FIRST ANNIVERSARY CHALLENGE : CHALLENGE # 13 - A & B - October 19, 2011 – November 22, 2011

holland2 wrote

on 19 Oct 2011 6:03 PM

Welcome to  ALL MEDIA PHOTO CHALLENGE #13 A & B

                       FIRST ANNIVERSARY CHALLENGE

Hi all – Can you believe we have been participating here on Artist Daily for a WHOLE YEAR? 

I am designating “CHALLENGE A” below as our official FIRST ANNIVERSARY CHALLENGE.  There are two photos of the same subject – just a little different angles and view – use them both or use either or any elements of either and create a CELEBRATION!  Hopefully, this will be fun and get our creative juices flowing at high speed!

“CHALLENGE B” includes our “regular” challenge photos -

Challenge:   Create artwork based on any or all of these photos and themes. Use any medium and any style. Stick to the photo(s) exactly or just use them as a starting point - feel free to change colors, composition, add or subtract elements or take a complete departure.   In other words, HAVE FUN and keep painting!

Target Posting Date:   - October 18, 2011 – November 22, 2011

BE SURE TO POST YOUR WORK HERE IN THIS THREAD SO OUR CHALLENGES WON'T GET CONFUSED WITH EACH OTHER.

Another posting note:  When you post your painting, be sure to “sign” your post with the name that you wish for participants to use when replying to your post.  We are gaining new participants all the time and it is sometimes difficult to remember who posted what.  An alternative would be to create a “signature line” that will automatically appear on each one of your posts.  (If anyone needs instructions on how to do that, let me know and I will send instructions to you.)

 (To submit photos for these challenges, please start a "conversation" with me here on this forum and attach your photo or photos.)

Happy Painting!

Challenge “A” – First Anniversary Challenge Photos:

(Sandi) “sandichot” submitted these two photos a long time ago – I really like them both and they both show things a little differently.  I had a really hard time finding the cat in the first one – but it’s there (almost dead center in the lower third).  I can see just a whole wealth of different crops and focal points in both of these.  Have fun and Let’s Celebrate!

Photo #1:

 Photo #2:

Challenge “B” Photos:

1.  Monthly Theme:  “What are you thankful for?”  Fish in the sea, birds in the sky, sunshine, new grandbabies, family, friends, our Military support, - - the list is endless.  Make a painting (or paintings – you are not ever limited to just one) that represents the thing or things you are thankful for and maybe even tell us why.  I’ll just bet we will all rejoice in Thanksgiving with you.

2.  Country-side Church in Spain – Photo submitted by sandichot (Sandi) .

3.  Dahlia Dazzle Floral –public domain photos.

4.  Pumpkin Still Life – public domain photos.

5.  Santa – Photo submitted by A Gal Named Sam (Sammy).  Note:  Sandi specifically requested some portrait work.  I know several of you are doing portrait studies so this just seemed perfect to me – in keeping with our upcoming Christmas Theme and portrait work at the same time! 

Have fun and HAPPY PAINTING!

A Gal Named Sam wrote

on 19 Oct 2011 6:19 PM

Holly, you outdid yourself this time.  These are fantastic photos .  The flowering vine covered house is most interesting.  I love the green door with the orange flowers.  Great shot of the kitty.  The photograph of the country church in Spain is a very god composition with the focal point in a sweet spot and an interesting array of buildings.  Those who like to do perspective should enjoy this one.  What a beautiful dahlia with gorgeous colors - my favorite colors.  Pumpkin still life is great.  I like everything about it - the colors, the arrangement, the cinnamon sticks and dried leaves, the dark bg.  That should be fun.  And Santa resting after a difficult night's work.  What's not to like.

Thank you for doing this, Holly.  I'm looking forward to seeing the creations.

csebeling wrote

on 20 Oct 2011 3:57 PM

Here comes Santa Claus!

holland2 wrote

on 20 Oct 2011 4:46 PM

YAY, Cindy!   What a great painting!  How big is it?  More Christmas cards for your stash!  Congrats on being first to post and with such a fantasitc rendition - you've set the bar high for the rest of us.

csebeling wrote

on 20 Oct 2011 5:35 PM

Thanks, Holly! It's the 4x6 postcard WC, like the others. I have 4 Christmas Cards now. I just have to figure out how to print them on an avery template. I'm still a little technically challenged.

A Gal Named Sam wrote

on 20 Oct 2011 6:34 PM

Cindy, great Santa.  This is a super painting.  You even did the printed wallpaper bg.  You now have four wonderful cards.  Too bad that we didn't start with the Christmas theme in January!!!.  I'm going to do him, too.  I was thinking of batik but I've never mixed skin tones in watercolor.  I may give it a try though or else soft pastels or maybe colored pencil.  I better make up my mind soon.  Congratulations on doing such a good painting so quickly and for being the first to post this month.

csebeling wrote

on 21 Oct 2011 1:36 PM

Thank you Sammy. I can't wait to see yours! Whatever you decide, I'm sure it will be awesome. I have military duty all week next week so I wanted to get a jump. I think I may try the pumpkin scene in pastels. 

holland2 wrote

on 21 Oct 2011 2:35 PM

Thank you, Cindy, for your service to our great USA!  (With Veteran's Day coming up - that's a great idea for the "What are you thankful for?" monthly theme this month!) 

Can't wait to see your pumpkin!  I have some ideas about the First Anniversary Challenge - now if I can just put them together - - that will certainly be an issue for me!

sandichot wrote

on 23 Oct 2011 3:27 PM

Hi All: Here is my rendition of Challenge A&B combined. I called this one "House of Flowers". It was very challenging because there are so much of the variety to cover. I messed up on the papaya tree and later I realized that there are more than one tree in the photo. And the house has so many perspective that I had to change it many times. Thanks for the Atelier interactive which I am starting to appreciate. I had to resort to using the unblocking formula not for mixing but to bleach out my mistakes and started over again.

My camera show the green door as blue and the cat color is darker tan (brown) than the real painting. I can't seem to adjust and manipulate the colors to come close to the painting. Only one thing that's is close is the strong orange of the flowers. I really enjoyed slapping my brush into the paper. It's a stress reliever. LOL

Atelier Interactive Acrylic on Gessoed watercolor paper 300 lbs.

Size is 11"X15"

csebeling wrote

on 23 Oct 2011 5:05 PM

Nice Sandi- I don't have a clue as to what interactive and unblocking are, but I think the painting is classy! It looks like a place to live where nature is truly a part of the architecture, and architecture embraces nature! Very Chic!

sandichot wrote

on 23 Oct 2011 6:18 PM

Thanks so much Cindy- Interactive is the new Acrylic that just came out on the market. It has characteristic of watercolor in that it can be rewet and remix and you can use the unblocking formula to apply and blend in another colors right on the paper. That is my layman explanation.

I so love your Santa with his eyeglasses. He looks so realistic relaxing after his hard work. You did a really good job handling WC so well.

A Gal Named Sam wrote

on 23 Oct 2011 6:22 PM

Sandi, the colors of this flower house are exciting.  The orange and blue/green really grab one's attention.  You were wise to put the cat in the more dominate location and I like the stripes on the awning which are not very perceptible in the photo.  The light on the driveway leads the eye into the painting.  You did a good job with this and I think that the papaya tree would not be easy to paint.

I was told that you can use rubbing alcohol in place of the unlocking fluid when you need to get the dried paint back to liquid.

holland2 wrote

on 24 Oct 2011 4:52 AM

Sandi - Loving your "Guard Cat"!  You got just lots more detail in this one than I think I can achieve, but I'm going to give it a go sometime before the month is out. 

Hm-m-m - Sammy - thanks for the tip about the rubbing alcohol in place of the unlocking fluid with the interactive acrylics.  That certainly cuts the expense a lot!

sandichot wrote

on 24 Oct 2011 8:18 AM

Thanks Holly. I think I got too much details, not just representative of my idea. Got that from painting miniature. I have a hard time painting loose that packs with my own creative juice (if I have any) .

Sammy- Come to think of it, the unlocking formula does smell like alcohol. Now I know where to get the cheap stuff, Thanks.

Jen- Where are you? You have been gone too long and we miss your wisecrack comments. OOPs I mean wise and witty comments.LOL

A Gal Named Sam wrote

on 26 Oct 2011 1:09 PM

Well, here it is, the portrait of a good, old friend of mine.  This is mostly pan pastels with a little bit of soft pastels and pastel pencils.  It's 10" x 7' on gessoed mat board   I tried to paint him red and ruddy but this image is more red than the original.  After photographing it, I noticed where it needs to be tweaked a little bit.  There needs to be more shadow under the fur of the hat and the glasses look too white.  I'll go and tweak it right now.

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