned that's for sure. Sometimes that's good though... just letting colour and shapes be a guide. It can be a lot more free and abandoned than trying to paint from a sketch. I loved doing the fairies last week... but it's nice to try something different too.
Not much new to report here... a little sad that the blog views have slowed right down again. To be expected I suppose... it's hard to keep up interest in just my ramblings. Picture day usually sees a spike... so here's hoping. :) For now... I had a good long weekend with my family and although I'm not looking forward to Chris' return to work tomorrow, we do have a lunch date in the works. Good times!
I started with some black paint, then some green, added some blue, and then went from there. It wasn't planned so much as just, well, this colour fits my mood at the moment... let's just see what happens.
I called the painting "Tail Feathers" because it kind of looks like peacock feathers. Just a bit. In a sort of abstracty kind of way. Nothing I planned that's for sure. Sometimes that's good though... just letting colour and shapes be a guide. It can be a lot more free and abandoned than trying to paint from a sketch. I loved doing the fairies last week... but it's nice to try something different too.
Not much new to report here... a little sad that the blog views have slowed right down again. To be expected I suppose... it's hard to keep up interest in just my ramblings. Picture day usually sees a spike... so here's hoping. :) For now... I had a good long weekend with my family and although I'm not looking forward to Chris' return to work tomorrow, we do have a lunch date in the works. Good times!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Hoppy Easter!
After a long day of sugar-fueled toddler I was ready for a nice relaxing sit down and paint session. :) Oh, and that sugar? 95% from raisins of all things! Here I am thinking that I've gone and found a relatively healthy alternative to those nasty foil wrapped eggs... and he still ended up bouncing off the walls. Well, at least it's naturally occurring sugar. :)
While Easter shopping yesterday I stumbled on some 3x5 boards and had to scoop some up. Anytime I find a different size or shape I like to try it out. So, tonight I pulled out a 3x5 and did a little painting of four Easter eggs. I chose to do four because there are four of us in our house. :) Simple, but cute and fun.
I'm working on compiling a list of all the paintings... but it's slow going and my pen ran out of ink last night. I'm not even sure I brought up another one, so perhaps I'll leave it for tonight and dedicate some time to it this week. I still can't quite believe there are that many paintings downstairs... but I'm running out of space really fast! I'm still really enjoying it and I think it's impacting my life in a few positive ways. I hope it's spreading some smiles out there as well!
Aside from the Easter egg hunting and chocolate eating (on our part more than the kids) today was pretty low-key. The weather improved dramatically in the afternoon and we each took a kid out to play. Thanks Easter Bunny for the awesome bubble stuff! Hope everyone had a great day!! Good night. :)
While Easter shopping yesterday I stumbled on some 3x5 boards and had to scoop some up. Anytime I find a different size or shape I like to try it out. So, tonight I pulled out a 3x5 and did a little painting of four Easter eggs. I chose to do four because there are four of us in our house. :) Simple, but cute and fun.
I'm working on compiling a list of all the paintings... but it's slow going and my pen ran out of ink last night. I'm not even sure I brought up another one, so perhaps I'll leave it for tonight and dedicate some time to it this week. I still can't quite believe there are that many paintings downstairs... but I'm running out of space really fast! I'm still really enjoying it and I think it's impacting my life in a few positive ways. I hope it's spreading some smiles out there as well!
Aside from the Easter egg hunting and chocolate eating (on our part more than the kids) today was pretty low-key. The weather improved dramatically in the afternoon and we each took a kid out to play. Thanks Easter Bunny for the awesome bubble stuff! Hope everyone had a great day!! Good night. :)
Saturday, April 23, 2011
The Easter Bunny Cometh
The baskets are stuffed, the eggs are hidden, we even have an Easter Bunny cottage made out of a huge cardboard box and construction paper in the living room... we are SO ready for Easter! Apologies to those who celebrate from a religious perspective, but we are chocolate bunny people this weekend. :)
It's a good thing I had the fairy painting mostly finished or I'd be up a whole lot later tonight what with all the prep we had to do. I'm so excited for both the painting, and the celebrations. I think the kids are going to love the Bunny Magic! Seeing their smiles and knowing how exciting and special it's going to be is worth a late night or two. It's kind of how I feel about this project... we get to help grant some wishes. That's worth a little less sleep for sure!
So tonight's painting is called "Fairy, Interrupted" because it looks like she heard a noise in the bushes behind her and turned to see who was there. I almost called it Who's There but went with Fairy, Interrupted instead. Makes you wonder what she was up to. Magic? Mischief? Just thinking? Anything is possible. I believe it's a 5x7 canvas board... for those of you who have kindly pointed out that if people want to reserve paintings it would probably help to know their sizes. :)
On that note... over the next few days I hope to upload the March gallery and also update all of them to include their sizes and whether or not their stretched canvas or canvas board. I have four on reserve so far... so I will update the blog. Hopefully tomorrow, but we will have to see what time allows!
Happy Easter to you no matter how, or if, you celebrate! I'll be thinking of the World's Largest Pysanka I saw years ago in Vegreville, AB while on a road trip. Enjoy!
It's a good thing I had the fairy painting mostly finished or I'd be up a whole lot later tonight what with all the prep we had to do. I'm so excited for both the painting, and the celebrations. I think the kids are going to love the Bunny Magic! Seeing their smiles and knowing how exciting and special it's going to be is worth a late night or two. It's kind of how I feel about this project... we get to help grant some wishes. That's worth a little less sleep for sure!
So tonight's painting is called "Fairy, Interrupted" because it looks like she heard a noise in the bushes behind her and turned to see who was there. I almost called it Who's There but went with Fairy, Interrupted instead. Makes you wonder what she was up to. Magic? Mischief? Just thinking? Anything is possible. I believe it's a 5x7 canvas board... for those of you who have kindly pointed out that if people want to reserve paintings it would probably help to know their sizes. :)
On that note... over the next few days I hope to upload the March gallery and also update all of them to include their sizes and whether or not their stretched canvas or canvas board. I have four on reserve so far... so I will update the blog. Hopefully tomorrow, but we will have to see what time allows!
Happy Easter to you no matter how, or if, you celebrate! I'll be thinking of the World's Largest Pysanka I saw years ago in Vegreville, AB while on a road trip. Enjoy!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Sweet Sixteen!
Well good evening... or morning... it's ten after midnight so I guess technically I'm late... but I was out on a date night! Love date nights. This time we went for dinner and a movie, a real splurge. Anyway, that's my reason for being late and I'm happy it's a good one. :)
So, today's painting was going to be of another fairy, but I kinda messed up a few bits early on in the day and then realized that if I was going to do it right I'd need more time. So... luckily, it was still pretty early, I started another one. I wanted to see if I could do a whole painting with my smallest sized brush and teeny little brushstrokes. It's a tree... yup, another one... and the whole thing is with itty bitty strokes... so I called it "Brushstrokes". It's different... I guess I like it... I think this may be one of those 'check again in the morning' ones. Sometimes I like them better the next day, sometimes I don't. It's all about trying new things and having fun on the way.
We hit 2300 today and I noticed that this week the UK and Russia are back on the map. Yay! Welcome, or welcome back depending on who it is. Always nice to see that people are reading the blog!
In case you're just checking on Fridays... this week I added a bit about buying paintings early and/or reserving paintings. So... to read more in detail click on the link for Dream Catcher and it'll take you to the blog with the info. Of course everyone is reading daily (haha) so I'm sure you all already know all about it.
So... without any further adieu... here are this week's paintings. Hope you like them!
So, today's painting was going to be of another fairy, but I kinda messed up a few bits early on in the day and then realized that if I was going to do it right I'd need more time. So... luckily, it was still pretty early, I started another one. I wanted to see if I could do a whole painting with my smallest sized brush and teeny little brushstrokes. It's a tree... yup, another one... and the whole thing is with itty bitty strokes... so I called it "Brushstrokes". It's different... I guess I like it... I think this may be one of those 'check again in the morning' ones. Sometimes I like them better the next day, sometimes I don't. It's all about trying new things and having fun on the way.
We hit 2300 today and I noticed that this week the UK and Russia are back on the map. Yay! Welcome, or welcome back depending on who it is. Always nice to see that people are reading the blog!
In case you're just checking on Fridays... this week I added a bit about buying paintings early and/or reserving paintings. So... to read more in detail click on the link for Dream Catcher and it'll take you to the blog with the info. Of course everyone is reading daily (haha) so I'm sure you all already know all about it.
So... without any further adieu... here are this week's paintings. Hope you like them!
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| April 16 - Twins |
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| April 17 - Thinking Spot |
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| April 18 - Sunshine |
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| April 19 - Ocean Sunset |
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| April 20 - Dream Catcher |
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| April 21 - Evening Stroll |
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| April 22 - Brushstrokes |
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Watercolour & Acrylic
Another experiment with watercolour tonight... used them for a background and then when dry, painted over it with acrylic. It's a wee 4x6 board painting of a (presumably) mother and child out for an "Evening Stroll." It's simple, the figures are silhouetted in the sinking sun, but it feels cozy too. At least I think so. :)
Picture day tomorrow... can't wait to show you my new fairies! I'm rather fond of them... and I think I'm getting a bit better at contouring. Definitely a lot more time consuming, so I've had a fair number of late nights this week. I think it's worth it in the end though. Especially if I actually like the result!
111 paintings so far! See you tomorrow!
Picture day tomorrow... can't wait to show you my new fairies! I'm rather fond of them... and I think I'm getting a bit better at contouring. Definitely a lot more time consuming, so I've had a fair number of late nights this week. I think it's worth it in the end though. Especially if I actually like the result!
111 paintings so far! See you tomorrow!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Bubble Dreams and Calling Dibs
I had a memory just now of my grade six teacher Mrs. Smith (really, that's her name) reading Roald Dahl's book The BFG to us. In the story the BFG (Big Friendly Giant) catches dreams for human children to enjoy. I really liked that story, both for the actual story and for hearing it read aloud as a kid. I highly recommend it to the young and young-at-heart. The reason it popped into my mind is because tonight I finished my painting of a bubble fairy. It's an 8x10 with a watercolour background and the fairy and bubbles are done with acrylics. The fairy is catching a large bubble and there are various sized bubbles all around. I decided to call the painting "Dream Catcher". It wasn't until I was sitting down at the computer that I thought about the BFG and his dreams. I don't know, might just be a coincidence, or it might be a sign that I should read the book again. I think it's still a little beyond my son just yet... but someday I hope to read it out loud for him.
Chris has made a suggestion about the paintings... he figures I should open it up for people to reserve paintings they want. I would set a base price for them and then people can call 'dibs' or actually pay for them. I sort of wanted to display them all at some point for a big event/sale, but I realize now that the timing of this project doesn't really lend itself that well to that idea. If I wait until the whole year goes by, then we miss out on Christmas and we end up trying to sell them in January when no one has any real interest in spending more money. So... here's the idea:
Stretched Canvasses: Small paintings - $40
Large Paintings (5x7 and up) - $60.
Boards: $20.
All sales, plus shipping costs if needed.
I figure if they don't sell during the year we may end up with an auction/sale closer to November/December and I'd bet the starting price would be lower. However, this is for the Children's Wish Foundation and the goal is to raise as much as we can to help grant some wishes for some amazing kids. On that note, if you'd like to pay/donate more for a painting please feel free! I also want to remind everyone that the CWF is getting 100% of the profits of this fundraiser. Not a portion of each painting, not just some small percentage of the money, but 100% of the profits.
So... how to reserve? Well, I think the best way is to send me an email. I'm going to make myself a document to track which ones go early, and I will mark on the gallery pages which ones are spoken for. That being said, if you want to reserve a painting but don't end up making payment arrangements (which could vary from person to person), it's going to be sold to someone else. The goal is to sell them all for the kids.
My email: jcope18@yahoo.com
I think that covers everything... if you're living farther away from me (Dartmouth, NS) you might want to check shipping prices in advance. :) I'll make another post just about this in a day or two... just to be official. If anyone reads this, figures I'm insane and wants to make a suggestion, send me an email. I welcome feedback as always. Until then... good night!
Chris has made a suggestion about the paintings... he figures I should open it up for people to reserve paintings they want. I would set a base price for them and then people can call 'dibs' or actually pay for them. I sort of wanted to display them all at some point for a big event/sale, but I realize now that the timing of this project doesn't really lend itself that well to that idea. If I wait until the whole year goes by, then we miss out on Christmas and we end up trying to sell them in January when no one has any real interest in spending more money. So... here's the idea:
Stretched Canvasses: Small paintings - $40
Large Paintings (5x7 and up) - $60.
Boards: $20.
All sales, plus shipping costs if needed.
I figure if they don't sell during the year we may end up with an auction/sale closer to November/December and I'd bet the starting price would be lower. However, this is for the Children's Wish Foundation and the goal is to raise as much as we can to help grant some wishes for some amazing kids. On that note, if you'd like to pay/donate more for a painting please feel free! I also want to remind everyone that the CWF is getting 100% of the profits of this fundraiser. Not a portion of each painting, not just some small percentage of the money, but 100% of the profits.
So... how to reserve? Well, I think the best way is to send me an email. I'm going to make myself a document to track which ones go early, and I will mark on the gallery pages which ones are spoken for. That being said, if you want to reserve a painting but don't end up making payment arrangements (which could vary from person to person), it's going to be sold to someone else. The goal is to sell them all for the kids.
My email: jcope18@yahoo.com
I think that covers everything... if you're living farther away from me (Dartmouth, NS) you might want to check shipping prices in advance. :) I'll make another post just about this in a day or two... just to be official. If anyone reads this, figures I'm insane and wants to make a suggestion, send me an email. I welcome feedback as always. Until then... good night!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Experimenting Again
Hello all! Today was a very long day in my world. Longer than usual for sure! I shouldn't feel too put upon because, really, I have it very good. I sometimes wonder how on earth single parents do it! Today was pretty exhausting and I only had one extra kid in the house, my husband got home around lunchtime, and even though he went out tutoring over the dinner and bedtime routine it wasn't much more difficult than lunch/naptime usually is. So... why am I so tired??
And much more importantly... congratulations to the people who do it all on their own every single day! I called my friend and left her a message basically saying she's amazing. She has three kids and is expecting a fourth... and she takes care of other people's kids! How she stays organized and sane is completely beyond me! My two alone are sometimes more than my patience level can handle. I guess it's just me!
Anyway... by the time I got to my painting tonight (9:30pm) I was pretty spent. I was going to do an 8x10 of a fairy that I drew out this morning... but when it came down to it I was pretty sure I didn't want to be up that late... and I really didn't want to make a mess of it. So, I thought I'd try the background tonight, paint another painting, and then I'll finish up the fairy tomorrow night. I wanted to try a combination of watercolour and acrylics, so I did the background in watercolour and used a tissue to lift some of the paint in hopes of creating an ethereal look. I think it turned out rather well... now we'll see how it goes adding acrylics overtop!
Tonight's actual painting is called "Ocean Sunset" and is quite abstract really. It has vertical portions and horizontal portions, and is suggestive of a sunset over water. I like the way it turned out and even though it's not super detailed or extravagant in the design I think I got out the feeling in my head of looking at warmth on cool water. Oh listen to me... it must be getting late!
Welcome back to the UK and Singapore... nice to see people visiting again. :) Hoping everyone is spreading the link around to all corners of the Earth. :) Until tomorrow...
And much more importantly... congratulations to the people who do it all on their own every single day! I called my friend and left her a message basically saying she's amazing. She has three kids and is expecting a fourth... and she takes care of other people's kids! How she stays organized and sane is completely beyond me! My two alone are sometimes more than my patience level can handle. I guess it's just me!
Anyway... by the time I got to my painting tonight (9:30pm) I was pretty spent. I was going to do an 8x10 of a fairy that I drew out this morning... but when it came down to it I was pretty sure I didn't want to be up that late... and I really didn't want to make a mess of it. So, I thought I'd try the background tonight, paint another painting, and then I'll finish up the fairy tomorrow night. I wanted to try a combination of watercolour and acrylics, so I did the background in watercolour and used a tissue to lift some of the paint in hopes of creating an ethereal look. I think it turned out rather well... now we'll see how it goes adding acrylics overtop!
Tonight's actual painting is called "Ocean Sunset" and is quite abstract really. It has vertical portions and horizontal portions, and is suggestive of a sunset over water. I like the way it turned out and even though it's not super detailed or extravagant in the design I think I got out the feeling in my head of looking at warmth on cool water. Oh listen to me... it must be getting late!
Welcome back to the UK and Singapore... nice to see people visiting again. :) Hoping everyone is spreading the link around to all corners of the Earth. :) Until tomorrow...
Monday, April 18, 2011
Fairy of Sunshine
So I did another fairy today... it's supposed to be a little girl fairy, but I don't know if it came out that clearly without the facial expression. Anyway, I called her "Sunshine" because she's sort of hovering, has an orange and yellow dress and orange and yellow wings, and a handful of daisies. I really like her. :)
I've been thinking of doing some more political type art since we have the election coming up... but it seems so volatile a topic I'm not sure I want to go there. I don't know if it's due to the social media being used in this election, or that I'm getting older and perhaps more aware... but it seems like this particular election is more important than the last few. Everyone seems to have such strong opinions. Politics is a dangerous topic at the best of times... but right now it seems like it's too easy to offend or upset friends/family. I guess I know why voting is so confidential! Only a bit longer and then we'll just have to see what happens.
Tomorrow is going to be one heck of a day... I've agreed to babysit a friend and neighbour who is in a pinch. That will make it kids:3, adults:1. What have I done?? Tomorrow's painting may not be quite so detailed! I wonder if I can paint something with my head bashing into a wall... just kidding. I'm sure it'll be just fine. Hard, but fine. The big thing is, I'm happy to help this friend. She has been very generous to us and she's just really nice too... so I'm glad for the opportunity to return a favour. Here's hoping when I post tomorrow night my sanity will still be intact! Good night for now... and wish me luck! :)
I've been thinking of doing some more political type art since we have the election coming up... but it seems so volatile a topic I'm not sure I want to go there. I don't know if it's due to the social media being used in this election, or that I'm getting older and perhaps more aware... but it seems like this particular election is more important than the last few. Everyone seems to have such strong opinions. Politics is a dangerous topic at the best of times... but right now it seems like it's too easy to offend or upset friends/family. I guess I know why voting is so confidential! Only a bit longer and then we'll just have to see what happens.
Tomorrow is going to be one heck of a day... I've agreed to babysit a friend and neighbour who is in a pinch. That will make it kids:3, adults:1. What have I done?? Tomorrow's painting may not be quite so detailed! I wonder if I can paint something with my head bashing into a wall... just kidding. I'm sure it'll be just fine. Hard, but fine. The big thing is, I'm happy to help this friend. She has been very generous to us and she's just really nice too... so I'm glad for the opportunity to return a favour. Here's hoping when I post tomorrow night my sanity will still be intact! Good night for now... and wish me luck! :)
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Over 2200!
Yay! Ok, I'll admit it... I just love watching the numbers jump up! The views have been slowing down again lately and I've been trying to think of ways to draw more attention to the project. Any suggestions?
Tonight's painting is called "Thinking Spot" and, as mentioned yesterday, is a fairy sitting and thinking. I am really proud of this one... I think it's pretty cute in terms of subject matter, and I like how it turned out. So much, in fact, that I'm planning another fairy tomorrow. This time a little kid fairy. Should be interesting. Time consuming too... but worth it. :)
I very nearly took a picture of it to include tonight because I like it that much... but I want to get some sleep!
Please, if you're reading this blog, share with your friends and family... co-workers even... the more people that know what is going on the more successful a fundraiser it will be. That, and I love seeing the numbers and countries light up! If you have canvasses, paint or a painting you've made that you'd like to donate, or some suggestions about how best to sell the finished paintings, please let me know. You can email me at: jcope18@yahoo.com Feedback is always appreciated. :)
For now... good night and have a wonderful Monday tomorrow!
Tonight's painting is called "Thinking Spot" and, as mentioned yesterday, is a fairy sitting and thinking. I am really proud of this one... I think it's pretty cute in terms of subject matter, and I like how it turned out. So much, in fact, that I'm planning another fairy tomorrow. This time a little kid fairy. Should be interesting. Time consuming too... but worth it. :)
I very nearly took a picture of it to include tonight because I like it that much... but I want to get some sleep!
Please, if you're reading this blog, share with your friends and family... co-workers even... the more people that know what is going on the more successful a fundraiser it will be. That, and I love seeing the numbers and countries light up! If you have canvasses, paint or a painting you've made that you'd like to donate, or some suggestions about how best to sell the finished paintings, please let me know. You can email me at: jcope18@yahoo.com Feedback is always appreciated. :)
For now... good night and have a wonderful Monday tomorrow!
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Ugh. So Indecisive Tonight.
Well, today was an interesting day... full of learning about political party platforms such as they are, and trying to identify which party fits my values and ideals best. I think I have a clear winner, so that's at least one area where I can make a decision.
As for painting... yeesh! I started with an idea to do a reverse painting on a 4x5 stretched canvas with purple and blues. I started, liked the background I made, but thought it was a bit too much like a few others I've done. So, I started a painting of a flower in reverse. I hated it. Starting over... then I did a fairy in flight... but it was too high up and looked awkward... starting over again. I changed the background to make it smoother, thinking perhaps this was part of the problem... then I did two koi fish swimming in a typical Pisces pattern and called it "Twins".
I'm still not sure I love it... but the underlying colours in the fish are interesting. Tonight was tough! I wonder if my day influenced my evening of painting... or if it was partly due to starting at 9:30 after doing a lot of living room shuffling. We've done some furniture moving and redecorating to accommodate a mobile baby and a little boy who needs some more of his own space. I think it ended up quite well, but whenever I start a painting late it does tend to suffer a little.
I prepped a drawing for tomorrow night... a fairy sitting on a toadstool... hope I get to start a whole lot earlier!
Anyway... I do sincerely hope everyone in Canada votes in the upcoming federal election. I won't go pushing my values on anyone, but I do think it's very worth getting as much information as you can and voting accordingly. Good luck!
As for painting... yeesh! I started with an idea to do a reverse painting on a 4x5 stretched canvas with purple and blues. I started, liked the background I made, but thought it was a bit too much like a few others I've done. So, I started a painting of a flower in reverse. I hated it. Starting over... then I did a fairy in flight... but it was too high up and looked awkward... starting over again. I changed the background to make it smoother, thinking perhaps this was part of the problem... then I did two koi fish swimming in a typical Pisces pattern and called it "Twins".
I'm still not sure I love it... but the underlying colours in the fish are interesting. Tonight was tough! I wonder if my day influenced my evening of painting... or if it was partly due to starting at 9:30 after doing a lot of living room shuffling. We've done some furniture moving and redecorating to accommodate a mobile baby and a little boy who needs some more of his own space. I think it ended up quite well, but whenever I start a painting late it does tend to suffer a little.
I prepped a drawing for tomorrow night... a fairy sitting on a toadstool... hope I get to start a whole lot earlier!
Anyway... I do sincerely hope everyone in Canada votes in the upcoming federal election. I won't go pushing my values on anyone, but I do think it's very worth getting as much information as you can and voting accordingly. Good luck!
Friday, April 15, 2011
Fifteen Weeks and Going Strong
Twenty countries (France & Hong Kong too since the 9th!)... one hundred and five paintings... this is incredible! What a thrill this is to see this project growing and spreading around the world. :) In life there are always ups and downs, and this has been 100% up for me, so thank you!!
Tonight I did a painting inspired by some metal wall art I saw while shopping with my family this past week. We were filling up some spare time before heading to the airport to fly home, and I couldn't resist checking out all the patterns and leafy motifs. My grandmother was very into gardening... sadly my thumbs are not green... and so this seemed like a good tribute to a great lady.
Here are the pictures of this week's work with links to the relevant blog posts. As opposed to the usual week, some of the paintings will be linked to the same post as I had to paint ahead a fair bit. Apologies, but I just couldn't see how I'd be painting while away. Anyway, hope you like them!
Tonight I did a painting inspired by some metal wall art I saw while shopping with my family this past week. We were filling up some spare time before heading to the airport to fly home, and I couldn't resist checking out all the patterns and leafy motifs. My grandmother was very into gardening... sadly my thumbs are not green... and so this seemed like a good tribute to a great lady.
Here are the pictures of this week's work with links to the relevant blog posts. As opposed to the usual week, some of the paintings will be linked to the same post as I had to paint ahead a fair bit. Apologies, but I just couldn't see how I'd be painting while away. Anyway, hope you like them!
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| April 9 - Friendly Flags |
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| April 10 - Enchanted Garden |
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| April 11 - Blue Bayou |
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| April 12 - Bluegrass |
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| April 13 - Violet Vine |
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| April 14 - Tiny Tree |
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| April 15 - Take a Bough |
Home Again
Hello Everyone... I'm home again. The funeral was probably as good as it could be given the circumstances. It's always nice to see family, but it's better for happier reasons. However, the celebration of my grandmother's life was good and there were many shared memories. I'm very glad that I was there to say goodbye.
Now, I'm home once more and will be right back to painting. As I mentioned, I did a few paintings ahead of time to cover my absence, and tonight I will paint another one and then, it's picture day! So, I will do another post tonight with the seven paintings for this week.
Thanks to everyone who passed along kind words for me and my family.
Now, I'm home once more and will be right back to painting. As I mentioned, I did a few paintings ahead of time to cover my absence, and tonight I will paint another one and then, it's picture day! So, I will do another post tonight with the seven paintings for this week.
Thanks to everyone who passed along kind words for me and my family.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Oh So Close!
Ok... so we're at 2097... so very close to 2100! Here's hoping that tomorrow morning we'll be in a new century. :)
Tonight I did two paintings... our flights for the funeral have been changed so I'll be away part of tomorrow as well... and just in case I don't get a chance to paint, what with parenting, packing, and travel, I figured I'd do another one tonight. One of them, the first one I did tonight, I really quite like. I called it "Blue Bayou" and it's another leafy vine with stars. It turned out well, I think. The other one I'm not as sure about. I wanted to try a tree, but very simple. It's a bunch of parallel lines to look like branches. Then I added some leaves. It still didn't look like the image in my mind, so I tried to do something with the bark of the tree. Painted over that because it really didn't look right at all. Then I added more leaves in a more random pattern and a lighter colour. I think that was an improvement. After that I tried re-doing a bark pattern. Still not sure about it, but I think it's better than it was. So... there you go. I called it "Tiny Tree" and it's for tomorrow (I think).
Hello to the reader in Hong Kong as well... always lovely to see new countries showing up! I will say I'm a little disappointed that the views have slowed down again. I guess it's hard to maintain a high level of interest for a whole year. I guess I've been hoping more people will share the link on their facebook pages, or pass along an email to their friends who might be interested. Maybe they are? I have no real idea of how it works or how people are finding this. Facebook seems to be the number one feeder site so that is good. I've been regularly sharing the link to my page and posting when the new pictures are up. I'm thinking of doing up a poster of some kind, or some cards to hand out to people... or display in art stores... or something. Anything to spread the word really. Thanks so much to everyone who is reading and sharing! All of this support is incredible and wonderful and I appreciate it more than you know. So, thank you.
As usual, I'm in danger of rambling on late into the night, so I will be off. Probably won't get a chance to blog again until Thursday, so an update will come then. At least the number of paintings will be up to date. :) Good night all!
Tonight I did two paintings... our flights for the funeral have been changed so I'll be away part of tomorrow as well... and just in case I don't get a chance to paint, what with parenting, packing, and travel, I figured I'd do another one tonight. One of them, the first one I did tonight, I really quite like. I called it "Blue Bayou" and it's another leafy vine with stars. It turned out well, I think. The other one I'm not as sure about. I wanted to try a tree, but very simple. It's a bunch of parallel lines to look like branches. Then I added some leaves. It still didn't look like the image in my mind, so I tried to do something with the bark of the tree. Painted over that because it really didn't look right at all. Then I added more leaves in a more random pattern and a lighter colour. I think that was an improvement. After that I tried re-doing a bark pattern. Still not sure about it, but I think it's better than it was. So... there you go. I called it "Tiny Tree" and it's for tomorrow (I think).
Hello to the reader in Hong Kong as well... always lovely to see new countries showing up! I will say I'm a little disappointed that the views have slowed down again. I guess it's hard to maintain a high level of interest for a whole year. I guess I've been hoping more people will share the link on their facebook pages, or pass along an email to their friends who might be interested. Maybe they are? I have no real idea of how it works or how people are finding this. Facebook seems to be the number one feeder site so that is good. I've been regularly sharing the link to my page and posting when the new pictures are up. I'm thinking of doing up a poster of some kind, or some cards to hand out to people... or display in art stores... or something. Anything to spread the word really. Thanks so much to everyone who is reading and sharing! All of this support is incredible and wonderful and I appreciate it more than you know. So, thank you.
As usual, I'm in danger of rambling on late into the night, so I will be off. Probably won't get a chance to blog again until Thursday, so an update will come then. At least the number of paintings will be up to date. :) Good night all!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Day 100!
One Hundred.
Just saying that is pretty incredible. 100 days and 100 paintings. Definitely more painting than I have ever done in my life! Ok, so I'm pretty impressed with myself. :)
To be honest, I did more than one painting tonight. I did three. While out shopping this afternoon (we were early for a birthday party and the Value Village was next door... can't resist a good thrift store) and along with several frames for the boards, I saw a neat box with a vine and star design on it. I snapped a pic with my phone and used it as inspiration for three paintings. They're 4x6 boards and will likely go in the picture frames for ease in hanging. So, yay for productivity.
The reason behind the multiple painting night, which is an anomaly, is that this week I will be attending my grandmother's funeral. She died last night. So... I will be away for a few days and I decided to paint ahead to cover my absence. I won't say much more on that as I'm still, understandably, quite upset even though it wasn't entirely unexpected.
Ok... distraction time again...
Call your loved ones. Tell them you love them. Share a fun moment of your day with a friend. Just extend yourself outside of your immediate world and connect with someone... even if it's a stranger. All of your friends were, at one point, strangers to you. You never know what will happen if you just try.
Just saying that is pretty incredible. 100 days and 100 paintings. Definitely more painting than I have ever done in my life! Ok, so I'm pretty impressed with myself. :)
To be honest, I did more than one painting tonight. I did three. While out shopping this afternoon (we were early for a birthday party and the Value Village was next door... can't resist a good thrift store) and along with several frames for the boards, I saw a neat box with a vine and star design on it. I snapped a pic with my phone and used it as inspiration for three paintings. They're 4x6 boards and will likely go in the picture frames for ease in hanging. So, yay for productivity.
The reason behind the multiple painting night, which is an anomaly, is that this week I will be attending my grandmother's funeral. She died last night. So... I will be away for a few days and I decided to paint ahead to cover my absence. I won't say much more on that as I'm still, understandably, quite upset even though it wasn't entirely unexpected.
Ok... distraction time again...
Call your loved ones. Tell them you love them. Share a fun moment of your day with a friend. Just extend yourself outside of your immediate world and connect with someone... even if it's a stranger. All of your friends were, at one point, strangers to you. You never know what will happen if you just try.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
18 and Counting!
So far there are eighteen countries where this blog has been viewed! Wow... hello to:
Canada
China
Denmark
Germany
India
Iran
Israel
Mexico
Pakistan
Panama
Philippines
Russia
Singapore
Spain
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States of America
Tonight I wanted to thank everyone around the world who is reading this blog by doing a painting of all 18 countries' flags. I titled it "Friendly Flags" after a long time staring at it wondering what it should be called. So, on a 5x7 canvas there are 18 flags down in alphabetical order, so as to be fair. Some of the small detail work was impossible, but I'm hoping people will be able to pick out which flag is theirs and not be offended by any errors I may have made. So, a huge thank you to everyone who is reading and sharing this blog. Your efforts and support are so greatly appreciated! There are nights where I'm so tired and not in the mood to paint, but knowing that somewhere out there someone is going to read this, or peek at the pictures, well it helps give me a little boost of energy and encouragement. I also keep thinking about the wishes that are out there waiting to be granted and how, together, we are helping to make them come true.
Good night (or morning) to everyone!
Friday, April 8, 2011
Fourteen Weeks and counting!
Almost to 100 paintings... so far, 98. I swear it blows my mind every time I stop to think about it. I figure, even if I only sold them for say ten bucks a painting, that's a fair amount of money for Children's Wish. Now, obviously, I'm hoping to raise a lot more than ten dollars... must counteract the cost of the materials and it's for an amazing cause... but hey, it's pretty impressive I think. :) Here's hoping we can grant some wishes!!
This is the second week of turntable paintings, so just for fun at the bottom I'm including a picture of all fourteen canvasses plus the link to the fourth week so if you're curious you can see them in a larger picture. Personally, I think this week's are a bit more interesting, but that stands to reason since I've now had a bit of practice. :)
On a personal note: Happy Birthday to my big little brother! I'm still two spins around the sun ahead of you! :)
Ok, without any further ado... here are the pictures and links for this week!
This is the second week of turntable paintings, so just for fun at the bottom I'm including a picture of all fourteen canvasses plus the link to the fourth week so if you're curious you can see them in a larger picture. Personally, I think this week's are a bit more interesting, but that stands to reason since I've now had a bit of practice. :)
On a personal note: Happy Birthday to my big little brother! I'm still two spins around the sun ahead of you! :)
Ok, without any further ado... here are the pictures and links for this week!
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| April 2 - Beach |
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| April 3 - Supernova |
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| April 4 - Colour Wheel |
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| April 5 - Deep Purple |
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| April 6 - Coffee Swirl |
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| April 7 - Arctic Circle |
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| April 8 - Imagination |
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| Weeks Four and Fourteen |
Thursday, April 7, 2011
What a Day!
Ok, so today is my husband's birthday... I won't say how old he is, but I will say he's taken two more trips around the sun than I have. :) Anyway... my son and I baked a cake for him this morning and we ate it at lunch instead of dinner because he and I went on a date... to a film screening that a friend's film was in. So, I admit to hijacking a little of his birthday plans... but hey, I made him a super awesome two-tiered chocolate fudge cake with smarties decorations. I give it about four days in this house. So, happy birthday to my wonderful, amazing, supportive husband who lets me take over our basement, bugs him for ideas and name suggestions, stays up late while I write my blog (although when he does fall asleep reading it is very cute)... and overall, my bestest friend. There's so much to him that I'd love to go on about, but this is supposed to be about the painting so I'll leave off the love-fest here. :)
Did my painting earlier today... as I said yesterday I used the gel medium to try for a texture thingy. My idea was to combine the texture and the reverse-painting idea. I did it in one colour though... it might sound boring, but it's kinda cool since the reverse spiral from the turntable is pretty tight, and the texture raises up the paint left behind. It made me think of ice and glacier water... so I called it "Arctic Circle". Maybe tomorrow I'll try to take it another step further and get a more varied underlayer of colour. We'll see... it's also picture day tomorrow so that'll be exciting. I think I'll link the first turntable series to tomorrow's post as well so you can have a flash back comparison option.
That's it for me... it's technically Friday by my clock and it's so totally time for bed! Here's to growing wiser, not older, and together, not apart.
Did my painting earlier today... as I said yesterday I used the gel medium to try for a texture thingy. My idea was to combine the texture and the reverse-painting idea. I did it in one colour though... it might sound boring, but it's kinda cool since the reverse spiral from the turntable is pretty tight, and the texture raises up the paint left behind. It made me think of ice and glacier water... so I called it "Arctic Circle". Maybe tomorrow I'll try to take it another step further and get a more varied underlayer of colour. We'll see... it's also picture day tomorrow so that'll be exciting. I think I'll link the first turntable series to tomorrow's post as well so you can have a flash back comparison option.
That's it for me... it's technically Friday by my clock and it's so totally time for bed! Here's to growing wiser, not older, and together, not apart.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
100th Post, 96th Painting
One hundred posts... and ninety-six paintings... in ninety-six days. Take that self-doubt! I will probably be one of the first to admit that I had some doubts about my ability to fully see this project through. I am notorious for dreaming up cool ideas (at least I think they're cool) and then sort of never doing anything about them. This time though... well, I wasn't going to let this slide. So, here I am... April 6th and I'm still right on track. I've heard that it takes 21 days of doing something before it becomes a habit. Ha! I'm that more than four times over... guess it's a habit now. What'll happen on January 1st of next year?? I'll just have to dream up another project... Ok, so I've already started thinking about one... but it's way on the backburner for now. Painting comes first!
Tonight's painting is a mixture of browns and a sandstone... yup, done on the wheel. I really like it. It makes me think of chocolate truffle thingies... and it made Chris think of coffee and cream when you swirl your spoon around in the cup. So, it's called "Coffee Swirl". It's his birthday tomorrow so I guess I'll let him name one or two paintings. You know, just to be nice. :) Oh, I didn't use the gel medium tonight either, but I will be trying it out tomorrow. I have a thought. Don't know how well it'll work, but we will just have to wait and see. I'm loving the experimental aspect of the project. :)
Well, I'm off to bed... one of these days I'll start writing painting ideas down in a notebook. Have been saying that since the start and have yet to actually do it. See? No follow-through! Oh well, you win some and you lose some. It's the smile on your face no matter what the outcome is that counts. Be Happy!
Tonight's painting is a mixture of browns and a sandstone... yup, done on the wheel. I really like it. It makes me think of chocolate truffle thingies... and it made Chris think of coffee and cream when you swirl your spoon around in the cup. So, it's called "Coffee Swirl". It's his birthday tomorrow so I guess I'll let him name one or two paintings. You know, just to be nice. :) Oh, I didn't use the gel medium tonight either, but I will be trying it out tomorrow. I have a thought. Don't know how well it'll work, but we will just have to wait and see. I'm loving the experimental aspect of the project. :)
Well, I'm off to bed... one of these days I'll start writing painting ideas down in a notebook. Have been saying that since the start and have yet to actually do it. See? No follow-through! Oh well, you win some and you lose some. It's the smile on your face no matter what the outcome is that counts. Be Happy!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Hello Iran!
Wow... someone is reading in Iran! That's so wonderful... welcome to my blog! Every time I see another country lit up on the world map it makes me smile. A lot. I think my husband may wonder if I'm too excited... but it's just such an amazing concept that somewhere in the world someone I don't know is reading what I've written and looked at my painting. Sometimes I think technology is hurting society a bit, but then I think of this situation and think that really, the internet is pretty cool. :)
Tonight I did a painting on the turntable... it's another 5x5 and I've called it "Deep Purple". It's a dark purple background, done on the wheel, with two lighter purples over, two light blues, and a sandstone. It's not quite the same as the purple painting in the first turntable series. I kept this one a bit sparser with wider bands, and I let more of the dark purple background come through. I called it Deep Purple, in part because it's a dark purple colour, and in part because looking at it make me think of depth, and I think it's the bands of darker purple that give that impression. Anyway, I like it and I think it turned out pretty well. I didn't use the gel medium on it though... maybe I'll try that tomorrow. :)
In other news... I'm going to go for a neck x-ray this week. Over the past few weeks I've noticed some numbness in some of my fingertips on both hands. Plus, the skin is looking a little weird. Not normal for sure. So I mentioned it to my doctor today and she was a bit concerned. I hurt my neck awhile back and although it feels fine now it was sore for quite awhile. She said that sometimes side effects from that kind of injury don't show up until months later. So... hopefully it's nothing, it'll get fixed really quick, and my hands will return to normal soon. It's not really interfering in my day to day life, so that's quite lucky... but it is annoying and a little creepy. I usually have to be careful not to overreact to health type issues... yup, I'm a bit of a hypochondriac... so it'll probably amount to nothing. At least, I hope so! Will keep you all posted. :) Let's hope it doesn't get worse or affect my painting routine. I'm absolutely dedicated to doing one painting a day for the whole year. Well, with the exception of our trip... but I'm planning to make up the deficit around then anyway. :)
Hope everyone here in Canada and all around the world is having a good day today. Think of something nice to say to someone you know you'll be seeing tomorrow. It'll make you both feel good. Good night!
Tonight I did a painting on the turntable... it's another 5x5 and I've called it "Deep Purple". It's a dark purple background, done on the wheel, with two lighter purples over, two light blues, and a sandstone. It's not quite the same as the purple painting in the first turntable series. I kept this one a bit sparser with wider bands, and I let more of the dark purple background come through. I called it Deep Purple, in part because it's a dark purple colour, and in part because looking at it make me think of depth, and I think it's the bands of darker purple that give that impression. Anyway, I like it and I think it turned out pretty well. I didn't use the gel medium on it though... maybe I'll try that tomorrow. :)
In other news... I'm going to go for a neck x-ray this week. Over the past few weeks I've noticed some numbness in some of my fingertips on both hands. Plus, the skin is looking a little weird. Not normal for sure. So I mentioned it to my doctor today and she was a bit concerned. I hurt my neck awhile back and although it feels fine now it was sore for quite awhile. She said that sometimes side effects from that kind of injury don't show up until months later. So... hopefully it's nothing, it'll get fixed really quick, and my hands will return to normal soon. It's not really interfering in my day to day life, so that's quite lucky... but it is annoying and a little creepy. I usually have to be careful not to overreact to health type issues... yup, I'm a bit of a hypochondriac... so it'll probably amount to nothing. At least, I hope so! Will keep you all posted. :) Let's hope it doesn't get worse or affect my painting routine. I'm absolutely dedicated to doing one painting a day for the whole year. Well, with the exception of our trip... but I'm planning to make up the deficit around then anyway. :)
Hope everyone here in Canada and all around the world is having a good day today. Think of something nice to say to someone you know you'll be seeing tomorrow. It'll make you both feel good. Good night!
Monday, April 4, 2011
1995... the suspense is killing me!
Come on 2000!! So close... 1995 views of the blog and counting. This makes me happy. Bet you couldn't tell. :)
Tonight's painting was on the turntable again... it's a rainbow in concentric circles. Had a hard time naming it without calling it Rainbow... so went with "Colour Wheel". Not overly original or creative, but it's the colours in the colour wheel, and it was done on a spinning wheel, so I figured it works. :)
Still debating how to sell these paintings. I'm open to suggestions. I was originally thinking one big sale at the end of the year, but then I'd miss out on the Christmas angle, plus, who wants to spend money in January right after Christmas?? So... maybe we'll do something online, sort of a pre-sale sale... so anyone who really really wants a particular painting can call dibs, and then maybe do a couple of sales, or rent a table at the farmer's market for the month of December... or maybe the community booth at the mall... or or or. So many options!!
Help!
Ok, that's my two cents for the day... or tuppence as I like to say. :) Hmm... I might have been reading Dr. Seuss too much. Is that even possible? Have a wonderful day... Happy Monday!
Tonight's painting was on the turntable again... it's a rainbow in concentric circles. Had a hard time naming it without calling it Rainbow... so went with "Colour Wheel". Not overly original or creative, but it's the colours in the colour wheel, and it was done on a spinning wheel, so I figured it works. :)
Still debating how to sell these paintings. I'm open to suggestions. I was originally thinking one big sale at the end of the year, but then I'd miss out on the Christmas angle, plus, who wants to spend money in January right after Christmas?? So... maybe we'll do something online, sort of a pre-sale sale... so anyone who really really wants a particular painting can call dibs, and then maybe do a couple of sales, or rent a table at the farmer's market for the month of December... or maybe the community booth at the mall... or or or. So many options!!
Help!
Ok, that's my two cents for the day... or tuppence as I like to say. :) Hmm... I might have been reading Dr. Seuss too much. Is that even possible? Have a wonderful day... Happy Monday!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Supernova Sunday
Ok, turntable painting number two... I started this one last night by using the gel medium to create a base of texture. Then, today, when it had dried, I took warm colours and used the turntable to get concentric circles, then while the paint was still wet, used a smaller brush to mimic the texture shape of the background. So, the end result looked a bit like a star... so I called it "Supernova."
I'm going to try a few different things this week, so who knows what will happen. It might turn out to be a massive failure, or it might be quite interesting. Or, both, and personal preference will step in. :) At any rate... it's a little change, and change is good.
Blog views were at 1978, which is the year my husband was born, so I'm going to take that as a good sign. When it hits 1980 then I'll really be amused. :) Maybe something cool will happen.
Off to bed with me... have a good night!
I'm going to try a few different things this week, so who knows what will happen. It might turn out to be a massive failure, or it might be quite interesting. Or, both, and personal preference will step in. :) At any rate... it's a little change, and change is good.
Blog views were at 1978, which is the year my husband was born, so I'm going to take that as a good sign. When it hits 1980 then I'll really be amused. :) Maybe something cool will happen.
Off to bed with me... have a good night!
Saturday, April 2, 2011
You Spin Me Right 'Round
Like a record player... or like a canvas on a record player! I thought, why not? I'll do a few more paintings on the turntable just to shake it up a bit. I don't know if I'll do all seven days on the turntable, but I might. Who knows?
Tonight I painted with a mixture of acrylic paint and the gel medium stuff that is supposed to add glossiness and help making texture. So, we'll see how it turns out. I called it "Beach" because it's mostly sand colour with some turquoise water swirled in.
I also decided to prep tomorrow's painting with the gel medium. I painted it one to create texture, and when it's dry tomorrow I'll use the turntable again over top to see what happens. This is all about experimenting.. so I have no idea what will happen! That's part of the fun. :)
These two paintings are 5x5... the same size canvas as the first batch of turntable paintings. I believe they were in January so feel free to check them out too if you like.
I'm going to attempt a semi-early night. My plans for the evening changed partly due to a friend's recovery from surgery, and partly from my own wimpiness at going out alone. Also, about an hour before she called to let me know she wasn't up to it after all, I had the thought... hmm... if I go tonight to Hafla, when on earth will I paint?? So, in part it was a bad thing... missed all my bellydancing friends... but I did get to make a double batch of chocolate chip cookies (best recipe ever) and had time to paint without rushing or falling asleep in my palette! Really will have to plan better in the future if I want to leave the house after dinner! Anyway... almost to 2000 views... here's hoping we'll crack that by the end of the weekend. :) Happy thoughts!
Tonight I painted with a mixture of acrylic paint and the gel medium stuff that is supposed to add glossiness and help making texture. So, we'll see how it turns out. I called it "Beach" because it's mostly sand colour with some turquoise water swirled in.
I also decided to prep tomorrow's painting with the gel medium. I painted it one to create texture, and when it's dry tomorrow I'll use the turntable again over top to see what happens. This is all about experimenting.. so I have no idea what will happen! That's part of the fun. :)
These two paintings are 5x5... the same size canvas as the first batch of turntable paintings. I believe they were in January so feel free to check them out too if you like.
I'm going to attempt a semi-early night. My plans for the evening changed partly due to a friend's recovery from surgery, and partly from my own wimpiness at going out alone. Also, about an hour before she called to let me know she wasn't up to it after all, I had the thought... hmm... if I go tonight to Hafla, when on earth will I paint?? So, in part it was a bad thing... missed all my bellydancing friends... but I did get to make a double batch of chocolate chip cookies (best recipe ever) and had time to paint without rushing or falling asleep in my palette! Really will have to plan better in the future if I want to leave the house after dinner! Anyway... almost to 2000 views... here's hoping we'll crack that by the end of the weekend. :) Happy thoughts!
Friday, April 1, 2011
Lucky Number 13
Wow... thirteen weeks, that's ninety-one paintings, and at my last peek, 1938 views. :) Yay!
Ok, so tonight I finished up my Seven Deadly Sins series... with Pride. Saved the best for last?
I don't think I'll write much at the moment... but I will be updating the gallery to include March's paintings. Just perhaps not tonight! Here are this week's offerings with links in the titles as usual:
Ok, so tonight I finished up my Seven Deadly Sins series... with Pride. Saved the best for last?
I don't think I'll write much at the moment... but I will be updating the gallery to include March's paintings. Just perhaps not tonight! Here are this week's offerings with links in the titles as usual:
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| March 26 - Envy |
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| March 27 - Sloth |
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| March 28 - Gluttony |
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| March 29 - Wrath |
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| March 30 - Lust |
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| March 31 - Greed |
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| April 1 - Pride |
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