94 Days Left. 83 Paintings To Go.

 

Gift Box

Oil On Canvas

I have painted this object a couple of times. It continues to vex me. 

As does almost everything else.

Have to get myself back on track.

102 Days Left. 84 Paintings To Go.

 

Alizarin Experiment #1

Oil On Canvas

I have been feeling exceptionally discouraged over the past couple of days. Some of it is news of the world, some of it is situations here at home. So although I have done some background things, canvas prep and cataloging paintings, I have not put brush to canvas in a couple of days.

I worked on this piece late this afternoon. I used a plain white canvas to play around with two colors that have limited opacity, thus allowing light to pass through them, bounce off the white background and be reflected back through the paint. It gives the colors a sense of glow.

Maxfield Parrish worked in a similar way which is why his canvases appear so vibrant. Unfortunately to further the effect he varnished the whites underneath, which over time has caused severe cracking issues because of uneven drying of the paints. In another generation most of his work will probably be lost to us.

I always feel at least slightly better after I draw or paint. Something I should keep in mind more often.

And with that it is time for dinner. And a glass of wine.

Peace in yer crease.

105 Days Left. 85 Paintings To Go

 

Miscellaneous Hardware

Oil On Canvas

This is the first time I have turned the 12" x 16" canvas to a portrait orientation. I should have scaled up the object to fill more of the space, but otherwise I think it turned out fairly well.

And with that it is time for dinner and a glass of wine.

Peace in yer crease.

106 Days Left. 86 Paintings To Go.

 

Grey Hat

Oil On Canvas

109 Days Left. 87 Paintings To Go

 

Cut Pepper

Oil On Canvas

It's interesting the things I see when I look at photos of my paintings, things that are not always immediately obvious when I am looking at the work itself. Little details (or mistakes) sort of jump out at me.

It is kind of like the Color And Design class I took at my alma mater. It was a year long class that you had to pass each term or you couldn't continue in the program*. I always noticed the obvious flaws in my projects just as I was handing them in.

What is it about unveiling our work to other people, or ourselves in a different format, that makes us see the things we wish we could fix?

Well, anyway it is finished, and I am on to dinner and a glass of wine.

Peace in yer crease.

*We were always told this by upperclassmen, but I don't remember hearing it from any of the faculty. It may have been urban legend.

110 Days Left. 88 Paintings To Go.

 

Cone In Blue

Oil On Canvas

I was hoping to get two canvases completed today, so I cheated a little and went with 9" x 12" instead of 12" x 16". I also decided to go with something simpler in terms of subject, so chose a single object with regular lines and proportions.

I had an urge to do something using blue, so decided to do this as a value study, with the blue standing in for black. I used Ultramarine Blue since it is fairly dark. But Ultramarine is also fairly transparent, so I was not entirely sure how well it would work replacing black.

Cone In Green

Oil On Canvas

Instead of changing objects, I decided to try the same idea using another color. I used Chromium Oxide Green, which is not as dark, so it was tougher to get the balance between the background and the dark side of the cone.

I may try this idea with other colors. We shall see.

And with that it is time to prep for dinner and do some Italian exercises.

Peace in yer crease.

111 Days Left. 90 Paintings To Go.

 

Three Spheres

Oil On Canvas

10% Complete!

This was a busy day. I toned another six canvases this afternoon, and then began work on this. There are one or two issues with the ball on the left, and the subjects could take up a little more of the canvas, but overall I think this turned out well.

It was good to produce something that sort of looks like I have some ability as a painter.

I am a little behind where I wanted to be, but I think I have my schedule worked out so that I can actually get a little ahead in the coming week.

And with that, it's time for a glass of wine and some Italian lessons.

Peace in yer crease.

112 Days Left. 91 Paintings To Go.

 

Bowl Of Eggs

Oil On Canvas

This piece started well, looked pretty good in the drawing stage, and then seemed to get progressively worse the more paint I applied to the canvas. It was a little frustrating.

I am still figuring out how much detail I can reasonably get finished in the time I have allotted. I think I was overly ambitious today. Lesson learned.

Still, a shitty painting is better than no painting at all.

And with that, it is time for bed.

Peace in yer crease.

113 Days Left. 92 Paintings To Go.

 

Three Apples

Oil On Canvas

The schedule has been a little disjointed the last couple of days so it was a relief to get back to the easel and put some paint on canvas.

I think this turned out fairly well. The apples on the canvas more closely resemble the apples in the still life, and the subject doesn't seem dwarfed by the background. 

If I weren't trying to get another 92 paintings done before the end of the year I might do some more work on this after it has dried to the touch, but I must press forward.

And with that, it is time for Italian lessons.

Peace in yer crease.

116 Days Left. 93 Paintings To Go.

 

Skull

Oil On Canvas

It's been a bit of a day, but at least I got to spend a lot of time on this canvas. 

My first six paintings were on 9" x 12" canvas, this is on 12" x 16", so more surface area to cover but also more room to define detail. 

And with that, it is time for an Italian lesson.

Peace in yer crease.

117 Days Left. 94 Paintings To Go

 

Una Mela (An Apple)

Oil On Canvas

This one is a little hit and miss. Although it resembles an apple, it doesn't necessarily resemble the apple I was using as a model. Also, where the shadow meets the back of the apple is sort of hinkey.

But it is a completed painting, and I will keep working on better rendering.

Peace in yer crease.

119 Days Left. 95 Paintings To Go

 

Male Torso

Oil On Canvas

There is a lot more subtlety to this object than I was able to capture with paint this time around. I did this late this afternoon. I tried not to rush it, but would have preferred a longer window to work on it than I was able to manage today. I am still working out how to best arrange each day so that I have a solid block of time to paint.

Still, I sort of like it. It feels rough, but complete. 

And I am happy with myself that I didn't let obstacles stand in the way of making time to paint. Hopefully I can continue with that. Knowing that there are people rooting for me really helps keep me motivated, so thanks everyone for reading and commenting.

And with that, dinner and Italian lessons.

Peace in yer crease.

120 Days Left. 96 Paintings To Go.

 

Single Candle

Oil On Canvas

Today I had to force myself to paint.

Caring for my father is tiring and stressful. The schedule of meals, exercise and medications means I have to go down to his apartment at least five times a day, beginning at 8:00 AM and ending at 11:00 PM. Then of course there are the trips to various doctors, grocery shopping and picking up medications, and now twice a week the journey to physical therapy. I have been doing that for the past 40 days. 

So this morning, I didn't really feel like picking up a brush. 

But then I said to myself "I don't give a fuck. Get your ass up and paint!" 

And so I did. The above is the result.

I am still tired, but the painting does help with the stress levels. I get lost in the right side of my brain for a couple of hours. I don't think about the world, or my dad, or anything else. It is just me and the canvas, doing our dance.

And with that, it is time for lunch.

Peace in yer crease.

121 Days Left. 97 Paintings To Go.

This was rushed today. It was hard finding a window of time in which to paint, and I wanted to finish it before the end of the day.

Still, better a shitty painting than no painting at all.

Blue And Green Jar

Oil on canvas.

Peace in yer crease.

122 Days Left. 98 Paintings To Go.

 Worked this morning on this piece:

Strange Pepper

Oil On Canvas

The painting from yesterday was, I will admit, rather rushed. And it certainly shows. I was mostly concerned about getting something completed since I was launching this crazy project.

This morning I was more relaxed and more focused on the object at hand, and I think the results reflect that. I worked in a more orderly fashion, actually finishing this piece in less time than the one yesterday.

My schedule is a little insane right now as I am the primary caretaker for my father (he had spinal surgery at the end of July) so I am a little nervous about being able to complete all 100 paintings before the end of the year. Still, making the point of carving out the time for painting does seem to be helping my mental state.

And with that, I am going to eat lunch and study my Italian.

Peace in yer crease!

123 Days. 100 Paintings.

Last week I moved out of my studio at DC Arts Studios, putting about 2/3 of it into storage and the rest of it back to my apartment. Since the beginning of January I had only spent about seven days there, and have not completed a painting this year. 

For a while after I made the decision to vacate, it felt an awful lot like defeat. But now that I have things back home again, having access to painting materials again has been strangely uplifting.

So now, partially inspired by Julie Powell's Julie & Julia, I am embarking on a crazy project. There are 123 days left in this year, and by midnight on New Year's Eve, I plan on starting and completing 100 paintings. That is a little under six paintings a week.

I did this one this morning:

Still life: Two Apples And A Pepper

Oil on canvas.

Only 99 more to go!

Peace in yer crease.

Something Positive

The last three months have been exceptionally difficult for me on a personal and professional level.

A Contemplation On What Awaits Us All

Oil on canvas

But in the spirit of celebrating the triumphs, I am pleased to share that this painting has been accepted as a finalist in the Prisma Art Prize. I may win a cash prize, and more importantly, this painting may be included in an exhibition in Rome later this year. So, fingers crossed.