Half way

Fifteen days doesn't sound like very much. But I can almost guarantee that without this challenge, I would not have created any artwork during this time- that would have been over 2 weeks, half of a month, of not doing something I love, that I'm pursuing. Now, I have fifteen days where I have something to show for my existence. There were entire years that flew by without me feeling I had that much to show!

This bumpy road I'm on has felt like it was going to bring me right into the ditch a handful of times. I'm slowly starting to remember some important lessons about taking care of myself - as a whole, and to valuing my passions. I've been reminded about who I am as a person, and the strength I possess within myself. While I sometimes feel like I lack far more than I have to offer, there's still something there. Without taking good care of my mind, body and soul it is easy to feel completely depleted after so many bumps. I have a tendency to continue attempting to "give" to others even when feeling this way, neglecting myself, which only drags me into a deeper state of unhealthy. Giving myself this task of painting on a daily basis has been a constant, "simple" way to remind myself to do something for me...and this also gives back some degree of control in my life...it was my choice to do it, and it is my choice to continue. It awakens that awareness that we often times do get a choice in so much more than we may realize. Just feeling like you have even the smallest chance to choose how you spend just a tiny sliver of your day can be a really big deal!

There have been some difficult days the past few weeks. Having a chance to do what I love (even if it isn't in the way I ideally want to do it), has been such a positive thing. If a small painting is the best thing that happened that day, I'll take it - I created! Not to mention, the therapeutic effects of art are so valuable. This gives me an outlet for whatever is going on inside to do what it needs to do - whether I just need to "zone out" or I need to process something or I just need a physical way to release something.



Day 15

Some of the recent paintings, I brought in techniques I haven't used since college - sandpaper and exacto-knives. I used to use these tools on my charcoal drawings to create interesting texture. There was something therapeutic about the physical effort involved. Using these techniques in watercolor has been therapeutic in the same way. It has been interesting to see how the added texture reacts to this new, colorful medium.

I've been asked if I'm "happy" with the paintings... it isn't really about being happy, or about selling them, or anything like that... I knew I needed a kick in the pants to remember it is ok to put creating on my priorities list, and to take care of myself. So the fact that I am actually doing the task, that I am happy with. The paintings, well, I'm just trying to let them be whatever they happen to be...to not judge them- it would be easy to jump to negative judgments as I'm still quite uncomfortable with this medium and don't know what I'm doing! I want to make sure I remain open to this medium, rather than get in my head about how it should be done, how it should look, if the painting for the day is good enough to post - the task is one painting a day...not paint until I get one that I think is awesome (I'll never sleep!). I have had some I absolutely hated, which were painful to post, but that's a part of the deal. ;) And who knows, maybe someone will like it. That's the beauty about art.

I was hoping I'd have some really interesting things to say, but this is all I've got right now...

Momentum

Day 10

So...this is something kind of neat that I realized the other day...

I get these sort of waves of creativity, where there is a burst of ideas, and then no ideas. A lot of times when they hit, I am feeling open, creative, and like I'm being myself. I lack ideas when I feel stuck or like I can't be myself for whatever reason - health, stress, whatever roadblocks pop up.

This project is shaking loose some junk! Granted I am doing a few other things in conjunction with it that are helping as well.

Prior to beginning the challenge, I just simply realized I am feeling stuck again, and need to figure out how to get back on track with taking care of myself - mind, body, and soul. It has started with little things...with some bigger ones eventually being thrown in. Some of these include: reading some eye opening books , getting back into working out/physical therapy (which is a huge deal with all the health issues and colds/sicknesses I've been catching!), meditating, Kyle Cease has been having some super amazing inspiring posts/videos, etc. Heck one of the early steps (inspired by some of the reading I've been doing) was as simple as practicing some self awareness in terms of trying to pay attention to when/where I'm holding tension in my body (it is crazy how much this happens without even realizing it!). And then, of course, this 30 day project was added to the schedule, which has opened the floodgates to all sorts of realizations that I've been blogging away about. There are all kinds of options to use as a beginning step.

Now this is the fun part. Once you take that first step (for example, with being creative), in any way, shape or form - no matter how minor it may seem - often times, it grows and more of it starts to seep out, sometimes turning into a full fledged waterfall. One of the things that started happening a few years ago when I was in what I guess I'd consider a creative peak, was I developed almost a sort of ADD - I had so much inspiration and creative energy that I was constantly jumping from project to project, whenever something inspired me (even if it was in the middle of a project), and I loved that freedom to move! Life has felt more and more restrictive since then - which it had prior to that period of time too, so I know there is a way to change that... the trick is to actually start doing something...ANYTHING! And that's how momentum can be generated to move towards positive change.

So here are a few new creative related things that have popped out since starting the project:

• Videos - this was unexpected. I haven't figured out the best way to do them yet, so I apologize for the poor lighting/editing/view/etc. But I am glad to be doing it (per the suggestion of a friend). It is interesting to see these develop, especially since I have no concrete idea of what the painting will be when I begin. Also, I never thought I'd have the opportunity to learn anything about video. It has been frustrating and cool at the same time.
• Pendants - I've made some new ones...and am photographing old ones (which has been on my to-do list for far too long!).
• Bookmarks - suggested by a friend... still in the experimental phases but they've begun!
• One of my paintings inspired an idea that I think may develop into a tangent project...
• I had a shower epiphany just the other day - there is a cool project that I've been eyeing up for quite some time, but I've felt stuck with how to make it a reality... I don't feel I have the financial resources to participate and I am also conflicted as I'd like an eco-friendly way to partake. I have yet to actually try it, but I came up with an idea for half of it that would be both eco-friendly and financially friendly... the trade off is more work, time, and thinking power but you have no idea how exciting this is!
• Wrapping up a few personal projects - that again, have been on the to-do list for far too long.
• I signed up for flickr, also suggested by a friend, to post the paintings project. I joined a few art groups on facebook, too, eek. I struggle with wasting time on the computer, I'm already spending more time than I'd like to on this project. I don't feel good enough to be a part of these groups, these people are really flippin' good! This is just ridiculously uncomfortable for so many reasons... But hey, what's a little more discomfort thrown on top of a project based in a medium that has made me uncomfortable in so many ways already! Heck of a way to face a handful of fears all at once. Let. Go.
• I already mentioned the surge of blog posts that have been pouring out of me (Day 1 nervousness, rambling on and on about the good and the bad, reevaluating "failure", noticing some life lessons I've lost). They haven't been easy to share, as they are far more personal and revealing than I am comfortable with. I've been physically ill, unable to keep anything down, a handful of times this winter. So it is fitting to now be throwing up thoughts and feelings, I suppose. Though I'm not sure which is more unpleasant at this point. 

Art in bed

It doesn't take much to get the ball rolling. While I would love to just jump back into that past creative peak, sometimes it is necessary to start back at square one and let it naturally build. The nice thing is the past and all its lessons can serve as tools, making square one much more accessible (at least I know some of what is possible this time!), and the following steps can follow more smoothly.

It feels like this round of waves is a bit more turbulent, filled with distractions that make it difficult to ride the high points. This week I got to feel at least a hint of them, though! So to know they're there is a great feeling and provides inspiration to keep this momentum rollin'.

When the heck did that happen? Again...

Day 2

When I first thought about doing this 30 day painting challenge, one of the ideas behind it was to have it be sort of a quick exercise. Shortly into day 1, I was already feeling frustrated with how long it was taking. I told myself that I'm new to the medium, so things may speed up as I go along. They haven't all been crazy long, but they've all taken far longer than I intended (1-3 hours or so). In addition to the time to paint, there is also dry time (sometimes multiple times during the actual process), photographing the painting, videoing and editing that video, and the uploading time. And for some reason I've been feeling extra bloggy. I find myself thinking how this is quickly taking over waaaay too much of my life and I'm feeling all sorts of things - guilt, embarrassment, thinking about what a waste of a day this is, etc.. And what I just realized is a few years ago, when I started painting again (when the echoes were popping out left and right), there were ENTIRE days spent working on art...and I absolutely loved it. I didn't care if I was working longer than the average person's work day - there were days I literally rolled out of bed and immediately jumped into painting and worked until the sun was long gone. I had "wasted" entire nights, into the wee hours of the morning on photoshoots - my own photoshoots and ones in which I modeled. And I loved that too!

Day 5

Art is this weird thing, where it is actually pretty enjoyable for the person doing it - I mean there's no other way to make sense of how much an artist is willing to put into their work other than it being pure passion. I've struggled with how people view that, with how I view that...because that is very different than the standard idea of work. Many people dislike their job, they dislike work...So that has become something I associate with defining what is "real work" and how I've felt others feel as well. I'd feel guilty when people would comment about the fact I just get to play with pictures and stuff all day, or how I got to just play dress up yet it was also frustrating to feel my work minimized in that way because believe me, I'm often exhausted and even physically sore after a day of creating...but I don't mind because I love what I do. Does that make it not real? Does that disqualify it from the label of work? Does that make it a waste? Does that make me less than everyone? And then of course there is the other factor of how it is difficult to actually make a living off this stuff... Work is supposed to mean money.

It had taken me quite a while shed the feeling of guilt about actually enjoying how I spent my day/time, and to not devalue myself and my work because it didn't fit my/society's definition of work. But I got there. Even though I was poor, busy, constantly moving, and working crazy long hours without any designated weekends/vacation/time off, I think I was the happiest I had ever been. When you do what you love, none of that other stuff really matters. What is even more is that this (art/creating) was becoming a part of my life as a whole and I was feeling like I was becoming the person I wanted to be in a lot of ways.


Day 8

I wasn't aware of it, but somehow I lost that... Once again, I'm feeling guilty about doing art. What?! How did I revert to this mentality that I had let go long ago without even realizing it? Last year's giveaway was the beginning of trying to get some of that back - allowing myself to value art/creating and make it important in my life again, since I had almost stopped doing it completely. Looking back, I remember feeling similar things as I'm feeling now - that guilt. Guilt for feeling excited about something, for creating something, for doing something I enjoy and spending a lot of time on it, for not making money (and actually losing money!), for not living/doing what other people think I should be.

In one of my more recent blog posts, I mentioned the fact that I now have "x" amount of brand new, original paintings, and in a short of a period of time and how amazing that is. I haven't done that in years! Even though it isn't the ideal medium, or ideal set up, I really am thrilled by this. Heck, just last year, some of the health issues I had experienced made it difficult to get out of bed at all some days - if only I had thought to try something like this then!

Anyway...It feels like this is a step in the direction of that shift I had once experienced - of accepting myself as an "artist" and that creating is a fantastic way to spend my time...allowing myself to be free, to do what I love, to pursue my passion. At least I'm doing something.

Failure in a new light...

So... I'm just going to keep these ramblings flowing, since there is all this stuff that's been stirred up within me since starting this project and I'd like to see what happens with it.

I've realized watercolor is an excellent way to have to embrace "failure." It is one of the reasons why I probably hated it when I first tried it. I used to have a huge fear of failure, of not being good enough, and everything that goes along with it - that's not to say I'm completely fear-free, it is a work in progress, but I've definitely loosed up. ;)

When I first tried watercolor, it was at a time that I was into portraits, as realistic as I could get 'em. I preferred working in black and white (charcoal, pencil, that sort of thing) a lot due to the ability to focus on contrast. Making things "pop" was fun to me. I didn't feel any of that was possible with the lightness of watercolor. While being a lefty also can also "ruin" any attempt at perfection (hand smudges over every single piece of paper I've ever written/drawn on), I enjoyed trying to get things looking as exact as I could. Watercolor was introduced in school, and turned my idea (with far too many details to even have a shot at this working) into a puddly mess. Ugh. Right then and there I decided we weren't going to be friends.

Pre-college drawings

Through the years, I've seen some really incredible watercolor art. This isn't an easy medium. The process is not as forgiving as other types of painting (acrylic, you can paint over the entire canvas and start all over if you'd like!), and it kind of works in a backwards way- if you lay on the color too dark, good luck getting your light values back! Plus there is that whole unpredictable nature of water - running, bleeding, causing all sorts of havoc. That was just too crazy and frustrating to me back then. Yeah, I just didn't think we were meant to be.

Fast forward through the college years, when I was forced into abstract (with acrylic paint) and decided to find something enjoyable about it...I discovered: getting messy ;) I LOVED playing with drips, letting the water/paint do whatever it wanted after I released it from my brush. It was easy to find my work area, complete with a colorful puddle at my feet.

In some of the early art classes in college, we were given
artists to essentially copy, yet were supposed to find a way
to bring something slightly of our own into it...this was done
to look similar to this specific artist's work, who dealt with
fears - so I added my own. Notice fear of failure and fear of
mistakes.



The only time I was able to work with the subject of portraits was during an independent study with a professor who was much more open to hearing what I really wanted to work on. These are portraits done during that time. I started experimenting with texture in them to add a bit more interest.

There were a few times I could combine abstract with portraits... I started including some of the techniques I had discovered- texture, drips, etc.

Trying to embrace abstract and find out what I could enjoy about it...

I discovered I could add junk to create texture (sawdust was used
 for this one). And loving those drips. ;)

Now back to present day, and this project. I am not going into any of these paintings with an idea. I'm not trying to draw a person, or a landscape, or anything really. So it is 100% a blank slate, wide open to possibility. I'm finding that I am loving the very things I used to hate about the medium. I've embraced what I used to think was negative and wrong - there really is not right or wrong in art. With each piece, it is fascinating to see what the water does. Most times, it isn't what I think or want but I no longer get frustrated, I'm intrigued. I allow it to open my eyes to new directions. These "failures" now guide the paintings in a sense. If I can't get the line straight (which happens a lot), well, make it bigger and try again...or let go of the idea that it has to be straight, or a line at all - let it be a blob, or a drip that goes on its own. To top it off, these "failures" are probably what makes the paintings even remotely interesting, not to mention it is a great way to learn what the medium is capable of naturally - a great way to learn by just letting it do its thing!

Funny, over the years these concepts have actually been creeping into my life - embracing failure and seeing it as opportunity, allow what's natural, lose the expectations, let go, be curious, lighten up, be messy and imperfect, just see what happens, etc. And interesting progression... This happens in so many ways - from finally letting my hair do what it wants rather than try to control it in a variety of ways to just be straight and perfect, to creating a meal out of whatever is available (even with nearly bare cupboards), to being ok with my plans falling through, to being ok with people changing... While it is difficult to see some of this happen in any concrete way - until you are able to look back - I just love that art can show that elusive concept in creative, beautiful ways and can even be that seed of inspiration within you, that eventually finds its way into other areas of life.

Post college attempts at portraits...which got interrupted by life stuff and have remained incomplete.

A post college abstract, also interrupted by life stuff...

A change into smaller works to adapt to the "hurdles"...

Another small piece, combining the interest in texture,
drips, and some personal materials.

Watercolor and I hadn't talked since high school...
Until last year, when I accidentally made this and
realized it could be a fun medium when I lost my
expectations and allowed myself to simply play.

I now love opening myself up to any medium...there is something beautiful and to learn in each one. And I am discovering ones I never knew existed before, while revisiting old ones in new ways. Some of them have even overlapped, or helped lead me to another one. It feels limitless. I can't keep up with the inspiration that creates!

While some of this is repetitive, I feel like with this project, I'm being reminded of important pieces I may have let slip out of my life...and I'm gaining new pieces, making new connections. It is "clicking" in a new way, so to speak. Writing this has helped me realize just how far I've come in letting go of that life long fear of failure, and how I can actually play with it now. I think part of my fears with this project have to do with another aspect of that fear of failure - I've been able to embrace it in private, but to put it out there for other people to see...oh man! What if you can see I failed? What if you think these paintings suck? What if you see I'm not a watercolor artist? What if it even makes you question my artistic abilities overall! Well... I went into it admitting a lot of this, yet I still had these fears. So far no one has been mean (and I thank you for that ;) ). And after a week of it, I think I've slowly been able to allow myself to let go of that outer fear, and focus on my task: to allow myself to freely create. It has been a recentering experience I guess. I'd love for every painting to be amazing, but I'm not concerned about labeling them in that way. I want to just let them be what they are, just as I want to allow myself the same sort of freedom.

Anyway... there's my latest word dump!

If any of this sounds even remotely interesting like something you'd like to try (artist or not): There are cheap watercolor sets available all sorts of places, heck even at the dollar stores... I didn't start with anything fancy...even a kid's one will work! (I'm not suggesting you steal from children) Or heck, some people paint with leftover coffee. There is all sorts of potential to get creative with whatever you have. The point is to just play. ;)

One week in, ramblings...

A week's worth of meditating (brief attempts) and painting, and this is what's coming out.

An honest peek inside my head: I still don't feel like I know what I'm doing... I still wonder how stupid and pointless this may seem to others...or even to myself. I can't tell if any of these are "turning out" or not...some I really don't think are even remotely "good"... This is taking up far more time that I'd like, I'm not sure why I thought it wouldn't. I haven't felt necessarily "good" or proud of anything at this point. Just an honest peek at the inner gunk... I am allowing myself to feel these negative things, since they're there, and just want to be heard for a moment. What's more important is what happens when I actually get going on a painting- most of these things quiet down to an extent. Phew. ;)

Some positive and cool things ARE happening though...

I can already feel my brain getting more active... my ideas and creativity are starting to rev up again. I'm trying to pace myself, but at the same time, I think if I'm moved to do so, I can allow myself to explore some of these ideas outside of this project's guidelines. Just something I'll have to play by ear.

My curiosity about the medium is expanding -  I had written it off long ago and said I just CAN'T work with it. - In reality, I was fighting my personal "style" and trying to conform to how I thought the medium should be used and how the end result should look. I was holding myself to unfair standards and stifling my own unique interpretation of what watercolor art could be. I don't know that I've fully unleashed it yet, but it is kind of neat to see what comes out, and this is really the only way to find out.

I'm enjoying seeing COLOR. Wisconsin winter's can be quite gloomy. And for the past year or so, I have felt cooped up in a variety of ways - literally and figuratively.

I was asked if I think these abstract paintings have meaning. I usually am not interested in sharing that information (I like to leave it up to the viewer to see/feel whatever it stirs within them), or I don't think too much about it. I enjoy NOT putting too much thought into some of this stuff, allowing the feeling/intuition just spill out. But that question has me wondering and thinking about the possibilities after some of these are complete. And while I am creating, I am noticing some more concrete feelings/ideas develop as the piece develops, which then can lead it in a certain direction...but what is even cooler is if that idea/feeling changes, I am still allowing myself to change direction - something I didn't think you could do with watercolor! NOTE: for every single one of these, I have no PLAN. Even when I start making marks on the paper, I don't have an idea in mind. Tell me, what do you see/feel when you look at them? :)

There is just something amazing about being able to create something, essentially out of thin air... or limited materials. These paintings are created with simple materials, without much experience or space. It could be a whole other post about the effects CREATING can have on the mind and soul. It truly is a wonderful feeling that I wish everyone could experience in one way or another - you don't have to be an artist! ;)

And you know what? I've already created 7 brand new, unique, one of a kind pieces of art. That's amazing for so many reasons. After my college experience, I didn't feel passion for art anymore. It returned, but shortly after, I started dealing with some health issues, and was sure at that point that I had lost art forever. I was not physically capable of doing what I had been doing, of what I've been doing my whole life. It was devastating. Art felt like a part of me. And it felt like that was ripped away. I eventually learned to open up my mind, explore different mediums, different sizes (small work was discouraged in college, but now I've fallen in love with it), and I got creative with my abilities, my time, my space, everything... I had to learn to work with what I have in that moment. This has been challenged and morphed several times over the years...with more and more hurdles to adapt to. The most recent challenges have lead me here, to a medium I hated and had no interest in. Letting go of my history with it, my ideas/expectations of it and myself, I'm already feeling significant changes within me.

In my situation right now, I don't have much in terms of money, space, know-how, talent, physical ability, etc..But I have discovered that at my core, I love being creative, in all aspects of life. Therefore, these "limitations" become unique opportunities if I choose to see them that way. Granted, I don't always want to immediately view them that way and they can be incredibly frustrating, depressing, annoying...and I'm finally ok with allowing myself to feel these things...so long as I am able to see past that eventually, and realize that when I'm ready, they're simply brand new chances to expand.

These challenges I've been giving myself are not so much about the art, but about valuing my love of creating and making that a priority in my life.

I haven't been producing art/creative work at this pace in a long long time. That in itself feels pretty darn good.

I have yet to complete the final step to my assignment - send out the paintings. I'm admittedly nervous about that too - what if the person I send it to hates it? Or throws it away? What if I send it to someone I haven't talked to in a long time - I've developed some "social anxiety" like issues and have some fears opening up again. What if I can't think of someone? What do I write/say? Blah blah blah. It should be interesting to complete this step and see how it feels and if it changes throughout the project. :)

So... one week in and I'm still clueless. But I'm slowly accepting that and realizing that is completely ok...which leads me to feeling more and more free.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 1...A new challenge.

Almost immediately, I started having second thoughts and regrets about this new challenge idea...

I didn't get much sleep, I woke up anxious, with all sorts of other silly issues... I've been trying out meditation (or what I think is meditation) each morning, for about 10-20 minutes to hopefully change the way I wake up to be more positive and gentle rather than stress-filled. Admittedly, I didn't even want to do that! But I did.

This challenge has been tugging at me since I've decided to do it, but once again, it feels like a million things are in the way and the excitement I felt about it initially has already drained a decent amount.

Well, there will never be a "perfect time" to start...

After the first two lines on the paper I could tell I was trying too hard and was stuck in my head. The thing that I loved about the couple of watercolor paintings I did last year was that I could just feel it out-not think through it. It was a freeing experience. Not even a minute into this challenge and I was already screwing it up. :P

It was interesting to just watch the levels of discomfort and discouragement appear. Boy we sure can beat ourselves up... I've been following the work of Kyle Cease, and this is something he talks about a lot. But if we can remain "in the room" often times we'll see a lot of this fear and negativity just disappear. And if not, it is an opportunity to examine it a bit closer - which leads you to a deeper understanding of yourself.

One of my issues was I had this mentality that I should complete the paintings quickly...well that's just ridiculous, I don't really work that way when it comes to art. It is based off of feeling. I can't rush it, and I can't just put forth partial effort. I started feeling the pressure of time - an hour is already gone! But eventually, I realized I'm going to be incredibly disappointed in myself and my work if I work this way. So ignoring the clock, I got myself back in the zone...

I was obviously fighting this whole "freeing" experience on a variety of levels, I'm not feeling free in any way in my life right now though. It took a bit of time, but eventually I remembered the fact that this experience is mine...and it CAN be freeing, even if other parts of my life aren't feeling that way. I just have to adjust a few things. I had a million fears and a million more reasons to doubt this idea and my ability and if this was stupid or not, if anyone will like it, if I will even like what I create, etc when I came up with the idea, so of course they're all going to appear again when I actually begin, and at full force! But at one point in time, I saw value/potential in this project. I have no way of predicting where it will go, and I have no expectations. In the very least, I get to experiment with art, and with a medium I am not familiar with or at all comfortable with - and I love learned new things and playing in this way! And one of the most basic ideas behind this is to just DO art. That is never a waste in my eyes!

Anyway...this is kind of rambly and I'm not sure the purpose... I guess I just wanted to make note of some of the feelings I experienced right off the bat. I think a lot of us feel nervous and scared when faced with something new/unknown. And I think that can be a big enough reason we sometimes run in the opposite direction. But it is important to remember we get to make that choice.

While I still feel all sorts of stuff I'd rather not feel, I am glad to have jumped in and I am working to open myself back up to this experiment, fully. Here we go....

Day 1:

 

 

 

These paintings will be available for 24 hours after posting them on a first come first serve basis for $5 through my facebook artist page  If they are still available after that time frame, I get to send to whoever I want (family, friend, stranger, etc!).

 

If you can not afford the fee but would like the opportunity to get one of these at some point, private message me on my artist page and I can collect a list so in case I need some ideas of who to send some too. :) (no guarantees and it will be randomly selected)

 

 

A new challenge...

I've spent the majority of the past

3-4 months sick, in bed...and I'm,

well, sick of it! Time to get creative!

I've had ideas for new projects/challenges for 2016, but so far they haven't been possible, or I keep getting sick, or something else happens. And then you know what happens? I'm bummed I'm not creating. A new idea popped into my head, and while there are still a few kinks to work out, it isn't as heavily reliant on technology, or other people, or having anything special for a working space...and I have most of the materials.

I was sorting through some of my belongings (I've been downsizing for quite a while now, and the process continues)... I stumbled across some watercolor pencils. Honestly, when I first tried them out, I really didn't like them-because if you recall, I hated watercolor and am no good with that medium. I then learned you can paint on faces with them! Up until now, that's what I've used them for most-whether for silliness or for self portraits.

My brain started connecting a few dots...

A week or two ago, I was randomly doodling. I've done a lot of this in my lifetime, it really isn't anything, I sort of let the hand make interesting shapes, then play around with values. Usually these doodles randomly pop up in assignment notebooks, calendars, notebooks, scrap paper, etc. and are nothing special. Well I thought these recent doodles were kind of neat, and reminded me a little bit of how that watercolor painting I did for a 2015 giveaway was done. These would be really neat to try in watercolor, I thought.

Random doodles

 

Right now, I don't have a good place to do regular watercolor (or much art actually!), but watercolor pencils can work in a variety of ways... perhaps I could do them even in bed! -I've been sick a lot this winter...

This is the plan I've come up with: instead of dealing with the shop or letting them pile up, I will post
these mini watercolor paintings to facebook, for $5 (via paypal) they can belong to whoever wants them - first come first serve basis. You guys get first dibs! After 24 hours if no one has claimed the painting, I will send it as a card to someone of my choice - whether a complete stranger, an old friend, a friend without facebook, my grandparents, a neighbor, etc. - I'll create these in a way where they can be used as cards, so whoever purchases has the choice of using as a card or print. 

My challenge is to do one every day for 30 days.



The watercolor painting from May 2015's Art Giveaway. The paintings for

this challenge will be smaller, so they fit in a standard envelop, but will also

be in a format that allows them to be used as a greeting card or a print. I also

plan to try watercolor pencils, rather than regular watercolor. Should be

interesting to see how different the results are!

I honestly don't know how they'll turn out since I am not a watercolor artist, and lack experience with watercolor pencils...admittedly I'm nervous! BUT these will be one of a kind! And I'm excited to experiment and see what I learn from this challenge.

So there it is...

To sum it up: I will do a mini watercolor painting, able to be used as a print or card, every day for 30 days. It will be posted to facebook, first person who wants it ($5 via paypal) gets it - and it will be sent out right away in a regular envelop, through regular mail. After 24 hours, if no one has purchased, I will get to use it to send a note to a loved one, a stranger, an old friend, etc. - basically after 24 hours, it will be gone one way or another.                                                            

NOTE: my challenge is to do a painting daily, but I may not post them daily as it is not always possible for me to have computer/internet access. They will all be posted though, as soon as possible, and the 24 hour countdown for availability begins upon the posting time.

To purchase, simply comment on the image that you want to do so. Then through PM we can coordinate paypal and mailing address.

If you want to get notified when I post (facebook) so you don't miss a painting, hover over the "Liked" button at the top of the page (by the cover image), and then you have two options... click "All On":

 

 

OR

 

Then select what you'd like to get notifications about:

(I would think selecting at least just "photos" will keep you covered for this challenge)

Now I don't want to be obnoxiously posting for the 24 hours a painting is available, so this really would be the best way to make sure you keep up with this project. Facebook limits the notifications to 5 per day, so if you do choose to receive notifications, you also won't have to worry about that getting obnoxious.

I don't think I am going to set limits on how many you can purchase. So if you buy one, and you end up seeing another you like, you won't be restricted. And you are welcome to give these to someone else-like I will be, send a note to a friend! Or just give the gift of art to someone who may enjoy it.

And since I plan to send these in a regular envelope, there shouldn't be any restrictions as far as location like there was with shipping giveaway items. This is open to all! Plus, I should be able to get these out MUCH faster than the art giveaways of 2015 (still trying to finish some of those babies up! I haven't forgotten about you!)

Alright. So. That's the new experiment! Let me know if you have any questions. Stay tuned for the beginning... ;)

PS- If you or someone you know would like one of these, but cannot afford it, please send me a PRIVATE MESSAGE through the NFG (artist) facebook page and I can use these names/addresses as an option for the paintings that do not get purchased when I get to choose who to send to - it would end up being totally random, and no guarantees this person will be selected, but thought it may be a fun idea in case I don't have someone in mind. :)