DAY 30 (30 in 30 DAILY PAINTING CHALLENGE) MY ART NEMESIS

This is the official last day of the daily painting challenge with Leslie Saeta.  I am SO glad that I stuck this out, it was so hard but I learned so much from it in so many ways.  I will be posting a collage of the paintings tomorrow as well as a list of things I learned while doing this.

I have already come up with about 18 different themes to do this with which should keep me busy. :)  It is hard to commit every night to it but I am so inspired to paint often.

I saved the apple for last.  The apple is what most people start with in art class and in the books.  Apples drive me crazy.  I have always been bored with the ordinary item.  So I have been avoiding the apple for a very long time.   As I thought, I struggled greatly with the values in the apple.  I redid the apple several times (hence the green background I was then forced to work with which ended up in a lesson in itself, to paint a green apple in front of a green background).    I ended up more with a Braeburn or Gala rather than the beautiful Granny Smith I used for my "model".  I always preferred the Braeburn and Gala apples so that must be what happened.  This is only the second time I have painted still life without a photo and my lighting was absolutely horrid.  Even though I struggle a lot with still life, especially this stinkin' apple, I also find it very rewarding and can definitely see why it is so much better to paint in life with lighting than in photos.  It's harder but much better.  And to paint what you are afraid of to conquer it.  Or at least LEARN from it! (Right, Mr. Apple?)

I am anxious to get into some workshops next year and be able to have someone actually help me through a painting with the color and value problems I am having.  Meanwhile, I will continue to learn and grow and experiment.

I also think that spending more time on painting will help greatly.  Most all of these were done in about 1 hour, just before bed when I am exhausted and trying to get it done. It's a new fear of mine, that I now won't know how to take time on a painting.  A new fear to learn from and conquer.  It's always evolving. I am looking forward to seeing my progress when I spend more time on paintings, paint larger and paint in natural light.  

Thanks for joining me on this adventure.  Keep in tune, now that I have started this painting blog, I will keep up on it often to let you know my progress and new pieces.

DAY 30 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge)
"MY ART NEMESIS"
5x7
#164
OIL

DAY 29 (30 in 30 DAILY PAINTING CHALLENGE)

DAY 29 (30 IN 30 DAILY PAINTING CHALLENGE)

Wow, it's almost done.  How can I feel so relieved yet feel so inspired?

I did another 8x8 canvas with oil and gold leaf, I love working with the abstract.  I think it's the textures and colors that capture me.   These abstracts are layers and layers of color and texture.  Definitely running through the paint but learning a lot.  I need to figure out how to draw out abstract designs so I know where I am going before I start and so I can save some paint....

I'd been avoiding the use of primary colors for a long time but today, like many other days this month, I just simply faced my fears and avoidance and just embraced the colors in this abstract which I think might be one of my favorite paintings this month.

The photographs do these gold leaf abstracts NO justice at all.

I'm too tired to come up with a name tonight...
8x8
#165
Oil

DAY 28 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge) DISCOVERY

DAY 28 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge)

Tried out a few new techniques tonight.  Not sure I like the result but I had fun experimenting.  I used an 8x8 canvas with gold leafing and splattering.

"DISCOVERY"
8x8
#162
Oil

DAY 27 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge) NUTMEG

I learned tonight that one of my favorite buns at the rabbit rescue passed this week.  Nutmeg was so so special and I wanted to take her home so many times but her medical problems required Alex's daily attentiveness.   After painting this painting of her, I found out another one had also not survived after I had rescued it in Washington.  He had a tumor that caused failure to thrive.  I am so heartbroken tonight....

NUTMEG
5X7
#164
OIL

DAY 26 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge) BEACH

I am exhausted... Tonight,  I opened the art room door and turned on the light, stared at the mess and then turned off the light and closed the door.  I hear my husband crawling into bed, comically stating, "Yooou can dooooo it!"  I opened the door to the art room, turned the light back on and sat down at the easel.

This painting was supposed to have a starfish at the bottom but I could not get the values right at ALL.  I desperately need help painting starfish, I cannot grasp their shape with light.   So this piece ended up a serene painting at the beach.

DAY 26 (30/30 Daily Painting Challenge)
"Beach"
5x7
#175
Oil

DAY 25 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge) REACHING

What do you see in this piece?
"REACHING"
5x7
#161
Oil

DAY 24 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge) SUNFLOWER

I got my sunflower painted tonight.  We'll just call last night my "sunflower study". LOL  It really does work to paint a study first and then paint the real thing.  Even though that was not my intention, it does work.  You work out the problems first before you dig in.  Interesting.  So I did try something new :) 

DAY 24 (30/30 Daily Painting Challenge)
"SUNFLOWER"
5x7
Oil

DAY 23 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge) HOT MESS

I missed Day 22.  I have been working two jobs, getting ready for a fiber art show and trying to do daily painting.  It caught up with me today and I let things get the best of me.

I sat down to the easel tonight to finally paint the sunflower I have been thinking about for two days.  It started out so beautiful but, once again, I overworked the painting, ruining it and wasting a ton of paint.

I changed the painting to this abstract.  A muddy, overworked mess with a hot streak across it.  Just like me today. (and even after I wrote this, I struggled getting it posted on the daily challenge... I'm tellin' ya.. It's time for sleep!!)

I usually try to stay positive but I LET today beat me up.  At least I can see that this past year has been a lot better for me, days like this are very few and far between now.  I definitely have grown and found more peace this last year.

and Hells Bells, at least I got a painting done tonight! LOL




DAY 23 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge)
"HOT MESS"
5X7
OIL

DAY 21 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge) Flower

I missed Day 20.  Family comes first.

Day 21-  I had fun playing with color.  I seem to be drawn toward painting bright floral abstracts.   I botched my color mixing with what I was shooting for a color scheme but I think I was able to pull it together still.  I had fun and love this one as well.  The abstracty looking florals are getting to be my favorite.  

Day 21 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge)
"FLOWER"
5x7
Oil

DAY 19 (30/30 DAILY PAINTING CHALLENGE) LLAMA

I have been getting ready for the OFFF (Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival) this last two weeks.  This year's celebrated fiber animal is a Llama so I felt inspired to paint a llama for my daily painting today.

I can't believe I am painting this style so much.  I always thought I was more of a realist but this way of painting with a palette knife and bold colors is so fun and I love how they turn out.   

Day 19 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge)
Llama
5x7
#192
Oil

DAY 18 (30/30 Daily Painting Challenge) FELTED FLAMINGOS

I spent over two hours trying to fix an old painting of mine last night and made it worse.  Day 18 is a bust for oil painting.

I did manage to get some felting done for the OFFF show coming up this weekend and this challenge is to emphasize working on our art every day so I will post a needle felted painting I worked on.

Day 18 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge)

12x12
Needle Felted Wool
#191

Kyla Corbett Felted Fiber Art

DAY 17 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge) ROSE

When I got home tonight, my husband encouraged me to try doing a painting tonight.  I have such wonderful support.

I have been struggling and struggling to paint roses.  I am still not happy with the outcome but am happy to keep experimenting and practicing with techniques and paint.  It's about the journey, not the destination.

DAY 17 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge)
"ROSE"
5x7

Oil

Quite the day!

Started out the day at 4:30am with a trip to the emergency vet with our dog who's face was badly swollen.  After making sure she was ok and giving her an IV of steroids, we headed to our favorite coffee drive-thrus and then headed home, not forgetting to treat Lucy to a "Puppychino" from Dutch Bros.










After the scare, I spent a fabulous day with mom in Portland.  We had planned a trip to the zoo for art photo references but it ended up raining (for the first time in months!) so we switched our day to visiting hat shops and galleries.  We stopped at the most amazing gallery of faeries and trolls.  Amazing artwork and such a magical place!  Don't miss it!  Fernie Brae in Portland!

 









We had also discovered that Portland had a Blick Art Store as well.  I picked up a sketch pad and pencils while there.  I sketched Mom's portrait while she was driving, my first live model and while driving in a car.  I have not drawn portraits in about 20 years and was nervous but she encouraged me to just keep trying.  It was nerve wracking but very fun. 

Love you mom!!

Day 16 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge) White Orchids

 Tonight, I decided to try a new technique and use a black gessoed canvas I got from the craft store awhile back.  I found it to be extremely dry and hard to brush on, I think if I do black under painting again, I'll make my own but it was great to try it.  I found my white pencil I use for sewing and sketched out my basic orchid shape and then lost myself once again in the painting and forgot to take progress pictures.  (Leslie Saeta, you're right!  We all need to get that function where the phone takes pictures every 5 minutes without you thinking about it!)

As I paint, I can hear the tips from the radio show about making shadows darker than what I think they are and to minimize my brush strokes, Carol Marine said to make sure every brush stroke has a purpose and that's what I have been slowly trying to learn with each painting so that eventually it wil become second nature but it's a slow progress.  These are definitely weak points of mine, overworking and value work.  I feel like I can see improvement overall though since I started this challenge 16 days ago...  It definitely just takes work and time and I just need to have fun with the journey, learn something and not worry about the end result.  

Day 16 (30 in Daily Painting Challenge)
"White Orchids"
5x7
#195
Oil

Day 15 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge) Hidden

My husband ended up sleeping on the couch last night so I found myself at 530 this morning sipping coffee in my art room, staring at the paint.  I glanced at the clock and found about 30 minutes of time before prepping to go to work, usually computer time on a normal day.  I looked at my rabbit rescue article pinned to the wall in front of my easel and decided to paint the rabbit pictured on the newspaper.

I started with a green under painting and began sketching the blocks in like Carol Marine shows in her "daily painting" book.  I love starting this way and love how the under painting comes through my subject.  I was tired and goofed a couple times and  I still overworked parts but had fun and was amazed I had finished the painting in 30 minutes and only one cup of coffee. 

So painting in the morning was my new technique.  I think I liked it. No distractions other than the cat screaming for food.

Day 15- 30 in 30 Daily Paint Challenge

"Hidden"

5x7

Oil

DAY 14 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge) HAPPY PLACE

Day 14- 30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge

I started a still life of three roses sitting atop a vintage handkerchief.  Now I know why flowers are hard and people have to work hard to get them right!! Mine ended up a big blob.  Bye bye for now roses.

So I went to my "happy place" and created another abstract using mixtures and layers of similar colors that I had been using for the rose painting.

"Happy Place"
5x7
#199
Oil

DAY 13 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge) TROPICAL FISH IN THE SEA

Another fun abstract.  This reminds me of the tropical fish we saw in Hawaii during my first snorkel!  Like this challenge, snorkeling was extremely challenging and frightening for me to do but I faced my fears and made myself learn how to do it so I could enjoy life to the fullest. 


DAY 13 Tropical Fish In The Sea
5x7
Oil

DAY 12 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge) FUN STUFF

I have deadlines for my felt art shows and felt pressured to get started on new pieces, feeling a nagging in the back of my mind that I really should be doing the felting as my daily challenge, not the painting that I've been laboring to learn.

At lunch, I sat outside in the beautiful autumn sun and sketched an elk and bear felt layout for my needle felt paintings that would be attached to Birch wood wall hangings.

When I got home, I got to work and realized I only had one Birch wood wall hanging left so I ordered a stash of them and started on the elk.


When it was done I walked the dog with my husband and then did my chores.  I kept hearing a whisper from the art room... "Kyla....  abstract is fun and fast.  you have time!! You're all set up already!  Do it!!"
 
I grabbed the iPad, set it on it's new easel (thank you, Leslie Saeta, for the tip!) and found a color scheme I had been saving on Pinterest.  I got to work mixing colors on my palette.   My painting ended up bold and bright and fun, an abstract version of the color scheme inspiration.  With time and paint to use up, I made another 5x7 which I'll share tomorrow for Day 13!


 I started the day feeling overwhelmed by the felt deadlines and discouraged by the painting I'd been doing after seeing all the amazing artists on the challenge but now I am feeling productive and so happy to paint such bold, bright and fun abstracts, a finished felted painting and success in sketching at lunch (thanks AGAIN, A.H.A.)    I seem to be fulfilling the #1 rule for the challenge which is to have fun.  Even through all the self-doubt, insecurity and pressures of time. 

How can felting and painting be so fun?  I'm in heaven!

Day 12 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge)
"BLOSSOMS BY THE SEA"
5x7
#217
Oil

DAY 11 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge) ROSE PETALS

I tried out new palette knives and colors.  I love the softness of these abstract falling rose petals.  The lighting for photographs is not working right for my paintings...  The white looks yellow in the photo...

DAY 11- 30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge
"ROSE PETALS"
5x7
#206
Oil

DAY 10 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge) Allergies

I woke up, excited to try my first still life painting for my 30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge.  I cut the most amazing roses from our bushes out front and put them in a clear glass vase.  I set them on the back patio, ready to paint in the morning sun.  As I started working on another project, it became apparent that my sinuses would not be clearing up and soon turned into a full blown allergy attack.   After Brett got home from work in the afternoon, I went with him out the back door and saw the wilted roses fading against the sides of the glass vase, heads down in disgust at the missed opportunity of being painted.

I still had to figure out what to paint even though my allergies were horrible.  I settled on a box of kleenex tissue.  My best friend on days like these.  I rushed through the drawing, as you can see by my proportion errors but am happy that I worked on a still life for the first time and worked on shadows and value more than anything else.  

I feel bad that I am having to rush through these daily paintings as I try to learn new techniques but right now, my main focus is to just make sure I paint every day.  I have already learned so much by doing this and already am planning other 30 day challenges just focusing on techniques and value and color.  Also, I believe the rushing and short time I am giving these paintings is actually helping me loosen up my techniques and not overwork as much. 

Oh and something else I am ECSTATIC about!!  I finally found those rubber tipped pointy tools to sign (scratch) my name in the paint!  I LOVE it!!

DAY 10 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge)
"Allergies"
#218
5x7
Oil

DAY 9 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge) LETTING GO

Ok, my main goal is to learn how to paint so these are definitely not going to all turn out as I experiment with brush strokes, color, value and technique.

Thanks for joining me in my journey as I learn to be FEARLESS in exploring paint, sharing my baby steps online and committing to creating art every day.

This one for Day 9 is from a photo of Brett kayaking.  I decided to go for impressionist (?) look and to use one brush only.   I think I used a brush way too big for this little canvas, I did struggle but that's how we learn.  I also haven't ever been brave enough to try reflection in water.  Scary stuff.  Saving my pennies to go to an artist's workshop! 

Day 9 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge)
"Brett Kayaking"
5x7
Oil

Day 8 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge) Face Your Fear, Why Not

Day 8 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge)


I have been wanting to try abstract for some time, just to see what it's about.  After listening to Leslie Saeta's tips on using color schemes from Pinterest for inspiration, I finally faced my fear and just tried it.  Not only did I try a new type of painting, I also tried the palette knife that has been staring at me for months in it's gleaming cellophane wrapper.   And I got two paintings out tonight, I was having so much fun and had paint to use up!

I have NO idea how to successfully photograph a wet abstract painting as you can see in my photos.  The reflection from the lighting was crazy.  I suppose if I'd paint in daylight, I'd have better luck.

This was extremely fun and, as Leslie said earlier in an interview with CW Mundy, "Liberating!"  Holy smokes!   I can't wait to try it again now that I know I need a wider palette knife and not to blend the colors at all, wipe after every color!

"Face Your Fear"
5x7
Oil

"Day 8 (#2)   Why Not

5x7

Oil

Just Get It Done

Ric Nagualero was interviewed on Artists Helping Artists in 2012 and I listened to it yesterday.  I loved his enthusiasm and is sensibility.  He strips down all the bull crap of artists' excuses and reminds us to just DO IT. 

I write scads of notes on various post-its and paper pads at work and come home with a purse full of paper.  The wrinkled scraps end up in piles on my desk, waiting to be transferred to a notebook.
I started this blog recently and think this would be a good spot for those notes.  Somewhere I can reference back to and also share what feeds my art soul...

Some tips I want to remember from Ric:

"You will never know how good you can be until you give art your very best."

"Make peace with yourself."

"What really matters is asking me, what is my focus?"

"Face fear.  Take baby steps.  1 fear at a time."

"Aim HIGH.  Just DO IT"

"Start where you are!"

Amateur:  Dreams of Fame
Pro:          Prepares for Battle

Amateur:   Hides work
Pro:           Shows work, takes risk

Amateur:   "I do it for the love of art, that is all"
Pro:           "I love to paint and be able to make a living at it"

Amateur:   Paints when he/she feels inspired/feels like it.
Pro:           Gets in the studio and paints every day even when he/she doesn't feel like it. It's your JOB

Amateur:   Is shy about art
Pro:           Is confident about art (fake if needed)

Amateur:   Too late, too old excuse
Pro:            Works at it, rewards as he/she works



http://nagualero.com/

Day 7 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge)

Day 7 - 30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge

Cape Blanco Lighthouse, Oregon
#241
5x7
Oil

I took some beautiful photos of this lighthouse on a camping trip a couple of years ago and always wanted to paint it.  It was fun to do for my Day 7 painting.  Lighthouses seem to be my forte, I am relaxed and confident when painting them, maybe because I've already done a few throughout the years in Watercolor and Felted Fiber Art.

"It's not about the subject, it's about the concept."

I have been working temporarily at the job I left last September.   I have been listening to Artists Helping Artists blog talk radio to help pass the hours in front of the computer doing data entry.  The podcast keeps me super inspired and I am learning so much.  This blog talk radio has been an incredible lifesaver and motivator for me and I am so thankful I found it.

I listened to an interview with Nancy Franke yesterday and I woke up thinking about what she said that has been bouncing in my head since yesterday.   "It's not about the subject, it's about the concept". 

I have always trapped myself with frustration as a piece never turns out like the photograph when, in actuality, my art is formed by my soul and the way I am move to add color and strokes.  I still have a long way to go and know that most of it is ends up trying to fix the painting from my careless color blends and overworking but the inspiration of these artists to focus on what art is about is keeps me hungry to learn and improve and enjoy.

https://www.saetastudio.com/artists-helping-artists

http://nancyfranke.com/

 

Day 6 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge)

Day 6- (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge) https://www.saetastudio.com/30-in-30-blog

I am finding only about a scattered hour each evening to work on my daily painting but am happy to keep commiting to this process and keeping in mind that practice will make me better and keep me focused.  I love losing myself into each piece even though I am not usually happy with the end result.   I am finding that I love my small angle brush, medium flat, large bristle filbert and liner the best.

Beached Boat
#271
5x7
Oil

DAY 5 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge)

Day 5- 30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge https://www.saetastudio.com/30-in-30-blog

I loved the photograph my brother has on his FB of an artichoke, I love artichoke blossoms. I did a quick painting for my day 5, working on color and value. I am still struggling with value but feel that I can learn more with each painting I do. This one is my favorite so far. I love the colors.

Day 5- Artichoke Blossom
#212
5x7
Oil

Day 4 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge)

Day 4 - 30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge https://www.saetastudio.com/30-in-30-blog

I missed Day 4 but am using the painting work that I did on my Grandma Winnie on Day 5 for Day 4.

I'll be doing another painting for Day 5.

On Grandma Winnie's painting, I finished her shoes and added black to tires of tricycle. I also added more color to her face. I am heartbroken that this painting got a hole in it awhile back and still need to learn how to fix it....

Day 4- Grandma Winnie
#302
9x12
Oil

Day 3 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge)

Day 3- 30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge https://www.saetastudio.com/30-in-30-blog

Another painting in the dark by propane lantern. Lol. Just trying to keep my commitment and learn something in every painting. This one was my first one I sketched out using burnt umber paint instead of pencil.

"Seal On Rock"
(missing from daily challenge blog...)
5x7
Oil

Day 2 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge)

Day 2- 30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge https://www.saetastudio.com/30-in-30-blog

I had to paint by lantern in out tent trailer at our art show in Winchester Bay this weekend. It was very dark and I was tired after a long day of setting up the booth. I chose a simple coastal theme and played with color.   It's been a rocky start but I am committed to doing this and getting better with my painting. 

Sorry about photo, it was taken in the dark with a lantern.

Day 2- "Purple Sky"
#314
5x7
Oil

Day 1 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge)

DAY 1 (30 in 30 Daily Painting Challenge https://www.saetastudio.com/30-in-30-blog

First night.  Feeling stressed about what to paint and having to get ready for show next day...
I tried three paintings. Tossed them and cried. Washed out my brushes. Took the dog for a walk. And then started again.

This was challenging but I am looking forward to improving my techniques for color and value.
(Sorry about the photo, it was still wet and light reflected on it)

Day 1- This is a picture from our trip through Zion National Park in Utah
# 391
5x7
Oil

Sharing My Process

I have joined a daily painting challenge, 30 in 30! https://www.saetastudio.com/30-in-30-blog
 
This is scary and intimidating but nothing will make my art improve faster than painting every day!
 I'll be doing 5x7 oil paintings for this month's challenge.

I found the hardest part of doing this is picking what to paint for my first painting! Wow! So many things I want to paint!! I'm so new to oil painting as well so I am scared to share my terrible first paintings but I want to grow and learn and commit. 

I will be posting daily on the daily challenge blog and will share on here as well so you can follow me with my progress.