Day17, January 30 in 30

Day 17, January 17th

30 in 30 hosted by Leslie Saeta.

One thing that has been really great about these short little classes at the art guild is the freedom they have allowed me to explore. Being a business, so much time is given to commissions or work that is to be sold, not to mention marketing, bookkeeping, classes and shows. What seems to come last is exploration and experimentation. I feel my art changing, very slowly. I think if I scheduled more time for "art play and enjoyment" I would fine my true "voice" much faster.

So let me declare it right now. I will set aside 3 hours a week to make mistakes - make ugly art - and just enjoy the process of smearing some colors (or black and white) on a surface and see what comes of it.

How about you? Do you schedule exploration time, or does it just come natural to you? Please leave me a comment. I'd love to hear from you.

Circle of Friends

Pastels

Day 27, Pastels, Work in Progress

30 in 30 hosted by Leslie Saeta.

Sorry to do a work in progress two days in a row but I couldn't help myself. I've been looking at this photograph for a few years now and have wanted to paint it. I'm interested in putting more people in my works. For me, this is a large pastel piece, 11" x 17". I felt that there was so much going on in this picture that it had to be big.

The Rockford Art Guild put forth a challenge for this month; use the theme of friendship. There are several kinds of friendships here; people you work with, family members, long time friends and acquaintances. This is a park cafe in Paris on a beautiful May day. I spent a lot of time with the background because I think it is so important to the story. The waiters fascinate me as do the cooks that are indicated only by their black outlines. I love the way the sun shines through the kitchenette revealing the park on the other side.

Tomorrow I will finish the rest of this pastel.

Finishing Up My Pet Commission

I'm just finishing up a commission piece. 

These pups were fun to do.

It's not too early to start commissioning your pet portraits for holiday gift giving. An 8"x10" portrait starts at $60 for the first pet. Add $20 for each additional face.

Your portrait will be delivered beautifully displayed, signed and matted in a acetate bag with a certificate of authenticity.(The watermark print is just for the internet display.)

To begin, you will need a clear photograph of your pet, which you can email or send to me. Contact me by leaving a comment on this blog or at my web page, jillraefinallyart.com. There is a convenient button to the right of this blog. Check out the DOG on MY BLOG button (on the right again) for more examples of my pet portraits.

My 30 in 30 Collage

What fun it was to do the 30 in 30 challenge. Although, I must admit that for me it was a 28 in 30 challenge. I feel good about it. This proves that there is always time for art. In the month of September my daughter turned 30, I had an anniversary, my husband and I went away for five days, I had a two day art show, with another two day show to get ready for on the 3rd and 4th of October. I found myself down and out on the couch on September 12th with a stomach flu and towards the end of the month I had dental surgery that hurt more than I thought it would. But the truth is that there is always time for art. To be honest I'm looking forward to getting to bed at my normal time.

I was glad that I didn't pick a theme for the paintings as it was suggested. To me, the 30 in 30 is all about exploring all those subjects and techniques from all the artists and sights that have inspired me recently. I worked in watercolors, oils, pastels, alcohol inks, pens and colored pencils, what a blast!

And okay, now I'll say it. Yes the self portrait was a bit stiff and scarey. (I had made a promise to myself when I started the blog not to be negative - even of myself.) But when my daughter burst out laughing as she saw it that night and told me it was scarey, yes I have to admit she had a point. In my own defense let me say that I used a photograph of myself and I am usually very uncomfortable in front  of the camera as I am usually the one taking the pictures. (I think I capture that unease very well.) And the pink color - Hot Flash, what else? At 12 AM you can't very well start over.

So these are the changes I would like to make;
- I want to continue to blog on a more regular schedule. Two times weekly at least.
- I want to do artwork daily, but not necessary good artwork. I will do daily sketches in my sketchbook. I'd like to improve my drawing skills. A sketch -10 to 20 minutes, not a masterpiece. I will try to share one or two a week. But I want to give my self permission to make a lot of mistakes.
-I like the idea of producing work in one day, so I will produce two pieces a week which are one day deals.
-I would like to spend more time exploring landscapes and abstracts.

So that's that. Thanks Leslie Satea for hosting the 30 in 30, I'm looking forward to the next one - in January? I have to get to my book keeping. Yikes, I know, I'm procrastinating. How often to you do your books?

Day 18, Pastel, Lunch in St. Mark's Square

30 in 30 hosted by Leslie Saeta.

 

 

 

Lunch in St. Mark's Square

Pastels

9 x 11.25

$85

 

 I've been holding on to this photograph for a long time, waiting for the time I could draw this scene. I love the row of chairs, the tuxedos, the band and all the people in the background. In the middle of all the tourists in their jeans and tennis shoes sits this lone woman is having a very elegant lunch.

 

 

 To purchase this painting go to http://www.jillraefinallyart.com/30-in-30.php  Or just hit the "Visit My Web Site" button on the right of this blog. When you get there go to "My Art"  then "30 in 30 in the pull down menu.
 

 

 

 

 

Day 14, Pastel, Super Duper Cooper

30 in 30 hosted by Leslie Saeta.

Super Duper Cooper

Pastels

8 x 10

$45

Here he is, Cooper my studio manager. This is my buddy who keeps me company each day in and out of  the studio. He keeps me on track and faithfully protects me from the many dangers that I face daily like; mailmen, women walking down the street with strollers or - the ever scary - squirrels! I just wish I could be half the person my dog believes me to be.


 To purchase this drawing go to http://www.jillraefinallyart.com/30-in-30.php  Or just hit the "Visit My Web Site" button on the right of this blog. When you get there go to "My Art"  then "30 in 30 in the pull down menu.

Day 10, Pastels, Celebrate the Harvest

30 in 30 hosted by Leslie Saeta.

Celebrate the Harvest

pastel

8 x 10

$45

Every year we go to Edward's Apple Orchard to get our apples and of course, donuts. This display caught my eye. It has those beautiful colors of Fall. And I find myself attracted to letters for some reason. The chalk board was very interesting to me.

To purchase this painting go to http://www.jillraefinallyart.com/30-in-30.php  Or just hit the "Visit My Web Site" button on the right of this blog. When you get there go to "My Art"  then "30 in 30 in the pull down menu.

Cody is the Last DOG on MY BLOG

Here he is, Cody, the Last Dog on My Blog.

Cody's fur reflected  purple, blue, pink, brown, grey and black tones.

 I've enjoyed drawing these black dogs and adding the colors I see reflected in their fur. They're very difficult to photograph well. In fact, did you know that dog shelters put down more black dogs than any other color because they just can't take good pictures. Think about it, you want to adopt the "cute" dogs. So next time your at a shelter looking for a cat or dog - take a good long look at the cute ones with the black fur.




Let me take this opportunity to thank everyone who sent in their dog pictures for this promotion. Each one of them was adorable and very special. We even had a rare Oscar Spaniel sent in from Columbus, Ohio. No one loves us quite like our dogs. I think one of the reasons they're on the planet is to teach us what unconditional love is.

So in celebration of the warm Spring weather, although today is rainy and cool, I'd like to send each dog owner the portrait I did as my thank-you gift to you for your support and encouragement through out the year. Your likes and comments on my blog and Facebook page have given me continued confidence to pursue my dream of becoming an artist. Please email me (moreart@jillraefinallyart.com)  the address I can send your picture to. I ask that when you get the picture you send me a photo of where you're putting the picture, or showing it to your dog. And thanks again for everything.

And for you patient cat owners I'm just waiting for the purrrrrrfect time to do a cat promotion.

Packing Up for a Plein Air Workshop

What a week! Between getting ready for 13 guests for Easter dinner and wanting to complete three watercolors by May 1st I've kept busy. I don't think I'll make my painting deadline. I still have a long way on two of the watercolors and I haven't even started a third. That's okay, but I'm already fantasizing about doing nothing Monday but painting.





Today I'm going to Richard Weber's Plein Air Workshop. The first two classes will be inside as we learn techniques and composition. I've brought my pastels for the class as traditionally I'm very slow with watercolors and I don't own acrylics. My goal is to paint plein air with oils. I'm hoping to spend a lot of time this summer up North doing just that. I've bought an wonderful light weight easel, a new palette.







My other goal for today is to continue cleaning my office and studio. How did I get this messy? I have piles of Finally Art papers, House restoration files, bills, family history etc. all about my desk which I usually set up as a drink area so my guests can help themselves. I completed a full inventory of my works for Finally Art and feel good about that. Tonight it's back up to the studio where I'm spraying and bagging works. I know by Monday I'll be thrilled to have things well organized but to tell you the truth, I just want my comfy clothes and to spend the day painting.

Help Find Oscar in Columbus, Ohio

Please share to help find Oscar in Columbus Ohio.

Remember Bethannie's rare "Oscar-Spaniel" on my blog about 3 weeks ago? He ran away shortly after that in the Clintonville area of Columbus, Ohio. They had just moved from the Short North area near Neil and Goodale so he might have returned to that area. Please share this post if you live in the Columbus area. We miss Oscar and want him home. If you find him please contact me at goldraes910@yahoo.com. Oscar is today's DOG on MY BLOG.

Yogi is Today's DOG on MY BLOG

Yogi

The weather is getting warmer but I still have a few dogs left. This is Yogi. Thanks Brian Hardas for submitting the picture.

Emma and Zoe are Two DOGS on MY BLOG 2014-04-04 05:51

Emma and Zoe

Sonic is Today's Dog on My Blog 2014-03-27 11:45

Sonic

Doing a black dog is very interesting.  To use just black color would make the dog appear very flat so they need some undercoat of color that will shine through a bit. Sonic began first as a purple dog. You can't see much of the purple now but it adds depth.

Nila Mani May is This Afternoon's DOG on MY BLOG 2014-03-27 11:55

With the temperature predicted to hit 61 on Saturday I felt a "Two Fur" was due for today. (Or at least two dogs)

Nila's owner, Kim tells the story of how she came up with the names Nila Mani May;

"And just a little background on her name.  I purchased her from a breeder in Virginia, Jewel's Shar Pei and I wanted to give her just the right name so I held a contest at work and with family for who could find the best name.  She is a blue Shar Pei and I knew I wanted to fit the color and the breeders name Jewel somehow into her name.  She was born in April but I purchased her in May.  I offered a $25 Best Buy gift card to the winner and got lots of great names.  When I saw her name I knew it in an instant.  There were actually 2 winners, a coworker and Katie.  The coworker came up with the name Nila Mani (knee-la man-ie) which is sanskrit for 'blue jewel' (although it is actually blue gem).  Then Katie added May at the end completing the name I registered her under, Nila Mani May.  Both the coworker and Katie got a gift card and I got many many years of happiness."

Someone asked me to post the progress of these drawings so I thought Nila would provide a good example.

I started the drawing using both bright dark blue and a pink tones to block out the darks and lights.

Then I added a grey-blue tone to quiet down that blue a bit and read more as a grey.  I added just a bit of black and noticed that Nila was getting lost in my background so I added a touch of green. 

At this point I got out my pencils and added some highlights and blacks.

To finish things up I blended a bit more to loose the rough pencil texture. I still wanted to leave some... A  few highlight, a signture and it's done.

Roman is THE DOG on MY BLOG 2014-03-19 06:33

I promise you Roman it will get warm again. You will be playing in the sunshine soon.

Roman is THE DOG on MY BLOG this week. Thanks Kathy Larson for sending in his photo.

Help! My Studio Has Gone to The Dogs! 2014-03-18 10:49

It's been great receiving such a variety of photos. I've been enjoying the black dogs. It's been fun adding color under the black chalk to give texture and light differences to their coats. Sonic started purple whereas Roman has a lot of blue in his dark tones. Different things have interested me in the backgrounds too. I loved the deep greens in the grass that Franklin was sitting on. Roman is in a room with rust colored walls. ( I have some walls the same color in my house.)The rust color compliments his dark fur really well. He's interesting because he seems to be feeling the same thing as many of us as he looks out the window, ' Oh when will it ever warm up outside enough for me to run around in the sun?"  Keep on hoping Franklin, it's bound to warm up some day.

Franklin is This Week's Dog on My Blog 2014-03-14 07:13

                                                                    Franklin, pastels

Franklin was fun to do because of the different colors in his coat. I liked the bright green grass in the photo and had fun using it for a background. More dog pictures coming in daily. How about sending me yours? You could win a free drawing... it's not 65 degrees yet.

Saddie is The Dog on MY BLOG 2014-03-07 04:59

                                                                       Saddie

Doggone Sick of Winter- Pastel Challenge 2014-03-01 12:16

Who isn’t DOGGONE sick and tired of winter? But no worries, Spring will officially be here in only 19 days. Until it feels like Spring, I will do one pastel drawing of someone’s beloved pooch each week!  I will stop when Roscoe, Illinois' temperature hits 65 degrees.

So go find your favorite picture of your best canine friend and send it to me via email at moreart@jillraefinallyart.com and I will randomly pick one each week to draw. Please make sure the photo is close up and clear. I will post all drawings on facebook, twitter and my blog page along with as many dog photos as I can. When the temperature hits 65 I will stop drawing, at which time I will put all the names of the people whose pet I drew in a hat and have my wonderful husband draw a name. That person will receive their drawing in the mail as a thank you for participating. The rest of the drawings will be sold on my Etsy page, Jill Rae Finally Art. You are under no obligation to purchase the drawing if I choose to draw your dog.  (I'll be more than happy to email a copy of the drawing if you can't pull it off of facebook.)

What I Learned From Doing 30 Paintings in 30 Days. 2014-02-26 07:41

It’s been about a week since I’ve finished my 30 in 30. The lessons I learned from that experience were significant to my growth as an artist. I’m glad I don’t have the pressure of producing some piece of work that will be posted on the internet each day. But in some ways, I think it was so good for me. I feel to really make a go doing art full time and making somewhat of a living off of it, I need to be very serious about the amount of time I spend painting each day. I had not done that up to this point. Sure, I knew I needed to paint for at least four hours a day but up to this point I hadn’t been able to do that.

And then there’s the question about experimentation. I know I’m not painting the way I will be in three years from now. There’s a more free, expressive form of painting dying to get out of me. I’m just not fully aware of where I’m going with it yet. It’s important that I continue explore my different painting styles. It will come, maybe when I’m done with the style I use to paint my garden series. Maybe that will evolve into something different.  Sometimes I love being very loose and free with oil painting and then find it comforting to go back to my slow, controlled style of watercolors.

“Never Apologize!” That’s what Julia Child always said about her cooking and I think it truly applies here. While doing the 30 in 30 I had to post work each day. It didn’t matter if I liked it or not. What a long way from over a year and a half ago when showing any of my work made me feel over exposed. So, I say experiment, meaning sometimes producing “bad art” and don’t apologize. You don’t know where it may lead. I also should point out that the 30 in 30 certainly showed me that people all have very different tastes. You don’t know how someone will react to you work.

I also learned that sometimes I spend way too much time on paintings deciding how they should be. Sometimes do it and move on is a better practice. That’s not to say “living“  with a piece for awhile is not bad either.
I guess I found the answer that I always knew to be true … More Art.

• Am I doing enough art?… more art.
• Is it good enough?… more art.
• What’s my style?… more art.
• Can I make a living with art? …more art.

What are your truths?