20 Hour Challenge

Lori Woodward wrote

on 12 Jun 2009 6:19 AM

It's Friday!
by on 6/12/2009 8:14:57 AM

You know what that means? 

It's time to brag about our time in the studio this week.

Haven't really been tracking my time this week - but have been getting tons done. I'm definitely over 20 hours. Being away from other responsibilities helps me to focus on writing and painting (and eating out)
I've had a great week in Acadia National Park... although it's been raining most every day, I managed to get outdoors for 2 days, and painted indoors yesterday - will do so again today (it's pouring out). Tomorrow is supposed to be only partly cloudy.

When outdoors, I like to do watercolor studies for larger paintings I'll do back in the comfort of my studio. Here are a couple of studies:

View of Cadillac and Dorr Mtns from Otter Creek. Frederick Edwin Church painted this scene in the 19th century.

Study from Duck Pond Acadia National Park.

Hope everyone's had a happy and productive week! Painting every day keeps me sharp and constantly improving.

Sincerely,
Lori

Joanne Giesbrecht wrote

on 12 Jun 2009 1:11 PM

Definitely worked hard to get just over 30 hours in this week, more or less to make up for next week when I am away from home and unable to paint. I will be able to take photos though, and hopefully ones that will develop into future paintings. Here is one of the paintings I did this week...  

Lori Woodward wrote

on 12 Jun 2009 2:53 PM

Really great apple - putting red and green on an apple isn't easy. Love the light in the leaf too.

j.b2 wrote

on 13 Jun 2009 1:32 PM

So far this week which started off well went down hill fast.

Sunday saw me drawing for 3 hours. Then I spent 4 hours re-building my easel. I added a place to set my pallet and a clamping attachment so the Masonite that holds the canvas is now held slightly over straight up and down. No more surfaces that lean back.

Monday I spent 2 hours working on a painting of an oriental tea set. As it's almost finished I post a photo when it's done.

Wednesday I started a 2nd painting in the apples & cloth series. I ran out of daylight after 2 hours, so I'll pick that back up this weekend or next week.

Somewhere in there I prepped a bunch of canvas to take with me up north.

Today I was given a scanner and hoped to have it going about an hour ago. Looks like it's missing 2 cables. So no drawings to post yet.

Everybody's work looks good! When I paint red apples that have green on them I lay down the yellow 1st. Then let it set up a little while I work on another part of the painting. When I add the red I start with the shadow area and pull the paint thinner over the area of the local color. It seems to work.

By next week I may have some photos to share!!!

Robin11 wrote

on 14 Jun 2009 9:46 AM

Oh, I didn't see this thread.  I did well last week, am doing well so far this week, this is an awesome motivator for me.  That and the fact that I want to leave my day job.

Robin11 wrote

on 15 Jun 2009 6:33 PM

Have 5 hours logged so far this week.  half woodcut print carving, half colored pencil horse portrait.

Next!!!????

j.b2 wrote

on 21 Jun 2009 2:51 PM

For the week of June 14th - 20th:

Sunday: 3 hours of life drawing, 30 minutes of life painting, then 3 hours of plein air painting.

Wednesday: 7 hours of painting of 2 studies.

The rest of the week I was getting things ready for the trip up north. And I'm still getting things ready. I hope to get some painting done during that time...

Lori Woodward wrote

on 21 Jun 2009 6:08 PM

Hey that all sounds great! I didn't keep track this week because I've been running around Acadia NP painting, and then writing on the rainy days (which there were a bunch). I suppose I've reached 20 hours - part of that time was spent helping a couple of artists learn the ropes of network marketing. One of them is Steven Hileman - love his work. Also met with the owner of Arogsy Gallery - she will add me as a guest artist for a summer.

JB, sounds like you had a good work week - Wednesday sounds like a super day -- packing is something we artists do often... will be packing first thing in the morning.

Talk to you after I unpack later this week.

Robin11 wrote

on 23 Jun 2009 3:42 PM

Ugh, sick and then sick again last week.  I don't remember ever getting back to back sick, just little crappy stuff but it did cramp my art work week.

Off to a good start considering today's the first day I got off the couch in the last 5.  2.5 hours last niight.

Lori Woodward wrote

on 24 Jun 2009 10:42 AM

Getting a late start this week... packed on Monday, traveled on Tuesday and took friend to airport today. Acadia was beautiful as it always is, and now my mind is primed to begin a series of painting. I also picked up some new opportunties and met some incredible artists. Painted out with Steven Hileman one day. Love his work. http://www.stevenhileman.com/

So, I'll have to make up for lost time this week, but I'm so excited about beginning a new series of paintings that it won't take much coaxing. I paint slowly, but will post as I get stuff done.

There are so many scenes at Acadia that it'll be difficult to choose which one to paint first. I did watercolor studies en plein aire and will use those along with photos to recompose for larger paintings.

I'm back, but you won't hear from me too often coz I gotta get to the studio!

Lori

valeriemalley wrote

on 24 Jun 2009 1:02 PM

Thanks for sharing Steve Hileman's site.  Enjoyed looking at his work.  I can see why you love it.  Welcome back.

Robin11 wrote

on 26 Jun 2009 4:08 PM

Show and tell Friday, I'll just tell.  I only got about 5 hours of work this week. Booo!!

j.b2 wrote

on 5 Jul 2009 7:16 PM

This last week I was in Canada, way up near Timmonds at Kenogaming Lake Lodge. I took my easel and canvas but was only able to paint on the return trip through the UP. It was raining off and on the whole trip until the last 3 days. So after the rain and inbetween the daily sinus headaches I did get to paint once. The good thing is that I had no migraines!

The 4th of July I walked 1.5 miles into the Au Sable lighthouse and painted the lighthouse for 6 hours. The kind lady ranger liked it along with the couple that is staying there for the month. I'm not so sure if I like it. As I was getting ready to pack out a young man asked about buying the painting as he liked it & he told me that his great grand father was one of the keepers of the light house when it was in service. I gave him the info on how to get a hold of me and hiked out..

When I drive long distances I think about what I need to do to improve my paintings by going over the weak areas in the last one. I had a lot of time to think & now I look forward to applying what I thought about to the next painting!!!

Robin11 wrote

on 6 Jul 2009 4:43 AM

JB, isn't it amazing how much THINKING you have to do?  I don't think non artists get that.  Do you sometimes get your solutions to problems in the middle of the night? 

j.b2 wrote

on 6 Jul 2009 5:18 PM

Most non-artists think that it's all play time, and no brain time. Slap on the paint and hope you get something. It's more like brewing beer, 100's of little things to remember that have to be right for that situation and vary everytime you practice the art, be it painting or brewing!

Most of my ideas spring to life when I'm doing very repetive work. Some of my best ideas for a painting happen when I'm running PCR. And solutions to painting problems happen when I'm driving. Then I have to depend on the old brain to remember them..

The middle of the night is reserved for remembering what I forgot to turn off, put away or order. The "Oh Crap" moment!!!