Week One done

Starting this goal to paint an hour everyday has been quite the challenge, but I was aware that it wasn't going to be an easy feat. A week after starting this goal has proven to be very satisfying! Each day I spent an hour (sometimes a little more) working on a painting.  I even spent my Friday evening painting in a class at my art gallery with a group of women while we drank wine and laughed for 2 hours! You can see my awesome copy skills below of a bunch of red tulips in a vase. The original image was a painting done by artist, Martina Shapiro, that the teacher of the class printed for all the ladies to copy. I think I did a pretty awesome job, I just wish the acrylics we used provided more color options.

(Pretty amazing for having 3 glasses of wine in me)

 

(Original by Martina Shapiro)

Painting flowers for 2 hours was exactly what I needed to just relax and remind myself that it is fun to paint! The perfectionist-side of myself always seems to get in the way, but with the wine flowing through my veins and a group of fun women, it was easy to just let go!

Obviously that was just one day out of a whole week and I am sure you are wondering what else I accomplished. The other days I have been mainly working on copying a painting by William Merritt Chase titled "Portrait Miss E". I didn't want to post an image of it just yet, since it isn't officially finished as of yet, but with painting an hour each day I will definitely have it ready next Saturday when I post again! Until then I wanted to share the image of the real painting. 

Portrait of Miss E by William Merritt Chase

Until next week ya'll!

Time to do something - and that something is paint.

Did you ever start off strong with a painting for about week and then take a day or two off expecting to come back to that painting, yet instead of a day or 2, it turns into more like a month or 2. I have. Plenty of times. Of course, I later try to consol myself by saying "I was super busy this month", "I was working crazy hours" and whatever else puts my guilt at ease. If I am being completely honest though, no excuse is ever really valid. I know other artists with families, who go running every morning, teach classes, run galleries etc. So do I really not have time, or am I not making an effort to have time?

While talking to a fellow artist she offered me some advice on how to be more productive...consistently. That day I went home and resolved that I was going to paint EVERY day for at least an hour. If I can squeeze in an hour of tv, browsing Facebook or pinning like crazy on Pinterest, then I should have ZERO issues cramming in a painting sesh everyday.

Overall, my hope is that doing this for at least a month will not only improve my skills, but also make painting a habit, not a whim. It will be like running every Tuesday and Thursday morning or brushing my teeth; part of my daily and weekly routine!

Now, what to paint is the question?!