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.

This is a similar painting to another Palm I did in this 30in30 painting challenge. I am participating in a local fundraising activity for Broward Art Guild, of which I am a member. Both of these paintings will be in this 6x6" Fundraising Event. This is an opportunity to purchase one of my pieces at a very affordable price and help support the Guild at the same time. Read about the 6x6" event and how it works. Yes, there is a process to acquiring any of the 6x6" pieces and a lot of fun.

Day 23. 30in30 painting challenge. Since I am posting this a day later, I have definitely slipped behind. Another painting awaits in the wings however and I hope to post it later today, putting me back on track. A week to go of the challenge alongside preparing for delivery of paintings to an exhibit and a Fall Festival this coming Saturday. Printed merchandise featuring my art has also begun to arrive requiring sorting, labeling, and packing for shows.

If you haven't subscribed to my newsletter, and especially if you are local, please do so to keep up with new work and where I will be exhibiting and showing. This fall, I will have original artworks with me as well as printed merchandise, so there is an opportunity for affordable gifts for everyone.

Christmas. My favorite holiday running neck and neck with Halloween. It's still too early in the year for me to talk much about Christmas, even for this post. But the usual descriptors of Christmas come to mind...magical and white.  The play of light on Christmas decorations help create the magic as does the play of light on white snow. I love snow, but since moving south in 1976, I have given it up, even when I have literally chased it by visiting places that were supposed to have snow. Winter in Vermont or Christmas in Montreal, or winter in upstate New York. It seems I was not going to enjoy it anymore, like it didn't exist. I hear people reading this rolling their eyes, as there has been tons of snow in recent years! I've only been able to imagine it.

Day 18. 30in30 painting challenge. What an array of paintings I have to frame. I began laying them out last night, planning the frames. Now that it is day 18 it really does feel like we are going down hill, picking up speed. Now it feels scary that time is running out or moving too fast to accomplish the task. Like a roller coaster, it was a push uphill to day 15, and now we are flying to the finish trying to keep up.

A bit of color fun with this one. Maybe even a slight feel of autumn in the air...as much as South Florida has autumn. Autumn is my favorite season. The light has changed, which I can often detect in August, and I get excited and a bit sad at the same time. It is still an energizing feeling as I prepare for a busy season ahead...not only holiday but my big outdoor show season through April.

Day 16 in the 30in30 painting challenge and I am being challenged to prepare another set of sketches. Deciding on what subjects is the hardest part for me. I'm not only painting for myself, though ultimately that is probably the deciding factor, but I take into consideration what my buying public will be attracted to at the shows. And I never really know. Sometimes, maybe most times, I am surprised. 

This painting isn't even finished. But in the spirit of 30 paintings in 30 days I am posting it now, unfinished. It is actually larger than this but realized as I progressed that I needed to fill the space with the main flower (what flower is this?), and cut out a lot of the other activity around it. So this view is a cropped view as well.

On the business side of my art, I have gotten into two juried outdoor art festivals toward the end of the year. I am really excited about doing them pre-holiday. Many other indoor exhibits are also waiting in the wings and all are posted on my Exhibitions & Festivals page. If you are in South Florida, go check it out.

I've finally experimented painting on Aquaboard. This is a snapshot and I can possibly get a better photo...but not now. This substrate definitely has some tooth. I am ok with that, but as far as taking the picture, it may be very difficult to get a true white background and eliminate the photographic of the texture. This doesn't impact the original but will impact reproducing prints. I am also not an experimenter by nature. Somehow I never want to take the TIME!

Day 13. 30in30 painting challenge. Because I fear I am getting behind, I chose a subject that is easy to paint so that I could 'experiment' with the Aquaboard. I have been doing small paintings on 6x6" paper and mounting them on a wood cradle, wide enough that it can stand or be hung. Unfortunately, the process of mounting and finishing off the paper because it won't be displayed under glass, takes place over the course of several days. I love the end product, just think the process takes too much time. So...this is why I chose to experiment with Aquaboard. I don't know if it will eliminate finishing yet. And now it doesn't stand up since I bought only 1/4" board, so I will have to figure how to have it hang. Oh well, glad I'm in a painters group in which I can explore the next steps. Jury is still out on this.

I like the play of textures, shapes and colors in a bouquet of flowers. I find them much more difficult to paint than wildlife and so I don't paint florals as much as I'd like to. I painted this one small to see whether I would want to paint a larger one. The jury is still out.

Day 9 of 30in30 painting challenge and I am having to step up the pace to keep up. I am working on another larger floral which, as I said, I find more difficult, and so it is putting me behind. I will have to switch to another subject or two to get ahead and work on the floral in between. Some paintings just need time to gestate.