Recently a friend posted some lovely photographs of her recent paintings on Facebook...one after the other. One more beautiful than the next. It seems that she had been nominated (for lack of a better word) to a painting a day challenge for 5 days. She fulfilled the challenge beautifully. Low and behold, I was nominated to also participate in the challenge as well.
But what to do? Part of my slump has been the fact that I attempted to challenge myself in the fall to small paintings daily but I was doing still life paintings in oil. It took me a bit of reflection to realize that I don't like painting still lifes. It does not excite me and I am not particularly good at it. I would much rather paint faces or people! Epiphany! I should be painting what I love to paint!!! Another epiphany occurred when I considered that since I am newer to oil painting I am still getting stuck in the development of technique. I have been painting with pastel for years and it is easier for me to handle, so to start my creative juices flowing again, maybe I should pick up the pastels and dive in!
In Carol Marine fashion, I cut up some 6x6 squares and also some 5x7 rectangles of pastel paper to have at the ready. I also combed through my photo archives of people near and dear to me to paint their faces. Today, I couldn't help but begin with my brother Ric. The photograph I used was when he and I were in Wisconsin for a Plein Air workshop in July. We had such fun and someone caught him laughing his hearty, exuberant laugh. I just love the picture!!! So for better or worse, dear Ric,
I have interpreted your laugh in pastel! That is my arm on your shoulder. I smiled all day as I worked on it. It could definitely be better, but for my first day on the challenge, I am fairly pleased.
I figure this will be a good practice to do during Lent. If I can devote 2 hours a day at least 5 days a week (or 5 paintings a week in what ever way I can) I will be disciplining myself to better use the gifts I have been given ! It is not plein air - put with 7 feet of snow out there, this is the next best thing!