I've done it! Finished the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge. Actually I painted 19 absolutely new paintings and slipped in a few painted earlier in the summer...but who's counting? Feeling very good about it...that it is over, and about my new works. Slowing they are getting framed for the selling and exhibiting season. 

This year I wrote a blog post for each of these paintings and made sure they posted to social media. Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. I hope to continue this good habit at least a few times a week. Now I need to go plan the next series of paintings.

I have been wrestling with this guy for days and he is still unfinished. That is what I get when I use a terrible resource. Since I tend to paint what I see, what I was seeing was terrible. I have since altered it from what I was seeing, but I'm not finished yet. 

I love the ears pointing straight out from the sides, which was why I wanted to paint it. I hope I get to a point of liking it. We shall see. 

Day 26. 30in30 painting challenge. The pressure of a painting a day has caught up with me. My exhibiting life has slowing been taking over, and pushing this daily painting aside. If I wasn't frustrated with this particular painting, my output would probably be different. Just a few more days of commitment to the challenge. 

I have mentioned before that I volunteer on a sea turtle program with the South Florida Audubon Society, rescuing hatchling sea turtles during the nesting and hatchling season. My love of the outdoors, nature and wildlife, coupled with a sense of conservation and purpose, make this a rewarding activity for me.

People LOVE sea turtles! Which make them quite the subject matter of many of my paintings. Living along the coast, it is very evident during much of the season (March - October) the presence of turtles. And as a volunteer with a permit to rescue these little guys, I get to see and save hundreds of hatchlings. 

Day 20. 30in30 painting challenge. Ten more days of painting everyday. Luckily most of my daily schedule has been allowing me to keep up. However, if it hadn't been for my careful planning ahead of time, I would have faltered by now. In the next day or so, I will have to put in extra time to do some more preparation for the last series of painting. I am very please so far and if I stopped now, I'd still give myself a star.

Manatee. I hope it is recognizable as such! My wish was to knock it out and get to the next painting. Didn't happen. And as I write, I am still critiquing it. Once I finish futzing, I have to scan it, which requires that the painting be dry. This means this post will go live later in the morning.

Day 19. 30in30 painting challenge. I keep talking about framing these paintings and not so much recently about getting the next sketches done. The framing feels monumental. While I purchase frames, they don't always come with mats, and so I have to cut the mats myself, especially for any odd sized paintings. I have thus far planned the frames for 15 of the paintings and next step will be to cut mats. My husband is already thrilled with the 6' table gracing our living room covered with paints and frames. He knew what he was getting into...

I love this ram for his horns...of course! I have noticed an affinity for curves, arches, circles in my art. Not all the time, but it has been there. I've painted this guy before and he sold almost immediately. When that happens I tend to want to paint another one, to mitigate the loss! It's not really easier the second time. There is a tendency to want to copy how it was painted before. This one is basically the same, unlike my Rhino No. 2 which was painted quite differently.

Day 12. 30in30 painting challenge. I continue to slip behind. Strategizing how not to have to skip a day...although that isn't the end of the world. This challenge brings up all kinds of challenges which is really a good thing. Great opportunity to learn about ones self, ones painting, and one's art business and promotion. There is much involved in doing art for more than just fun. That is the same with any business but applying it to art may not have been top of mind. As time goes one, one realizes the business of art needs more room in ones life.

 I love wildlife. I used to have a backyard with a pond that attracted creatures that liked the water. Pretty tame wildlife, but I loved it. This goat did not belong to me, but belongs to a woman whose backyard I envy. I love her photos on Instagram of her little band of backyard animals. Goat, pig, goose, chickens, dogs, and I'm sure I've forgotten something. She doesn't know I've painted this and we'll see if she recognizes him.

Day 11 of 30in30 painting challenge. We're heading toward half-way mark, but it'll be a bit of work to get there. I am still working on a painting that is giving me fits. So today I will have to change gears and get something else painted. I'm also running out of my pre-sketches, so will have to decide on other subjects. Lots to do. Off and running...

This summer was my 4th as a volunteer to protect and rescue hatchlings at night on the beach. I'm lucky to live a block from the beach and to spend several hours a couple of nights a week doing something to save these guys. With the recent tropical storm blowing through South Florida, we lost a lot of nests. Last year Hurricane Irma, at the same time of year, washed the nests out as well. Sad to see. But overall, we saved a lot of turtles through the summer.

This painting is one of my current favorites. The piece stands out well even at this small 6x6" size. I actually painted it earlier in the summer but I'm using it for my "cheat" piece for Day 6 of 30in30. 

This piece will make it to my collection of sea turtle ceramic coaster tiles, which have been a big hit at shows.

Why paint a cow!? But who can help it! My source of cows are in Poughkeepsie, NY at Sprout Creek Farm. 

I madly dashed this one out. The first photo I posted of it was a snapshot which has since been updated and is more true in color to the original artwork. I use these final photos to make prints & merchandise available as explained on my website. Large format prints, smaller prints, and merchandise.

I wanted to paint a vertical sea turtle painting and tried this pose. What do you think? When I am at outdoor exhibits, people will say "you like sea turtles" and then they turn around and buy something, either a painting, print, or merchandise. Obviously, I'm not the only one who likes sea turtles. This one, and my collection of sea turtles available can be seen on my sea turtle page. 

I just had to do a giraffe! And he kicks off the 30 paintings in 30 days event. I have been participating in this bi-annual event for several years, and it is always a good way to focus on painting and promoting every day. The daily painting gets uploaded to the website linked above, which links back to my website. It's a hectic schedule, but each time I do it, my preparation is starting further in advance of the start date. 

Interspersed in this month are outdoor shows and indoor exhibits which can be found on my  Exhibitions & Festivals webpage.

​Purchase giraffe.

Photo reference: Gary Jones