30 Paintings in 30 Days

I wasn't sure I could do the 30 Paintings in 30 Days challenge this time.  Last year was very difficult for our family with many challenges including a move.  I am excited to say we have new floors in my studio and I am finally getting it organized and functional.  I tried to just relax and enjoy this month of painting.  Some days I worked on composition, some days on paint application and then I moved into color combinations.  Overall, it was a fun month of exploration and I am excited to begin some larger works.
Thank you, Leslie Saeta for hosting this event!
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Color Explosion

This 30 day challenge I decided to work on color.  Every day I would turn the Hal Reed Analogous color wheel and see which colors I would use.   I would choose a dominant color,  add the analogous colors, the compliment and the discords.  Some of the combinations I liked, some I didn't care for.  The most important thing was I could see the combinations I might want to use for a larger painting.  This one I played with color and texture, transparent and opaque.  It felt like the color exploded on the canvas!
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Moonlight over the Waters

Many of the fisherman nearby go out at night.  It  seems like it would be a lonely job.  I wanted this painting to give that feeling of being isolated from all the activities of the city.
I am working on the play of opaque over transparent colors.
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Lavender and Poppies

I watched a meditation video with lavender and marigolds in it.  I decided to paint the lavender and add poppies instead.   I hope you can feel the gentle wind blowing through the field.
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Silver Waters

There are many springs and rivers in north and central Florida that have crystal clear water.  You can see fish swimming around and the rock formations and caves.  I was thinking of one of my favorite spots when doing this color study.  It is called Silver Springs.
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Red Mountains

Here I am attempting another color palette. This one is mainly red and red purple. I added cobalt to white for the skies.  I like the vibration of the reds and greens.
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Color Shapes

I am still playing with color shapes and values. I like the way the palette knife gives large shapes for the sky.
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Sunset over the Lake

As you can tell by now, I love watching the sun set.  It drops down so quickly and gets huge as it casts a glow over the water.
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Canoes and Clouds

There are so many lakes in central Florida, it is unbelievable!  This is one of the many near our home. We went there to celebrate my birthday last year.  There is a large beach to play on and swim in the water.  You can rent canoes for a ride out in the lake.  We cooked out on the grill. And as is par for Florida in July, it rained while we were there.
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Sun Glow

The sun has a beautiful glow right before it sets.  It looks like a big ball of fire.
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Last Lights

It is always fun to see the last slivers of light go away before the dark takes over.   I am still working with the palette knife and color combinations.
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Color play 2

Today I chose yellow and blue purple with adjacent colors of orange and yellow green. Then I added blue green and red purple. It is really interesting watching how the colors react to what it is placed next to.
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Color play

I am having fun playing with the complimentary colors blue and orange and their discords of yellow green and red purple.  It is amazing how the colors vibrate when placed next to each other.
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Sunset 2

I tried this little study matching the colors to our sunsets. Right as the sun goes down it has this beautiful orange glow.
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Sunset

I am still playing with colors.  I am seeing what colors vibrate next to other colors.  This was a fun palette knife painting.
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Palms

I started this little quick study with a palette knife.  I am not a palette knife painter and it seems extremely hard on this little canvas. I finally resorted to the brush when the canvas was almost covered.  The colors are way off but I could not get them corrected.  The blue is a lighter pale blue...but on I go.
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Early morning

I love the way the sun peeks up over the trees and ignites the fields.  These small studies give you a chance to try out different color combinations.
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Azaleas in January

Azaleas usually bloom in Florida in late February or early March.  I have never seen them bloom in January until this year.  We have several different colored ones at our new place as well as the common pinkish purple one called Formosa.  I had to go out and pick some for this study.
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Azaleas in January

Azaleas usually bloom in late February or early

Hole Number 9

I am continuing to work on value studys of large shapes. This is a golf course near my home.
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Color Study

This is the same composition from yesterday with color added.  I am trying to work out some interesting compositions with large shapes and simple values.
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Value Study

This is a little value study I did using the steelyard composition.  I added a figure in but decided I liked it better without it.  It reminds me of the quiet farmlands near where I grew up.
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Mr Pegleg

I have always been admired the skills of woodcarvers.  I knew from the first time I ever saw this carving that he and I would meet at the easel.  This was a fun little sketch done mostly with a palette knife.  He and I will meet on canvas again. I have some ideas about a larger painting done very loosely. There is a spirit that connects with him...a bit of a rebel!

Fruit study

I am thinking about a larger still life that has fruit and flowers.  I decided to try some color combinations to see if I liked them. I do like the warm colors against the cooler tablecloth. I want to think in terms of shapes and colors more than realism.
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Loosen up

The last three days I have used the same design and focused on different paint application.  Today I used only a palette knife. The challenge of doing this on a small panel is the knife gets caught on the edges of the panel holder and it stops you from following through with your stroke.  Also the tip of my small knife has been damaged and the larger knife was too large for this size panel.  Lessons learned along the way.  I am going into town this afternoon so I guess it calls for a shopping trip!
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Up the Stream

We have many streams and lakes here in mid-Florida.  You never know what you will see.
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Sunny Day on the Water

We are blessed to have sunny days and lots of water here in mid-Florida.  We love to be outside soaking up the rays!
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Bouquet of Roses

I most confess, i was working on a different painting today.  When it didn't work out like I wanted, I just painted this little quick sketch to have something to post. Even this one did not turn out the way I started it...some days that is just the way it goes. Tomorrow is another day!
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Dance of the Iris

I am always drawn to flowers in bloom.  There is something regal and majestic about Irises.  I love the way their petals move in the breeze, as if dancing.  I tried to juxtaposition the thin transparent darks against the thicker opaques to  get the effect of form.
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The Puddle Jumper

This is one of our precious little great grandsons.  He is so much fun to paint because of his very expressive personality.  This particular day we went outside to take the dog out right after it rained.  He was deep in thought as he walked through the puddles, hoping I wouldn't notice.

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Flower Market

I have a confession to make.  This was actually the first painting of the year even though I choose to post it on day 2.  Since I hadn't painted in so long, I decided to watch a painting video to get rolling.  The video was by one of my favorite teachers, Ann Templeton.  I know her spirit was with me as I made this attempt.

Happy New Year!

Welcome to the New Year!  I am so excited to share this year with you from our new (renovated) home on the lake! Last year was extremely busy with the move and many other life issues.   Our family had two losses that will change us forever.  I had very little painting time.  It has been months since I was able to pick up a brush.  So I am full of excitement to settle our life down and start working in my new studio.  I am not sure where this will lead me but I am on my way!  My goal for this challenge is to find the child in me while  improving my skills.  Please come along for the ride!