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 painted this subject twice before with a different assortment of chickens. They are so fun to paint with their plumb bodies and different colored feathers. Not to mention their facial expressions! Each painting was larger and now this one is larger still. Another aspect of my job is deciding what size to paint. I don't have hard facts to help me with this, so I looked at what I've been painting lately and wanted a larger painting in the mix.

Day 30. 30 paintings in 30 days*. This is the FINAL day. I must say YAY! Suddenly it is over and yet the journey uphill seemed quite daunting. I missed several days this week...but doesn't this painting count as 3??? I am very pleased with what I have turned out and will have a nice array of new paintings for the season. Two or three paintings from the batch are still unfinished, but all in all quite a feat.

*30 paintings in 30 days (also known as 30 in 30) is just that. A painting a day for 30 days. 

Another of my 6x6" watercolors. I paint small often partly to test out a subject. Then, there are times when I think a painting would work as a larger piece and I will paint it large. I love these small paintings gracing my condo. They stand so easily anywhere on the furniture. They can also be hung, but that is not how I use them. Because I do shows they are often hung at those venues. And they are so easy for me to pack and transport. However, these days, I have many larger paintings than 6x6".

Day 21. 30in30 painting challenge. Actually this painting is a cheat. I painted it right after the February challenge, so it didn't get into that challenge and I have not finished my latest painting for today. So I thought I'd post this one instead. I think he'll stand out in the crowd!

I fell in love with the colors of the reference I used for this painting which I feel I captured. Such delicate creatures! I have painted several other hummingbirds in the past and hope to do more.

Day 17. 30in30 painting challenge. I wonder if the challenge is getting the better of me. I may be coming down with something, my headache a possible indicator. My husband was hit bad this weekend, and while I rarely catch anyone else's 'cold,' I'll admit I am feeling less energetic.

Much on my mind is all I need to do to prepare for upcoming shows.  Today I pulled out a table and set up all these new paintings and sample frames so that I can start making decisions on what frames I need. My framing department, my husband, will have his hands full real soon!

This is Atila. I don't often have a personal name for my paintings, but the rescuers of this bird @falconry_crarsi on Instagram have named it. I think it is a perfect name for this South American eagle. It is sometimes called Isidor's Eagle derived from the Latin. The power of eagles so shines through in the expression on their faces. Birds of prey all have that 'look'.

Day 15. 30in30 painting challenge. We are now at midpoint! Part of my personal goals for my paintings during this challenge was to make sure I painted in various sizes. This painting is 12x12 and will be framed 20x20" (or maybe more).  Because I sketched weeks ahead of time, it has made it easier for me to select a painting for the day. Otherwise, I wear myself out trying to choose something and then have to go through the whole process in one day. Personally, doing all that in one day is often too much for me, especially for larger sizes. That is why during other challenges I've stayed quite small. I will have to start sketching again real soon...I'm running out.

How about them feet with the competing beak! It's Day 8 of the 30in30 painting challenge.

I have a watercolor collection of Hawaiian Birds which I began painting some years ago now, specifically to apply images of the paintings to merchandise to be sold in the gift shop of the Hawaiian Wildlife Center on the Big Island of Hawaii. They don't know about this new painting yet and that they will be getting fresh inventory of this little booby soon.

My sister lived in Hawaii for many years and I got to know people through her and the work we did together in her business. Vicariously, some of Hawaii has rubbed off on me. And I am thrilled to do these paintings for their cause.

A portion of the sales proceeds goes to the center.

Birds of prey, raptors, falconry, all of which I believe hawks, eagles, owls, and more (?) are referred to. Such powerful looking birds, even fierce sometimes. Can't help but want to paint their intense face and varyingly patterned and colorful plumage.

Instagram can truly open doors to other worlds. I was totally captivated by the photos from a Rehab Center for Birds of Prey in Columbia. Wonderful work this environmental conservation organization is doing to rescue raptors.

For this painting, as in many of mine, I decided to focus on the head. This bird, having a very long neck, I prefer close up and personal.

Another photographer, Nancy Freeman, has spectacular photos on a regular (daily) basis. I cannot fathom the patience to capture the shots she gets. As someone commented on Facebook, she (me too) doesn't even SEE the birds that Nancy sees and we visit the same habitats! Birds in front of us, but the shots she gets...wow! And such dedication.

​Already day 3 of 30in30 and I've managed to keep up. Ha!

This is one of those cases. Only a mother could love. But I hear all those 'ooohhhs', 'ahhhs', and 'how cutes' out there, so maybe it isn't true. 

A friend, photographer and author, whom I met years ago through my long-standing 'day job', Melanie Votaw, kindly lets me use her photos as reference. Most of my paintings, and maybe all of them, are painted from photos, and it is through the generosity of the photographers that have gobs of resource material.

Even having so many resources, it is only when the mood strikes that I can decide to paint from one of them. I'd say that is the hardest part of painting for me...What to paint next! To get around this for the 30in30 challenge, I created a folder, not only of favorites, but a folder 'PAINT NOW'. This means that I committed a sketch to paper and and the painting is queued up.

In the past I  painted another albatross painting as I find them captivating.
​

For such small birds, hummingbirds are truly elaborate and their colors are fascinating to paint. 

Lots of activity this week with acceptance into 2 exhibits, one, ArtBravo, going on now until February 23. The other is in March and I will publish that one soon to this blog.

With the 30in30 challenge breathing down my neck, I seem to have writers block. Must get back to painting.