Day 25 - Artist Chick

 One reason I've done so many daily painting challenges (this is my 13th!) is because I love the new ideas that come by pushing the creative flow.. To come up with new ideas every day, there is a degree of letting go you have to do.. letting go of censoring, letting go of control.  This little idea came yesterday and while it is so simple, the imagery and story are striking to me.

another point of interest, I had no blue or green on my palette for this painting.. Its probably obvious, but it was fun painting with what is known as an analogous color scheme, meaning all of the colors are next to each other on the color wheel (yellow, orange and red)

Oh, and how do you like the funky red saddle shoes?  (I love them...)

Last bit of commentary - by day 24, I am feeling the fatigue.. designing, painting and posting every day is a challenge for sure.  The posting in particular is hard for me, but also, I know, vital. Vital to get my art out there, and vital for myself, and others who care to come here and read my blab, to get a deeper insight into why I do what I do. I am so thankful to everyone who follows along with these challenges I do and of course for all of the kind comments and likes my paintings glean.  ♥  So today, this painting celebrates the challenges and rewards of being an artist chick :) Thank you for reading ♥

"Artist Chick", oil, 8"x8", click here for purchasing details

Day 21 - Hamming it Up

 Its day 21 and today's painting features a fuzzy syrian hamster, hamming it up :) 

Now, I'm not a rodent aficionado, but from what I have seen, I think syrian, long-haired hamsters are some of the stinking cutest little dudes on the planet.. their little faces look like tiny teddy bears and their fuzzy bodies almost don't look real.. 

Beware though!  They may only be cute from a distance..  After I painted this guy, my daughter was admiring the paintings, but then went on to remind me of different long-haired hamsters she has known over the years, and she reminded me that they did not have particularly sweet temperaments!  Years ago, she worked in a pet store that sold different breeds of hamsters and she relayed the story that every time she would walk by their tanks, they would, well, stand up and hiss at her!  She wasn't terribly fond of handling them, as you'd expect.  And, I believe it was in 3rd or 4th grade, her class had a class pet.. and it was a long-haired hamster. Each student had the opportunity to take it home for a week to care for it, and when Meilea brought him home, he bit her. 

Oh well.. I still think they are stinking cute, even if they have a stinker of a personality :) And I promise, this guy won't bite you! :)

"Hamming It Up", oil, 8"x8", click here to purchase

Day 19 - Seeing Clearly

Todays painting is tentatively titled "I can see clearly Now"... there are so many odd things going on in this painting, I was having trouble landing on the meaning...Plus I'm a little under the weather so also having trouble coming up with words!   Here goes.. We have a Llama, of course, and the rainbow in the background.. the Llama is wearing the funky 80's, square engineering glasses and, what is the leaf doing on his head?  I don't know!  Sometimes when I design images, I'll have ideas fly through my head and I put them together not necessarily knowing why or where the ideas came from.. and this is one of them.. the best I can do is say that I do have a rainbow theme going in some of my paintings this month and I wanted to explore that a bit more.. plus, as I've said many times, I love making images that make people smile, so I hope this one does that. :)

And thinking about it, its quite ironic that I chose the temporary title "Seeing Clearly" when it is clear I am seeing anything but clearly about this one!

"Seeing Clearly", oil, 10"x10", purchasing details can be found here

Day 14 - Roller Skating Rainbow Rabbit

 Good day and a happy Saturday to you :)  

I've only roller skated a handful of times in my life, but I do remember liking it quite a bit when I did. Haven't done it in years.. and while I don't seek it out on social media, Roller Skating (with a capital R) comes up in my feed sometimes, reminding me that the sport is still alive and well in some areas of the country..  

Gliding around on wheels attached to your feet is just a little bit like flying.. and that is what I imagine this bunny is feeling as he glides around the roller rink, blissfully breezing through the moment...

Continuing on with the rainbow theme.. I dunno.. it keeps drawing me back in with it's happy vibes and infinite design possibilities. And I know, this one is a lot more illustrative in nature. If I'm brave enough, I may keep exploring this direction :)

Roller Skating Rainbow Rabbit, oil, 10"x10", purchasing details can be found here

Day 8 of the January 2023, 30 in 30 - Its Never Just Black and White

 ...a sentiment I, more often than not, believe... there are so many shades of gray in most situations in life, things are rarely just Black and White.. and if you look, you will see my largely black and white painting has a shade of celadon in the lip of the bowl and a smidge of red too :) If you have read a few of my previous posts, you remember my musings about rainbows.. So this painting is in response to those paintings and here is the enjoyable reason why...

If you mix all of the wavelengths of the electro magnetic spectrum together, combined they make White Light.

and.. 

when dealing with pigment and paint, for example, all of the colors of paint mixed together gives you Black..

 

Its Never Just Black and White, oil, 9"x12", click here for purchasing details

I found this explanation on a Reddit and think it describes the phenomenon pretty well:

Light is additive color and paint is subtractive. When you paint something green, you're not exactly "putting green" on the object but instead putting a substance that reflects only green and absorbs the other colors. Thus, our eyes see the object as green. If you mix all the colors of paint together you get black because you've created a substance that subtracts (absorbs) all the colors and to us, an absence of light is seen as black. With light, you're combining colors and not removing them. That's why when you mix all additive colors
it's perceived by our eyes as white. So if you think about it, white light is the most colorful color.

Day 6 - Bun Bow

 What can I say about this one?  I know the background in this isn't a traditional rainbow, but it is still a bow... and somehow I've now included rainbow-esque designs in 3 of my challenge paintings, and hope to do a few more.. So, as you'd expect, I've been thinking about rainbows, and I'm wondering why they are popping up in my paintings..  Here's a theory...  rainbows comprise all of the wave lengths of the electromagnetic spectrum that make up Light... In the northern hemisphere, we are currently in the dark part of the year, and, I know quite a few people who don't fare too well during the dark months... lack of light is known to affect mood.. I feel for those folks who get sad in the Winter due to lack of light.. And who knows.. I'm probably affected too, to a degree.  So, I'm thinking that rainbows are showing up in my work lately in an effort to bring a little light to the situation... a few more wavelengths.. 

And really, who doesn't love rainbows?  Every time it rains.. and then the sun comes out, even when it is still sprinkling just a bit.. I'm running outside to see if there's a rainbow.. It's a special thing to see one, really kind of magical.. So, maybe this is the start of a new series.. my magical rainbow paintings:)

Can't not mention the bunny in chucks with her ladybug companion.. I couldn't help myself. They're just too cute.. Painting this fluffy little bun, well.. she was just plain fun. 

All together, I hope this one makes you smile big and brings a little light to your day. :) 

BunBow, oil, 10"x10", Click here for purchasing details

Day 7 - Fool in the Rain

Indian runners are one of my favorite ducks to paint. They are charming and so full of personality, plus they just seem like they should be wearing gumshoes and toting around umbrellas.. :)  

The title was inspired by one of my favorite Led Zepplin songs.. Fool in the Rain. I have always been taken by the story and the underlying message.. it is about a guy who is supposed to meet a woman on a certain corner. When the woman doesn't show up, he thinks he's been stood up. It turns out he was just standing on the WRONG corner, and is now a "fool in the rain." The last verse has him sprinting to try to get to the woman before she thinks he stood her up...

I think we've all believed the worst of a situation, only to find out that we were mistaken in some way, or just didn't have all of the facts.. Its a good reminder to make sure to pay attention, reserve judgement and make sure you know all the facts before coming to a conclusion. :)

Fool in the Rain, oil on panel, 8"x8", click here to purchase

Day 3 - Sunshine, Lollypops and Rainbows

Today's painting is titled "Sunshine, Lollypops and Rainbows" and she was inspired by the many little ducklings wearing shoes that I have painted before.  But more than that, I am currently reminded of my childhood.  

I remember as a kid, whenever I had to go to the doctor there would inevitably be a lollypop (or if it was the dentist, a little rubber animal!)  at the end of the visit… we all looked forward to that little lollypop, and in fact, to me, it was the most important part of the visit! Those were the good ol’ days and, I think it’s safe to say, we aren’t in lollypop land anymore... 

I have doctors on my mind because I've recently been to the doctors quite a bit myself, and, over the past few days had my son to several doctors as well.. and while there are no lollypops to help sweeten things after a shot or when you are feeling sick, I've found that most of the nurses and doctors are sweet enough to make up for things.  In this time of heightened medical awareness, this little duckling with her cheerful spiral lolly is for all the nurses, doctors and other medical staff who are doing their best to brighten your day, even while they are seeing patient after sick patient themselves, and even if they can't give us lollypops anymore..  Thank you for all you do!

This gal is for sale on my daily paintworks site. For purchasing info, please click the link below.

"Sunshine, Lollypops and Rainbows", oil on panel, 8"x8", click here to purchase

Day 1 - A New Year (Chinese that is..) and a New Challenge!

Today is the beginning of the Lunar New Year and we are marking the first day of the year of the Tiger! A holiday celebrated by over 2 billion (!) people around the world, traditionally the animal is paired with one of 5 elements- fire, water, earth, wood or metal - 2022 is a water year, so this is the year of the Water Tiger. 

I painted today's painting especially to celebrate the start of the Lunar year. While I am not Chinese, and am far from an expert on the traditions surrounding the Lunar year, the symbolism of the animals and the elements are fascinating and, if nothing else, are fun to explore and think about. So, according to a brief search on the net, the tiger is considered the King of all beasts in Chinese mythology.  While not everyone agrees on what the year of the tiger means for individuals, most agree that the tiger symbolizes power and courage, confidence and strength.  They are associated with good luck, bravery and good health and consequently, the year of the tiger will be a year that will bring about new changes and encourage people to overcome all challenges and difficulties. (referenced from this article)

  The tiger in this painting is drinking a big cup of soothing tea (to symbolize the water) and is staring out at the viewer, rapt with attention. She is ready for a new year, perhaps a new beginning, and is paying attention for opportunities to arise so she can pounce when needed.  

"Tea is for Tiger", oil on panel, 10"x10", 

Click here for purchasing details