Still Working at This...Two More Complete!

Aaaahhh.  This is hard, a painting a day.  I'm not exactly sure why but this time around really is a challenge.  I'm enjoying very much the painting experience but it seems not enough.  Well, while I figure out what's going on in my head, please enjoy two more works to add to the collection.

Fort Rock Barn

 This is a favorite scene as you enter Exeter from the north-west end of town.  I've done a number of paintings over the years featuring the barn.  In the not-so-distant past the property was going to be turned into a religious campus.  I think it already is.  I'm grateful we get to continue seeing it just like  this.  But I imagine someday it will change.

I Spy with My Giant Eye

Remember the Cooper's Hawk I did earlier this month....Leap of Faith?  This is the same bird as it was negotiating what it heard and how to get it.  In this pose he/she is looking directly at the rose bush where the little sparrows were hiding.

Seven days left to complete 19 paintings.  Think I can do it?

# 9 # 9 # 9

Egret Pond

Painting #9 is another egret, this one stalking a meal.  Once again, I love the looseness.  My intent was to capture a mood and a certain light, rather than the detailed specifics of a Great Egret and a pond.

It's been a little more challenging with this go-round of 30/30.  So, in an effort not to get stressed, I decided the goal would be to paint as much as I can over the next two-three months, right up through December.  Also, because so much of my painting has to be done at night, I am sort of handcuffed to painting in the studio using photographs.  But I'm getting tired of that format.  So, another change will be to paint as often as possible on sight, in fresh air.  Step away from the office during daylight hours.  Might be chilly at times.  Might be windy.  Might even snow.  There are ways around these things.  Let's see what I can do.

NEW! Two Landscapes and Two Birds

I had a lovely day catching up on my daily paintings.  Fell short by one but no matter.  Will keep the brush moving!

American Kestrel

Barred Owl Watching

Maine Inlet 1

Winter Path

Already Behind but Catching Up

Paintings three and four were just completed this evening.  Spent the past three days backpacking with full intention to paint on the trail.  Turned out the trail was much more challenging than expected.  I didn't have time to paint, only hike.  With 40lbs on my back.  For three days.

It was a wonderful weekend adventure!  And just what I needed to temper the anxiety I've been feeling lately.  So now I'm super pumped to really dig into my 30 paintings.  I'll be caught up by the end of the week.

Egret Profile

Egret Profile is a fun and very loose interpretation of a Great Egret.  Each time I do this kind of loose work I learn how to gain a little more control over the alchemy of pigment and water.

Hidden Egret

With Hidden Egret the intent was a little more representational.  However, if you look at both the background and the foreground there's quite a bit of soft edges and mixtures of pigment.

More paintings to come soon....

Leap of Faith

Leap of Faith

The last time I was visiting with my in-laws we were entertained by the presence of a Cooper's Hawk.  My father-in-law, having some excellent photography skills, grabbed his camera and began shooting.  The hawk first landed on the railing of the back deck, where most of the bird feeders are set up.  It was obvious what he/she was after.  There's a thick rose bush lining one side of the deck and many passerines love to hang out inside of it.  The hawk spent about five minutes on the railing checking things out, lept onto the back of a chair near the rose bush then proceeded to "jump" into the tangle of branches and thorns!  He/she completely disappeared inside, causing quite a raucous of noise and excitement among the hiding birds.  Fortunately (for the little birds and the audience!), the hawk was unsuccessful in securing a meal.

So I call this Leap of Faith, for the audacity the hawk exhibited in knowing he/she could get right down into the thick, brambly and dangerous world of a rose bush.  It was quite an impressive act to witness.

There are many more wonderful photos of this bird to work from so don't be surprised if you see a few more during the month.

October 30/30 Has Begun! Painting #1: Night View from Atop Mt. Chocorua

Standing Watch

Very excited to begin one more month of 30 paintings.  And this time a colleague is joining me!  Her name is Denise Takahashi.  We attended graduate school together and, although our styles and approaches are very different, our artistic paths since those blissful days in Santa Cruz share some similarities.

I started the 30/30 yesterday and got nearly two paintings done.  The second one will be posted later today after I tweak a couple things in it.  The title on this one is temporary, subject to change.  Any suggestions?

Looking forward to one more month filled with painting challenges.  Not sure I'll continue doing these in 2014; might be looking for another way to incorporate paintings regularly.  And find a venue to hold a show!