Tuesday, January 7, 2014

A Long Time Coming - 30 in January 2014

                                                                               Acrylic, 6x6"

I have been dying to show you this painting for months!  I actually started it last January during the 30 in 30.  The original reference photo had some elements I needed to eliminate, which was very difficult for me to do.  I've actually had to consult with a horse expert on this one a couple times.  I really should get her final approval on it, but it will be a few days before I can see her, due to this weather.  But I have to say, unless there's something major-major, I'm quite satisfied with this one and thrilled to call it finished!

I wanted to ask my art blogger friends a few questions--if you're interested in responding, you can answer in a comment here on my blog or in a post on your own blog, if you prefer.  If I know you, I will see your blog post.  If I don't already know you, please let me know if you do a blog post on my questions, so I can be sure to see it.  The questions are:

1) Why are you doing the challenge?  What are you hoping to get out of it?

2) If on any particular day, you feel like your painting isn't going to work out, how do you feel and how do you handle it?

and most importantly...

3)  What do you REALLY want to be painting? 

My answers:

1) I am doing the challenge because I had been out of the studio for a few weeks, due to the holidays and due to needing to get set up at the Woolworth Walk gallery.  The longer I stay away from painting, the harder it is to get back into it.  Even though I love to paint, it is also hard work for me, requiring a certain level of deep concentration that I feel unprepared to give when I let too much time go by.  So, the challenge came at a perfect time for me in that it's the perfect catalyst to recommit to painting regularly.

I'm also doing the challenge because the past two that I did were wonderful in terms of seeing a lot of great art and connecting personally with other artists I enjoy.  I believe I have made some lifelong friends via prior challenges.  Painting is such a solo act, so we all need artist friends!

My third reason for doing the challenge is because we have the opportunity for increased exposure for our work, because we get to post our paintings on Leslie Saeta's blog (Leslie being the artist/art marketer extraordinaire who is our fearless leader for this challenge, and the challenges past).

2)  I have gone into every 30 Paintings in 30 Days challenge knowing that even if every painting I attempted worked out, I still wouldn't be able paint 30, due to my work schedule.  In past challenges, I have often felt really left out when I didn't have a painting to post.  For some reason, during this challenge, I feel much more level about it.  I think I am doing a much better job of caring about process rather than product, i.e. my attitude is more "Today I am going to paint" ("painting" as verb) as opposed to, "Today I am going to create a painting" ("painting" as noun).  I don't know how I improved my outlook, but I am certainly grateful for it.

3)  I will answer the third question in another blog post!  Just cause if you have reached this point, you have had to read a lot from me already today.

Enjoy the challenge!

Here comes the part you will want to skip if you've been here during the past couple days:

One of the the very best things I have ever done for my blog readers was to figure out how to get rid of that "prove you're not a robot" thingy for when readers want to leave a comment.  I would encourage all bloggers to do the same.  The tests to see if someone is a robot are getting smaller and blurrier and harder to pass.  I did find the other day that if you fail about three times in a row, they throw one at you with larger, clearer print.  Yes, you have to REALLY want to leave a comment on someone else's blog to try to prove you're not a robot four times!
 

Bloggers, you can still have good control over the comments on your blog if you enable moderation.  That way, all comments go to your email and you have to approve them prior to their posting on your blog.  So, you use your own brain to decide if someone is a robot or not.  Actually, Blogger does a good job of catching most of the spam comments and not even sending them to your email.
 

Of course, we all have a choice how to handle comments on our own blogs....but I know the feedback I've had from my followers about not having to prove themselves not robots is..."what a relief!" 

Feel free to email me for instructions on how to make this change to your own blog, and Happy Painting!

11 comments:

carol edan said...

Wonderful horse...love all the different shapes coming together like a puzzle... creative coloring!!! You got to post before me.. grand-kids in bed asleep... that't right went to Jerusalem today instead of tomorrow... will answer your questions in an e-mail from my own computer... hate lap tops....

Meredith Adler said...

Thanks, Carol, and I'm going to be looking forward to your answers...

Bill Whitworth said...

Love that kind of "quizzical" look he has with his head slightly tilted. Like he is saying "Why am I getting all this attention??"

Good questions. I will take a shot at answering them, hopefully tomorrow. Exhausted tonight.

Bhavani said...

I love horse paintings and yours is really lovely. My answers to your questions are very similar to yours. 1. I am doing the challenge to paint more, make some artist friends and get more exposure.
2. I take a break and come back to it with fresh eyes.
3. Whatever inspires me at the moment.

Meredith Adler said...

Thanks for your comment and visit Bill, and I look forward to your answers!

Thanks for the compliment, Bhavani, and for answering the questions. Sounds like we are on a similar path with our reasons for doing the challenge. I like the reminder to take a break from a difficult painting, too!

Sharon L. Graves said...

Love the horse painting. I especially love that one eye peeping out from under that beautiful mane and the wat you can see all the way through the barn to the outside.

1 I'm participating in the challenge to also get back in the studio, and to try paintings such as still life which I haven't done many of. I'm also trying to add my fav color or it's complement to my art work.
2. So far I haven't had that happen during this challenge although I have one that isn't signed. Usually though I give it a new coat of under toning and start over. But walking away is also good and work on something else.
3. I really want to be painting what I'm painting only larger.

Meredith Adler said...

Thanks, Sharon, I am glad you like the painting.

Thanks for your answers to the questions, too. I'm really happy to see that you are painting what you want to be painting. I'm curious how large you want to go. I guess I'll email you, since I don't know if you will come back to this comment section...

Annie Jolivet-Vilbois said...

I love the colors you have chosen in your horse painting. The horse and the background complement themselves really well.
As regards the questions:
1) I'm doing the challenge to force myself to paint more, and to try to improve my painting as a whole. I haven't been painting regularly for a long time and need to get back to work seriously.

2) If I'm not happy with my painting, I go out of the studio and do something else, same as Bhavani.

3) I want to paint a large variety of subject, busy scenes and serene and empty ones, landscapes and cityscapes, ...

Meredith Adler said...

Thank you, Annaig, for your very kind comment and for taking the time to answer the questions. I am so happy to have met you here and seen your own lovely work on your blog. Sounds like we have similar reasons for being involved in this challenge. I'm looking forward to seeing your landscapes and cityscapes!

Mimi Torchia Boothby Watercolorsq said...

WONDERFUL post. first of all, thanks for addressing the "prove you're not a robot" thing. I did that on Leslie's blog and she took comments off!!! so I don't know if I upset her, or if there was another reason that she does not have comments turned on any more...
Your horse... it's great. Your anatomy is just fine for the kind of painting you are doing. It's not like it's an anatomical study. It is totally horse, and lovely too.
The questions:
1. i am doing the challenge because it helps keep me painting!
2. If on a particular day, if I don't feel like painting, I paint! but if i absolutely don't have time, I have already painted enough ahead that I have a painting ready for the next 3 days.
3. What do i really want to be painting? Wonderful, moving portraits!


thank you for your questions.
i will keep watching you.

Meredith Adler said...

Mimi, thank you for your very kind compliment on the horse painting and for your thoughtful answers to the questions. It is really helping me to see everyone's answers. Although I can't believe you are three paintings ahead!!

As far as your answer to #3, I would say you already ARE painting wonderful, moving portraits! I scrolled back through your blog till I found some of the portraits and think they are excellent!!

I also want to say I doubt Leslie turned the comments off because of your saying anything about the prove you're not a robot thingy. Maybe she was getting some SPAM on there and needs to figure out what to do about it. I haven't looked at or made a comment on her blog in a couple days, so I hadn't noticed it was missing. I'll have to check it out...

Thanks for Watching, and I'll be watching you, too!

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