Day 28

9x12 oil on board

I should have drank before I painted ... ha ha ha.

Day 27

Can't say much about this one... it is still in progress may pick at it more tomorrow perhaps.

Day 26

I am working on a larger painting, so this pear was a bit of an afterthought for the daily painting.  More time and effort would be ideal, but time ran out, so here is my hasty pear

oil on panel 8x12

Day 25 - nailed it?

Didn't quite nail it... quick oil sketch of my favourite picture hanging hammer.  Lee Valley tools are awesome!

oil on cardboard panel 8x12

Day 24

I literally set the timer on this one - weekends are too busy.  60 minute quick sketch in oil paint on black gesso paper of my FAVOURITE tool - my kitchen aid mixer.  I may return to this mixer again and spend some time doing a proper oil painting of it.  It's 20 years old this year - still going strong.

Day 23

Went fast and simple with this one hour painting for Day 23.

8x8 oil on panel

Day 22 - too much

Here are some don'ts for daily painting - DO NOT choose a complex subject, do not choose a canvas much bigger than 8x10 and do not pick a day when you have several other important tasks to complete.  

Why I chose a sailboat to try to squeeze in as my painting today I am not sure.  In the 2 1/2 hrs I tackled this I felt rushed and dissatisfied fairly quickly and have called it quits.  I think I will stick to tools, fruit and simple objects and will try a better, slower paced boat when I have a couple days / week.

12x16 oil on black gesso canvas

Day 21

8x8 oil on canvas - last run

Trying to catch some more shadow colour on the snow, from a photo of a late afternoon run in Jasper.

Warming up

The weather has been rather chilly here, but when you live in a cold climate YOU MUST get out and enjoy it or you will go mad!  We had a beautiful sunny day yesterday and spent it outdoors with friends and family   We had a fire and picnic - it was so cold the quinoa salad froze first as we ate it, then the bean salad soon after, potato salad stood up a bit longer.  Hot chocolate was essential, the marshmallow is just a sweet extra.

8x8 oil on canvas

Measure up

Family Day weekend was spent relaxing and enjoying with family and friends.  Tried a painting on Saturday but my mind was not on it, and it did not work out well.  I missed the daily painter post so I am tackling a couple of paintings today to make up for it.  Here is a quick one hour painting with a very limited palette.

quick tape measure 8x8 oil on canvas

#16 - The Sincerest form of flattery

A couple of weeks ago as I was waiting to pick up one of my kids, I was looking down the alley nearby and loving the light and colour on the snow.  I thought to myself  "Self, that looks like a painting".  Specifically a Kari Duke or a Mike Svob, style painting.  These are 2 of my favourite artists.

So for today's 30 paintings in 30 days challenge I decided Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and that I would turn my photo of that alley into a painting in the style of a Duke or a Svob.  Mike Svob, when I used to manage art workshops he taught at, would sometimes call these his velvet Elvis paintings, as they are done on black gesso. (Referencing the old velvet paintings of the ?70's).

Below is the finished painting, along with my progression as I painted it.

Add caption

Photo with my velvet / black gesso panel

oil colours I used

Adding some transparent warms

throwing in some lights

#15 - Portrait

Went back to my tried and true first love of portrait painting for Day 15 of the 30 day challenge.  I am still working on this but need to post before I have to run off to take care of other essential things that need doing.

8x10 oil on canvas panel