COUNTING COUNTS!

Diane Mannion, VENICE DOORWAY #1, oil, 8x10"

Diane Mannion, VENICE DOORWAY #2, oil on canvas, 8x6"

COUNTING COUNTS!  My first two paintings for 2012.  

My total since starting this blog in 2008 is 548 paintings!  Wish I had counted the ones painted before.  Counting my work and keeping an archive was first inspired by my artist friend, Mary Erickson when I visited her place in NC in 2008.  I was also motivated by the Daily Painting movement online.  Just a few of my favorites: Duane Keiser, Stephen Magsig, Carol Marine, and the magnificent... Julian Merrow-Smith.  Please Google these artists and check out their work!

I recently discovered another artist friend of mine is a Counter, too!  Terry Mason leads the plein air painting group in the Sarasota area, Light Chasers, Plein Air Painters Sun Coast.  Visit Light Chaser's FB page.

Here's what Terry Mason has to say about counting:

"I think counting is important.  And it has kept me from being discouraged.  A long time ago there was a paint out that Karen Hitt organized for an older age facility in Venice.  When I was there I was talking with Katie Dobson Cundiff.  She told me that a friend came over one day.  She was talking with her and her friend was encouraging her to enter a show.  Katie said she had a thousand paintings at her feet against the walls...everywhere.  She entered Paint The Town that year and won it all.  That story made me start counting.    So now I am approaching 800.  When I reach a thousand I will write Katie and thank her.  Another time I went to NC to stay at Mary Erickson's artist property with other artists.  Her studio was there.  On the back of her paintings were numbers....into the THREE thousands.   Both of these experiences helped me see I was progressing well and encouraged me to keep counting. So I do.  And each painting I write down what I learned.  And every 100 painting I review the last 100, cull them, toss some, and make goals for what I need to do for the next 100.  So that's how I use the counting to help me grow."-Terry Mason

Here's Terry's 150th painting for 2011!  CONGRATULATIONS, TERRY!

Terry Mason, EVERGLADES MUSIC, 16x20" oil
   "The everglades is never quiet.  It has it's own music.  And I painted what I heard." -Terry Mason

Please let me know if you are a Counter, too.  I'd like to write more about this later.  

Thanks, and Happy New Counting Year!  -Diane