Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Pickled Peppers

Pickled Peppers, watercolor, 8.5x12.5" ©Diane Mannion
SOLD
DAY 30!

While listening to Artists Helping Artists Podcast with Leslie Saeta and Carol Marine, heard this post read online!  An honor.

Day 30 of Leslie Saeta's 30 Paintings in 30 Days!  It's been a trip.  Rediscovered a love for watercolor, thanks to this.  A whole lot of stress and pressure even though I started a few days ahead.  Not easy and glad it's over..............but glad I did it.


This is the fourth time I've completed Leslie Saeta's 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge.  Finished in 25 days with the added pressure that I'd be painting in Bradenton, FL for Paint the Town at the end of the month.

Why watercolor?  Spent over thirty years using watercolor as an illustrator so every time I pick up a watercolor brush it seems like work, and compared to oils... at least for me, it is.  Englewood Ringling College of Art invited me to teach watercolor, so I thought it would be a good idea to use this challenge for practice.

It also gave me the incentive to research watercolor techniques and try them out.  Between library books, online websites, and especially Youtube videos... I was overwhelmed and inspired by a flood of new information.  Discovered and communicated with artists on Facebook and through their blogs and websites!   Amazing finding contemporary artists whose work I admire, reaching out and hearing from them minutes later.

What I gained from this 30/30 Challenge:

1. Renewed my love for watercolor.
2. Learned new techniques and approaches.
3. Improved skills with exercise and practice.
4. Experimented with methods and materials.
5. Had fun researching watercolor in books and online.
6. Have a stack of fresh paintings for shows and competitions.
7. Collected enough tips and information to fill an e-book.
8. Enjoyed neglecting housework for artwork.
9. Sharpened my self-discipline!
10. Enjoyed the community of artists also doing the challenge.






3rd: Painted 30 Snippets!  Small, 3.5x2.5" Artist Trading Card size in oils.


4th: Painted 30 experiments in watercolors. 

A few artists that inspire me:

Winslow Homer
John Singer Sargent

6 comments:

Fay Terry said...

You are amazing, Diane. This painting is wonderful and I am quite impressed by the label on the Olive Oil among other attributes of this lovely watercolor. Congratulations on being invited to teach at Ringling. You will be a popular teacher, I'm sure.

martine paquet said...

Congratulations on completing the challenge!

Unknown said...

I love that you fought against allowing painting to feel like work! And I especially like your #8. I hear a lot of joy in your blog post. Beautiful "work."

Kathleen Eve Kelly said...

Congratulations on finishing the challenge. I like how you did this post so much because it was the way I felt too, especially number 8 which I'm starting to do with my newer, smaller house. Paint more, clean less is my new motto. Thank you for getting me involved with this challenge in the first place, it also is my third time completed it. I wish you'd post a few of your painting on my Facebook group, "Art Beat Online!" Here's the link. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1466582746952439/ It would be nice to show others, I'm not the only crazy one in the world to do this! Again, congrats!!!

Kathleen Eve Kelly said...

By the way, remember how I always said your grid of baby bottles was my all time favorite? You topped it with this one.

Marcela Strasdas said...

I love this one, congratulations on doing the challenge again Diane!