Friday, September 30, 2016

day 30, challenge complete!

i'm so proud of myself for finishing this 30 day challenge with only 5 days of rest!  not only that, but this painting is going to be one i will cherish forever.  the skills i am using in this canvas are new and i'm just thrilled that i am achieving a level i never thought i'd get to.  onward and upward for me, as long as i keep the practice up, taking classes to gain new knowledge and opening my heart to the worlds wonders.


in the beginning of this challenge, day one, we saw me bringing words to the canvas.  words that i hoped to achieve or that i already am.  these were only positive words, as i open myself to all the good that is coming to me.

remembering day 1


and here we are at day 30

not done with her, yet



love!


she's getting there...

until later,
jenny

Thursday, September 29, 2016

day 29

i'm still feeling 'off', and while i didn't do much physically to the canvas today, i looked thru some magazines to audition face shapes, eyes, lips for my lady.  i even found some legs that will help me re-shape the knee and thighs



these photos will help me with shape and shading of the facial features.

i added some white acrylic with pen and let some green india ink drip down the mid-point of the painting.  i then set it on the floor to settle.

and pita helped



ONE DAY TO GO!!!

until later,
jenny

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

i bit the bullet, day 28

i'm so proud of myself today!

my main subject in this painting will be a girl inside the largest lily and i have been having some anxiety over painting her.  today i found a pose i liked in croquis cafe and did a quick sketch in my sketchbook, then threw caution to the wind and started painting right on the canvas.  i knew that any wrong turns with the brush can easily be painted over or wiped away with a spritz of water and paper towel, so i just did it.  it took a little bit of time to get the position right with legs and arms, and i'm letting her rest while i rest myself.


 getting the pose






she's just a thought and a brushstroke away from what she will become, i have things to fix and fill in, but i'm already thrilled with her!

until later,
jenny

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

day 27

i did actually "do a mark" on the canvas yesterday, but didn't get a photo before todays slight mark-making.  still feeling run down and not too creative, so i did something just to do something both days.

yesterday i used the neat trivet i found at the store sunday



i tapped my pallet knife into lime green paint and smoothed it over the honeycomb lines, and i'm happy with how easy and smooth the pallet knife worked.  it didn't get globs of paint inside the pattern like i thought it would.  i put my new stamp to the canvas in different places, dripped some orange india ink, and called it a day.

today i was just as lethargic, so i thought about how to rectify the orange india ink issue i made yesterday.  it had taken a muddy turn that isn't too noticeable for others, but it bothered me.  i decided to take out my yellow india ink today.  i'm still loving the way the ink rivets down the canvas.  then i mist it with my moon water and enjoy watching it play in all the texture as it meanders.

 honeycomb texture and drips




i'm loving the busy-ness of the background and i will keep playing with the lilys to make sure they stand out more when i am closer to finishing the piece.

i can't believe i'm almost finished with my canvas challenge of making a mark a day on this mighty canvas!  i've only missed a handful of days, which i'm so proud of.  i seem to be slacking on getting my main subject into the painting, but i'm having fun with the background and lilies right now, and thats the point.  i'll know when it's time to concentrate on finishing.

until later,
jenny

Monday, September 26, 2016

day 23 and the weekend

day 22 was a bust.  i was run down and lethargic and didn't get to the studio.  but i was back on it on friday, day 23.   taking baby steps is still going forward!

i dripped more purple ink and i worked on putting more color on each lily.

pita pup helped




saturday i went to a day retreat.  it was a full day of yoga, writing and art.  i went knowing it would be good growth, and it sure was.  i knew nobody there, except for a local Facebook friend that i hadn't met yet, so this was a huge stretch for me.  at one point, not long ago, i was agoraphobic.  i wouldn't even go outside in my own yard because the neighbors or people in cars would see me.  i'm much better now, but still am seriously closed off from the world.

it was THE best group of gals that could have been there.  a small group of about 7 guests and 2 facilitators, all were gentle and understanding of any feelings that could crop up.  the workshop was well organized and the day went quickly.  so quickly that i got no photos.

i did get messy, though


 i used charcoal from the burned logs at the fire pit. 
 later i found faces in the scribbles


 heres what those messy hands made


and another background started at the workshop


AND... there were goats!



the day ended with new friends and a fresh soul.  i learned a lot about being vulnerable in a safe, accepting and loving space, and the writing prompts were enlightening and engaging.  i highly recommend OPEN Art &Yoga, and plans are underway for a second weekend long retreat in the spring!

sunday was yet another rest day away from the canvas.  it was a busy day, but i could have eeked out some time if the body didn't feel so abused from being off the couch the day before.  the yoga that day had been gentle and felt so good as i did it, but the fibromyagic muscles aren't used to that much use.  i knew going in that the next day would be rough, but it was well worth it!  hubby and i slowly walked the flea market sunday morning, and that helped loosen things up.  

i also found a trivet at walmart that i got all excited about and had to have;

yep, it will be used as a stamp for backgrounds on many future canvasses!

i'm not sure what today will hold as far as my canvas challenge.  part of me is hesitating to continue with how i want the canvas to unfold, because of the old fear that i will 'mess it up'.  i know what i want to happen and what i want it to look like, but the artist problems are kicking my butt.  

on that note i'll leave you with some writing i did at the workshop.  

this prompt was about my inner critic;

this bitch has pearls on 
and is looking down her nose at me over her glasses.  
she thinks she knows everything 
and that whatever i do is trash, 
or that i will fail or get hurt.  
she thinks that she is saving me from being hurt 
when in fact she is doing the hurting!  
i don't need her screaming in my ear 
every time i leave the couch 
or if i am in front of the canvas.



i don't like her very much.  



and another prompt about my muse;

she wears flowing fuchsia dresses
and has wild hair.
she adores that i am here today
and loves that i am taking my art on a heart quest.
she wants me to keep doing what i'm doing,
take chances,
be adventurous,
and grow.
she loves that i am taking classes and wants me
to experiment
with
       all 
           of
                it.
she loves me!



i need to listen to my muse more often.


until later,
jenny


Wednesday, September 21, 2016

day 21

i'm feeling in a great place emotionally, like the universe and i are acting as a team these days and all good things are coming to me.

this morning i got word that i would be able to take part in an art and yoga day that is being hosted nearby in a few short days.  i hadn't thought i would be able to work it out but things are falling into place and it's a go!

i took my happiness to the studio early in the day and some happy colors, textures and combinations exploded on the canvas that will need to be photographed with my good camera in hopes for a spot in the store.

i was still not digging the bright copper, so i dripped purple india ink over the areas, letting it drip for a while and then setting it flat to settle into other areas.  i also added the purple to the white areas.  then i concentrated on the lilies, adding another layer of color to them.

heres where it stopped yesterday;


and todays progress;




"i am a child of the universe
i shine and sparkle 
wherever i go
i am important in someones life
i attract abundant good
and my dreams are coming true"


until later,
jenny

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

day 20

since i haven't blogged in a while i had almost forgotten what i'd done the last few days.  i usually photograph my progress right after completing my task and immediately email the photos to myself with the days' number so i know which day had which details, but i had no emails with the missing days.  i looked back in my camera to see if i could recognize any photos, and i did!  yay me!

day 16 i did a quick couple of things, one of which was put some metallic copper paint thru a stencil and, while i wasn't thrilled with the effect i left it, knowing it's only a layer.  i didn't get a photo of the detail that day.

day 17 i just did some drips of a bold blue



that seemed to help take my mind off the copper i wasn't thrilled about.


sunday, day 18 and monday, day 19 were pretty bad on my pain and exhaustion scale so i took a break from all activity, but today i am back to it!

i started blocking in my focal lily down in the right bottom corner and i etched an intention into white gesso;


the intention area is very stark white and will be toned down at a later date, i just wanted to use the thickness of the gesso to etch into.  i suppose i could have tinted it with another color, but i think i'll like adding a color on top better than how it would have been had i mixed it.



i didn't like the above photo, so i wiped away what i could of the offending petal and created a dark blue 'lake' area around the whole lily and lower part of the painting.


much better


hopefully i'm feeling better tomorrow... i'm ready to get things going!


until later,
jenny

Thursday, September 15, 2016

day 15, halfway there!

i'm halfway to the goal with this challenge and feeling great about it.  i finally received a vision last night of where it may lead to, so today added some background elements of the final piece, knowing that they will probably get lost in upcoming layers.  it's ok, because i know i can just add them back.  it's only paint.

more lilies, 
and there will be even more before i'm done

 love!





i've been trying to get photos on my good camera in order to put into my store.  i cannot bring this huge canvas outside to photograph by myself, so must rely on the lighting i have in the studio.  we will see what i have captured this weekend when mark is around.  once a day is done, the previous canvas is lost, so i hope i have some worthwhile shots.


until later,
jenny

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

days 13 and 14

i'm still plugging away at this challenge!  i think this is the first challenge of any sort that i've been consistent with and i actually feel guilty about if i don't go into the studio in a timely fashion.  yay me!

yesterday, tuesday, day 13, i used my fluid acrylics to glaze the inner part of the canvas, keeping the circles, the 'frame' and the outside frame area free of glaze.  the texture is still under there, you can still see it, and in certain small areas i chose to not glaze.

painted on the table so used a chair to photograph




today i wanted some more hot pink!  i painted some branch and round 'leaf' shapes, keeping the centers free for the pink.  i think i'm into circles with this canvas.



then i knew i needed more drips.  this time i wanted white and i got out my india ink.  letting it drip and spraying with water as it dripped so it would get into the texture of the previous layers.



letting it dry




until later,
jenny

Monday, September 12, 2016

days 10-12

it's been a busy and stressful weekend here, dealing with an ill adult child, ER visits and recovery period immediately following the visits.  all will be fine, but seeing my child in pain, no matter the age, is tough for the body and soul.  i did easy changes saturday and sunday, and today had little more thought and two different medium and techniques.  no matter the time spent in the studio, it gets me out of my own head and helps clear the stress for a while.

i had an idea of how i wanted saturday, day 10, to go.  i wanted bright pink dotted on with my fingers.  it didn't look the way i wanted, so i used a credit card to scrape it out, smoothing the texture and creating a more uniform, but dull, area of pink.  i liked some areas better than others, but again, it will be covered with other layers, and i am learning what works and what doesn't.

day 10

on day 11 i created a kind of border around the canvas, using the edge of a credit card to create lines of differing colors, which was difficult on a large scale.  i used the card to smooth out the lines and then added more lines on top, making it fit the look i had wanted from the start.

day 11


today  used a fan brush to create large circles on the canvas, and then i dripped crimson india ink and sprayed with water to let it flow where it wished, then turned the canvas, letting it drip the other way.

day 12


enjoy the texture love;




until later,
jenny

Friday, September 9, 2016

day 9

i forgot to take a photo yesterday or today of yesterday progress, such as it was.  i had a couple bites of some bad chicken and the tummy was unhappy, but i tried my hand at drawing a few leaf shapes with ink.  it didn't look the way i wanted, so i sprayed it with water and let it drip.  when all else fails, drips are the way to go.

i had a few ideas of what i wanted to do today.  one was to use a white pen to outline some drips that i like.  and i used another favorite stencil, but i didn't like how that looked, so... yep, sprayed it down and let it drip out.  i'm thinking most of this month will be primarily layers of drips, but i'm totally ok with that.  i love the look and really enjoy watching the magic happen.  as long as i am able to balance the colors and lights and darks, it's good.

closer to the end of the month i want to add more words, and i wrote a kind of poem i want to scratch into paint.  i want this to be more visible when all is said and done, so i'll wait a little longer to add it.

todays progress;

added green and yellow fluid acrylics mixed with airbrush medium


some white pen outlining with drips covering it

lots of layers


more white outlining


until later,
jenny