Posts Tagged ‘100 Pastel Challenge’
Monday, November 15th, 2010
Well, I’m moving along….slowly……the pastels above are numbers 12, 13, 14 & 15 in my quest to meet the 100 pastel challenge that started on a website (Wet Canvas) last year. The idea was to complete 100 identical (sort of) paintings, changing colors and exploring new choices. It started with a post by a woman who said that legend has it that you really don’t know a medium until you have completed at least 100 paintings using it.
One very good point made during the discussions was that we sometimes get into a rut and reach for the same colors when painting similar subjects. The challenge was to complete the 100 using the same size and design (didn’t have to be a landscape as anything would work) and in a limited time, so you wouldn’t get picky …. just get those new, unfamiliar colors down and move on.
We all started with an line (vine charcoal in most cases) drawing and decided what rules we would follow. I chose 5″ X 7″, with no more than 30 minutes allowed for each painting.
I really haven’t pushed myself to finish, turning to other projects as the muse whispered in my ear. But, hopefully I’ll complete this in 2011…at least that’s my new goal. At which time, I’ll post the entire 100 in a single shot. I’m thinking of eventually making a poster.
Others that were on the pastel forum on Wet Canvas when this started finished long ago and their work is inspiring. I hope you enjoy
Tags: 100 Pastel Challenge, Color, landscape, pastel
Posted in 100 Pastel Challenge, Color, Landscapes, Paintings, Pastels | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, October 19th, 2010
Wow! it’s been awhile since I posted. I didn’t realize how busy this fall was going to be. It seems like every art organization and art magazines have competitions going on. My local guild here in Lakewood will be holding their annual Fall Show this coming weekend. I have 3 pastels that need to be matted and framed tomorrow. I was hoping to get a fourth…perhaps a watercolor….done and turned in Thursday evening, but……………
This weekend is also the annual Art Learning and Product Expo being held in Pasadena. I’ve signed up for a class Friday morning with Brenda Madson and I’m really looking forward to the new products, demonstrations and classes going on through Sunday.
The two paintings above are, of course, for my 100 paintings challenge…..where I’m determined to complete 100 pastels of the same approximate scene and size (5 X 7), but done in 100 different color ways, etc. I’ve even changed some of the background mountains into distant trees just for a kick.
My eventual goal will be a photo of all 100 paintings for a poster……..however, at this rate, I’m not sure if I won’t be having to come down in spirit to finish! Never fear…after this month’s full plate of competitions, I’m going to set a schedule and GET THIS DONE!
Oh, and I just received my first official, written rejection letter from the Californian Art Club’s exhibition in conjunction with the South Pasadena Chamber of Commerce. The “rejected” painting is just below and called “Above the Arroyo”. I am going to frame this for posterity…..it certainly shows I’m trying!
Enjoy!
Tags: 100 Pastel Challenge, Color, landscape, pastel, trees
Posted in 100 Pastel Challenge, Color, Landscapes, Paintings, Pastels | 2 Comments »
Monday, September 20th, 2010
Over a year ago, I decided to join a group of artists on the website, Wet Canvas, and commit to completing 100 pastels of the same scene, same size. Well, I started off with a bang and then, as usual, got side-tracked. I’ve decided to back to the commitment and see if it’s possible for me to do this….after all there are many artists out there that have done it…..not all in pastel, some in watercolor, oil, etc. Anyway, here are the first 8….count ‘em…..8 done as of this evening. You’ve seen 6 of them earlier in the blog, but I’ve decided to shoot then in groups rather than one by one. Enjoy Oh, yes, they are all 5 X 7″ using various soft pastels.
Tags: 100 Pastel Challenge, Color, landscape, pastel, trees
Posted in 100 Pastel Challenge, Color, Landscapes, Paintings, Pastels | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, November 24th, 2009
I’m truly behind in my quest for 3 versions a week for the 100 painting challenge, but still in there! I haven’t decided on any theme for some of them, but who knows how I will feel next week. This one just painted itself with wild and crazy colors! For those new to the site, the size is always 5X7, pastel, 30-minute time limit (although on this one I think I pushed that to 45 minutes).
Enjoy!
Tags: 100 Pastel Challenge, Color, Flowers, landscape, pastel, Sketches, Watercolor
Posted in 100 Pastel Challenge, Color, Flora, Landscapes, Paintings, Pastels | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, November 17th, 2009
This is another type of veriation that I’ll be exploring in the challenge to do 100 paintings. My pastels tend to look soft and, some might say, mushy. But I like the almost water color effect that I get manipulating the pastel. In this case, the largest amount of pastel was applied with individual strokes. Sometimes, pastelists will use a vertical stroke…..I don’t think I’ve ever seen any with purely horizontal! I was so into this picture that I ran over my 30 minute limit and took 45 minutes…..but I think I’ll keep it anyway. Otherwise, it fit the remaining categories of same picture and size (5 X 7) I’ve now completed 5 paintings in my quest for 100. I hope you enjoy this one! Do you think I like color?
Tags: 100 Pastel Challenge, Color, Flowers, landscape, pastel, process study, Sketches
Posted in 100 Pastel Challenge, Color, Flora, Landscapes, Paintings, Pastels, Process Studies | 3 Comments »
Monday, November 16th, 2009
Yes, I’m still playing around with weird color combinations! This Facebook Challenge has been a lot of fun and it’s getting to be more comfortable with different pastels. For those who are reading this for the first time, this is a challenge to complete 100 paintings using the same design, the same size and within a chosed time limit (in my case 30 minutes). There are three more below in the thread that constitute Week One….and this is the first for the Second Week. If you are a Facebook member, you’ll find this in the Events under the name First Annual Autumn Painting Challenge.
I think I enjoyed painting the blue one the other day, but this is weirdly satisfying. I may go back, however to using more colors in a more natural way for awhile. Haven’t decided….maybe tomorrow!
Tags: 100 Pastel Challenge, Color, landscape, pastel, process study
Posted in 100 Pastel Challenge, Color, Landscapes, Paintings, Pastels, Process Studies, Sketches | 2 Comments »
Saturday, November 14th, 2009
Well, I’m definitely having a blast, but it’s a good thing I had a 30 minute time limit or I would still be dinking around with this one! Just as a reminder, I committed to 3 of these a week, 5 X 7 size, done in 30 minutes, with a goal of 100 paintings before celebrating! Any ideas are welcome. Anycolor combos you would like to see?
Tags: 100 Pastel Challenge, Color, landscape, pastel, process study
Posted in 100 Pastel Challenge, Color, Landscapes, Paintings, Pastels | 1 Comment »
Thursday, November 12th, 2009
First, I have to admit what I posted before as a Notan, wasn’t. A Notan shows a division of value, so the picture should show light, medium and dark values. That’s what I get for posting late at night….or maybe that’s what you get! Anyway, the picture below shows the real Notan for the 100 painting challenge. The drawing that I posted before would normally be done after the Notan. Anyway, here it is drawn in the actual 5 X 7 size…..which I may already be regretting. I thought they would go faster, but perhaps my choice of landscape is too detailed for this………never fear! I am ready and willing to meet the challenge!
Now, below you will see two photos. First, is the basic drawing lines when I started and second is what I accomplished in 30 minutes. BOY, DID I LEARN A LESSON TONIGHT!
Many of the artists had been talking about using up small pieces of various pastel papers….which sounded great to me. And then I decided to get VERY brave and start out with black paper. Many pastels are done on black paper and I had a couple small sheets, although now I’m not sure why I saved them because I don’t really enjoy working on black. BUT the biggest surprise of all was learning that it wasn’t in fact pastel paper!
So, the 30 minutes were spent smushing pastel into this slick surface and covering up the black while trying to make the painting resemble in some way the landscape I had decided to use. Consequently, there is very little detail in the painting. I could have stopped at any time and moved to the proper paper, but I admit I’m stubborn and decided since the clock was ticking, I would do the best I could.
Who knows? They may all turn out this way…..but, I hope not.
In each of the following 99 paintings, I will be shifting values, color combinations, etc., with the aim of learning what happens when you break the rules and just go for it. (Seems like I already know how to do that, doesn’t it?)
Here are the sketch and Painting #1 (despite paragraphs above, IT WAS FUN!!!!)
Tags: 100 Pastel Challenge, Color, landscape, pastel, Sketches
Posted in 100 Pastel Challenge, Color, Landscapes, Paintings, Pastels, Process Studies, Sketches | 2 Comments »
