11/11/2011 Day 30 Painting #30

Well, it's done. There have been some hits and some misses...but I finished it.

I tried a lot of different ideas. Some failed, others turned out better than expected. I still don't know if I discovered my identity as an artist.  This has been a journey with many detours. I still don't think I reached my destination or my full potential.

I'd like to pursue more abstract painting and I'd like to learn how to do realistic portraits. If you have been keeping score, I explored some abstracts in the past thirty days, but no realistic portraits. I have a lot to learn.

During this process, I realized I was putting out a lot of half baked or half finished projects. I need more time to develop my talent. I also got a lot of crap out of my system.


I'd like to try this again in the future. Maybe in six months. Hopefully, I will be doing more professional abstracts and get over my fear of attempting portraits.


Now, I got a long queue on my Kindle of books to read.


1 Last One

11/10/2011 Day 29 Painting #29

Simple, but effective.
11/10/2011 #29/30

11/09/2011 Day 28 Painting #28

The past two days I tried painting something I wasn't feeling and it shows. Today is an improvement over yesterday, which I might say is the worst of the lot. Today I was very aggravated and thought I should try to paint something serene.Something easy and light, something to get back on track... I ended up with some of the saddest looking mountains ever painted. Loaded the pallet knife too heavy for the size of the painting. Could have been fixed but got way too frustrated over a shelving unit that collapsed in my work space.

Untitled Day #28

11/07/2011 day 26 Painting #26

Painting #26 in as many days....

Untitled #26

11/06/2011 Day 25 Painting #25

My second one today. Both painting use different techniques. Paint #24 was painted entirely using a sponge.

Painting #25 was painted on poster board using spray paint.

Outer Spaced

11/06/2011 Day 25 Painting #24

Very tired yesterday. Got to play catch up. This is painting # 24.

11/04/2011 Day 23 Painting 23

Back on track after yesterday. Not perfect, but not bad. I should use a different tape and narrower strips next time.

Ambivalent Mosaic

11/03/2011 Day 22 Painting #22

Not inspired today, so I thought I revisit an old pre-30 in 30 painting. I added some texture and a wash to a previous work.

This is the first one in about a week that I am disappointed with. But sometimes you just have to take one on the chin.

Past History

11/01/2011 Day 20 Painting #20

It's the Day of the Dead. It's my B Day. There is a sugar skull There is a camouflaged winking baby.

Sugar Skull, Hidden Baby

10/31/2011 Day Nineteen Painting #19

Is this a trick or a treat? It's sort of a cheat, but, given the nature of the holiday, it is totally appropriate.

Don't you be Tarot-fied. (It's just a token of my extreme)

10/30/2011 Day Eighteen Painting #18

Headache today... so you get a pen and watercolor. I used some kid's one dollar watercolors.

But this is a study I am definitely going to pursue more of: tarot cards. So here ya go.

m-o-o-n, that spells moon!

10/27/2011 Day Fifteen Painting #14

I am seeing a pattern. I am doing two paintings every other day. So I got one more to do. Then I will be at the halfway point. But I will complete 30 in 30.

I actually like this one. Once again, the photography of the painting is a disappointment. But I would put this one in the top ones I had done so far. I wish I would have done this one on a bigger canvas.

...nor the forest, nor the trees....

10/25/2011 Day Thirteen Painting #13

It looks like crayon, but it is not. It looks much better in person. It's a canvas covered in rice paper with glossy medium, the flowers are plastic stems w/ tissue paper. The paints are washed out acrylics.

Fluers

Looking at it now, I see I failed the concept. For some reason, I felt compelled to add all the washes to cover the canvas. It only needed a splash of color, instead I ended up making it look like a coloring book. I may have to revisit this one as well.

I do realize by doing 30in30, I end up posting rough drafts. It is sort of like filming the first draft of a screenplay: incomplete and undeveloped. However by doing 30in30, I am forcing myself to create something everyday. Warts and all. Many lessons learned. So far, there are only one or two that I actually like and several I would like to do over.

10/25/2011 Day Thirteen Painting #12

A day behind. Yesterday was dedicated to yard work. Gots to do what you gots to do. In my old age, I was sore and tired....and uninspired.

But I am back, I got one done and another started. That one needs to have a medium dry and it will be several hours before I can finish it.

I think in a couple days, I may repaint over this one and repost it.

Untitled 10/25/2011

Repost

Just wanted to quickly repost a couple of pics that didn't photograph well.

10/23/2011 Day Eleven- Paintings #10-11

Wow, I really need to learn shading......

Today I got caught up. I am really liking pen and ink washes.

Presenting #10

Tomb-stoned

Besides shading, I need to learn how not to make washes muddy.

Presenting #11

Seacrest Picks SeasHells by The Seashore

It's frustrating to not be as good as I want to be. But this project was to push myself to paint. I was expecting to make mistakes and learn from them. Also, to learn my weaknesses. I realized them everyday. But there is nothing but time to learn. I think in about six months I will do another 30 in 30. Maybe 20 in 20. In that time I should show vast improvements. Until then I still have nineteen more days. Hopefully, I will be able to see a learning curve by time this is over...

Seacrest out.

10/18/2011 Couple more thoughts....

A blank canvas is endless possibilities only inhibited by ones imagination and shortcomings. It’s is hard to properly commit ideas onto a blank canvas. It will highlight limitations of imagination and technique. It can be intimidating because you are exposing yourself, opening yourself up to criticism. But, also, rewarding for the praise you receive. Once you put it out there and is seen there is no taking back that person’s impression, so you better have it right.
Doing the 30 in 30 project is forcing me to try something new every day. Maybe the time I have allotted myself only results in quantity over quality. However, it is forcing me to make mistakes and take chances. For every bad or incomplete idea, there are several lessons learned. I have received several positive responses from my Day One painting. I referred to it as a disaster because it wasn’t what I thought it should be and never saw it for what it actually turned out to be. I didn’t appreciate the happy accident. That is one painting I am going to revisit and ‘fix’ it as bonus painting in the 30 for 30.
I am a big fan of primitive and folk art. I love its simplicity. Things like the Day Three voodoo doll are what I am attracted to. Even though it was not well executed because I was experimenting with something that didn’t work as well as expected, I do plan to do more primitive work like that. Sugar skulls anyone?
Anyway, when in doubt, put a bird on it.

10/17/2011 Day Five

I knew it would be somewhat of a mistake to start this project while I was working twelve hour shifts. Tonight I am sort of exhausted. Kind of busy today, you know, putting candy wrappers on people's desk can be pretty darn hard work.

Today's painting is kind of a cheat. Maybe. I painted the background last night and really like the colors. But couldn't decide whether or not it is too plain. I followed some sage advice from the television show Portlandia and 'put a bird on it'.

I don't know if it better with the bird or not.

So I present to you and mixed media acrylic on canvas.

To Bird or Not To Bird

10/15/2011 Day Three

Posting a little late today.

Day three I decided to do something a little different. I used tissue paper, a couple of feathers and a hand painted frame to create my latest monstrosity. I don;t know if it qualifies as a painting, but, screw it, it's my blog and I'll do what I want.

This one is very self indulgent. It is intentionally very primitive.

Drum roll please.

I present unto you, a crazy mixed up media piece.... Voodoo Doll (Slight Return)

10/14/2011 Day Two

Today I painted a fall inspired scene. It is acrylic on a 9 by 12 canvas board. Looking at it now I see a need for some major touch ups. However, here it is...

Drum roll please....

Artificial Fall