ONE MORE DAY OF A 30 DAY CHALLENGE!

It's day 29 and I'm choosing between posting a little seahorse oil painting I just finished on a wooden box or finishing a more ambitious painting of a shell that would take me at least another hour or two to complete. This little one won because to me and my family on Sundays, it's important to rest. So here's "RESTING," and I hope you enjoy it.

BOATS, BOATS & BOATS

On day 27 of my 30 paintings in 30 days challenge, I find myself finishing yet another boat. When I went to the Ventura Harbor recently to photograph boats with my pal Shari, we went to see her fishing vessel, but unbeknownst to her it was out for repairs and not in the slip! So we walked around and saw many others, including this little fella. Hope you enjoy "HARBOR PATROL." I've also included three other boats I did this month entitled, "DOCKED," from yesterday, "BEACHED" and "SOLO."

It is so rewarding to see 27 new sea-inspired paintings in various stages of drying, lined up around my studio. My theme for the month was maritime madness. I've read doing hard things more often is fun. I agree, but I'm making sure to plan some restful beach hikes soon to recharge my batteries! Most of these and others are available at www.seashop.bigcartel.com except for two I've sold already. I'm excited about the subject matter of my next planned paintings for days 28 & 29 and may stick with this theme for the rest of the year!

 HARBOR PATROL

 DOCKED

 BEACHED & SOLO

DAY 22

Wow, only 8 more days of the 30 painting in 30 days challenge. Thankfully I DID wake up refreshed and glad that I was able to accomplish two little studies for today and tomorrow. It's been an incredible journey painting every single day for 22 days in a row! I also woke up to the Sunday paper, a great sermon, pumpkin muffins, bacon and eggs! Nothing like a little fall spice to inspire a gal. Here's "TOWER," a quick 6x6 study done in oil with a palette knife from a Malibu photo by Monique Jelley.

Off for a hike on the trails behind our house to recharge for the upcoming week!

Only 9 More Days!

I'm tired from painting for 20 days straight so it was tough to paint today. I've been satisfied with the work I've been posting all week but since I felt exhausted, it was difficult for me to feel creative or content with anything I did in my studio. I painted for over four hours and don't much care for the results. However, since the 30 in 30 challenge is all about painting and posting daily, I think it's important to put these two pieces up. I realize I can't always produce art I like, but at the end of the day, I still want to! What is useful, is showing up and doing the work anyway because completing this challenge in nine more days will feel terrific. I'm hoping after a good night sleep, I'll feel encouraged to attack this challenge with renewed inspiration again tomorrow. The best part of my day today? Watching my daughter and her volleyball team win two games. Go Crowns!

The first piece is oil on a 6x8 canvas panel and entitled "SEASIDE WHEELBARROW."

 The second piece, Day 21 is "SOLO" and is oil on gesso board and done with a palette knife.

30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge, Day 17

For Day #17, here's "BUOY TRIO." What have I learned so far? That when I push myself outside of my comfort zone, amazing things can happen. When I first read about Leslie Saeta's 30 in 30 challenge this month, I was intrigued but barely considered it. With an already busy life, a husband with a heavy travel schedule and the third year of high school starting for my daughter, I thought it would be impossible to stick with painting 30 paintings in only a month.  It felt overwhelming, yet the closer I got to September 1st, the more I knew I had to do it. Learning better time management skills is always helpful but creating on demand has been empowering. I've debunked a myth that I had to be in the mood to create anything I liked. It really has a matter of just showing up, saying a prayer and getting to work. Some days I might make magic and other days, I just make it closer to my goal. That is enough for me!

Another plus has been how inspired I am when I'm not painting. Sometimes I work at Hoot N' Anny Home in Westlake, CA and just being in Jen's incredibly beautiful environment ignites new ideas but at other times, being in the kitchen trying something new, watching our new kitten Opal frolic with our chihuahua Roxie, or being out in my garden does the trick. This month we made two batches of homemade gluten free granola (using a variation of the recipe on Heavenlyhomaker.com) and canned 18 quart sized jars of Roma tomatoes picked from nearby Underwood Farms. Honestly, it was my husband and daughter who picked the 70 lbs, but then we all enjoyed canning together. I've been walking on a cloud for days looking at all of these gorgeous jars on our shelves. I've also been picking the last remains of tomatoes and cayenne peppers in our garden and wishing the pumpkins decided to grow this year. Next year, I'll try for the 4th time in hopes they do, but I'm grateful the artichokes behaved by flourishing this year. For now, here's #17, BUOY TRIO, pictures of our canning day and I'm off to work on the last few chapters of my novel. To see my other 16 new paintings, please visit www.seashop.bigcartel.com. Thanks for visiting!

BUOY TRIO 8x8 Oil 

Puree the tomatoes!

Viola!

DAY 5- 30 Paintings in 30 Days

It's been exhilarating keeping up with this 30 day challenge so far and here are a few days of work below. Painting on demand for hours each day can get tiring but it is so satisfying to keep at it, even if I don't always like the results. My aim isn't to end up with 30 paintings to sell, although that would be terrific. I just don't think it's realistic. I did this challenge to have more fun in the studio, try new things (such as playing with texture and palette knives more often) and to develop more consistent work habits.

This week I've relearned it's easier to not get distracted when I have a focused goal for a specified time period. This has been my schedule since I began. I wake up, read a Bible devotion with a cup of tea and breakfast, go for a 45 minute hike on the gorgeous Conejo trails behind my house and then go right up to my studio to work for 4-5 hours. Typically I work on a novel I'm writing this year for an hour or two before my walk and then start painting but this week, I've saved that for the end of my day. I find it relaxing. Attending to emails, doing tons of dishes and laundry, making fancy meals, gardening daily, other housework and many other daily distractions have taken a backseat and I can relax in this, knowing the challenge will end in 25 more days. I've also asked my family to help out more which also helps, since I really prefer things neat!

I am already feeling like the typical daily distractions that I sometimes find a nuisance are more manageable because I am learning which ones to ignore because they don't matter to me in the long run. I'm attempting to avoid time busters and make better time management decisions. Happy creating!

DAY 1- 30 Paintings in 30 days!

On day 1 of my 30 day challenge, I decided my theme for the month is Maritime Madness.  However, I reserve the right to go off on a few tangents should inspiration strike!  My 1st painting entitled 'Catalina Buoy,' is a 5x7 oil on canvas board, available framed for $125. at www.seashop.bigcartel.com
The first of several I'll paint from photos I took on the island last spring, I love how from this angle, the buoy looks enormous compared to the boat. I was also inspired by it's eggplant color next to the turquoise on the boat.

I began a creative surge this week by making homemade granola, planting more lettuce and chard in a shady part of the garden, working on several chapters of the novel I'm writing and uploading a few new items to Seashop. I do my best work in weekly or monthly surges and then take time off to read, cook and reflect. But now it's time to focus on painting, so I prepared a few canvasses yesterday and planned my first five paintings so when I go up to my studio daily, I don't feel overwhelmed and wonder what to paint next. I'll post new work every few days!