5-Day Challenge: Results from Days 4 & 5

Could someone please tell me where the five days went?

Results for Days 4 and 5...

Day 4

Remember how at the end of Day 3 I ended up with a piece that had me grieving the loss of its interim state? All I could do was move on so, building on Day 3's end result (the first picture), I forged ahead:

     

  

It's still a work in progress, but I am much happier with where it's going than I was at the end of Day 3.

Day 5

On my last day I came full circle and refined my end results from Day 1 (see first pic below). I solidified the background and some of the colours. She too is still a work in progress, but I like where she's heading. Voici:

  

And that's it! I declare this 5-Day Challenge complete.

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I enjoyed the ritual of painting and the learning that goes with too much to let it go again, I intend to continue.

Painting every day might be a tad unrealistic, but I might surprise myself at how often I get to it. After all, I get to choose when I go to the table and if I want it, it'll happen.

And if it lapses again? There's always another 5-Day Challenge.

Maybe you'll join me on that one?

5-Day Challenge: Day 3 Results

Oh my, Day 3 you were interesting.

Again I pulled out a piece that had been sitting in the "in progress" cubby shelf for nearly a year:

Day 3 starting point

I liked the blue figure on the right-hand side, but then I turned it around and saw a woman looking out into the distance...

Day 3 interim state, I really like this

... and gradually she became this:

Day 3 end result, I preferred the interim state above

Faces intimidate me when they ask to be brought to life. Continuing on this piece will be a major challenge for me, I'm afraid of screwing it up even more.

BUT, one of the first painting workshops I took in 2008 was called Painting as a Process and that process involves persisting through resistance, risking what's there to create something even better.

A metaphor for life perhaps?

I'll let you be the judge. I'm off to meet one of my artistic challenges and see if I can shape Day 3's work in progress into something that pleases me.

Tune in tomorrow to see if I actually go through with it.

5-Day Challenge: Day 2 Results

In the interest of keeping myself accountable during this 5-Day Challenge I'm laying it all out here folks - the good, the bad and the downright ugly. Be gentle, 'k?

Day 2: I started with a work in progress that had been parked on the shelf since April 2011 (apologies for the bad lighting, but you'll get the gist)...

5-Day Challenge Day 2 starting point

... that evolved into this, still a work in progress:

5-Day Challenge Day 2 results

work in progress 8"x16" on canvas

It's similar in style to a piece I completed during my last 5-Day Challenge; I look forward to seeing where it'll go from here.

Back soon with Day 3...

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It's not too late to join in. I'm telling you, it feels good!

5-Day Challenge + An Invitation

I've neglected painting for too long.

A PLEDGE

It's time for me to get back to the table and the best way for me to do that is to issue myself a 5-Day Challenge during which I pledge to show up at the art table and paint, five days in a row. Yesterday was Day 1:

5-Day Challenge Feb. 2012 - Day 1 results

work in progress, 9"x12" on cardboard

AN INVITATION

Join me.

Whatever your medium - film, words, melody, paint, clay, digital media - it doesn't matter. Your "art table" might be your computer screen or your dark room; mine involves paint and brushes.

It also doesn't matter how long you spend at the table; fifteen minutes spent processing photos or crafting a blog post is better than none at all. Defeating resistance by showing up five days in a row is the goal.

And remember, it's about practice and play - no perfection necessary.

I've done this a few times before and each time I'm amazed at how much easier it gets to show up after only five days and how much progress I make without even intending to!

Have I convinced you yet?

You can do this. Leave me your pledge in the comments.

You know you wanna.

5-Day Challenge: Days 4 and 5

Et voici, my final report on this week's 5-Day Challenge. It's been a good one!

On Day 4 I continued working with the results I came up with on Day 3 below. It was a short session compared to the others, but I still did it.

results from Day 3

I painted the blocks that hadn't been painted yet (see above and to the right of the white critter?) and I added second coats of paint on most of the other blocks to make them richer.

I'm afraid that in my enthusiasm to continue working on Day 5 I forgot to take a picture of the results from Day 4 so you'll just have to take my word for it.

I spent Day 5's session polishing up. I continued with extra coats to make the colours even more solid, I added black lines where there were none and I fixed the ones that were there:

Day 5 results - close to done!, 12x12 on wood panel

When I look at it closely I see a few tiny touch-ups remaining before declaring it complete, but I'm pretty damn close and it feels good.

So on that note I declare this week's 5-Day Challenge officially complete and a success!

I showed up at the table every day, persisted to complete (or nearly) a piece, and my interest in art and art-making was re-kindled. A success indeed.

Perhaps next time you'll join me?