There were quite a few days during this part of the challenge that I didn’t think I’d be able to paint. Painting at night is a big challenge; in seeing details, in dealing with multiple light sources and the multiple shadows they cast, mixing accurate colors when everything takes on a duller and more yellowish tone, and then trying to capture a picture in artificial light. I learned a lot over these days. Showing up to paint daily wasn’t easy, but I’m so glad I did it.
Day 11 – This one surprised me and was so much fun to paint. This is the view to our dining area from the kitchen. My husband made everything in this except the painting, which he brought home several years ago when a local business was getting rid of some artwork. The only regret I have for this painting is that I wish I had used a larger canvas or panel instead of oil paper. I painted this after a long day in Augusta, submitting testimony against a bill that would expand the project we’re fighting against. Picking up a paint brush at the end of that day was the last thing I wanted to do, but it was so good to focus on capturing this scene. Painting as therapy, who knew?
Day 12 – My husband’s LL Bean boots. I didn’t know what to paint, so my daughter, Maddie, suggested that I paint one of my husband’s boots. Well, I couldn’t paint only one, and thought I’d try two. Once again, I was painting in the dark under artificial lights. Part way through, one of my other daughters walked in the room and tripped over the boots, changing the set up and the shadow lines I was working to capture. I’m pretty happy with this.
Day 13 – I think this is my least favorite painting. This is the view out my kitchen window. The light was fading faster than I could work and I felt so incredibly rushed trying to get this right. I like the depth to the trees. Snow is hard. Rocks are hard. Painting when you feel rushed is hard. But I got it done.
Day 14 – I thought I’d paint something simpler than an outdoor scene. Note to self – reflective monochromatic surfaces under multiple light sources in a dark kitchen is not easy. This painting of a pewter salt shaker took much longer than I expected, but I love the way it turned out.
Day 15 – A day full of errands and meetings took over my day and I still had work to do. This was painted at 11:00 at night and I didn’t think I’d get any brush time in. My little swan figure is only about 3 inches long, and was a gift from my mother-in-law many years ago. Showing up and working on the challenge gave me quite a sense of accomplishment at the end of such a long day.
Day 16 – Another day spent at the State House for a bill that never was called. Then it took me 2 hours to drive home (normally about 45 minutes) because of the snow. I couldn’t figure out what to paint, but I made myself a cup of tea and slice of homemade bread and decided to paint it. Making it to this just-over-halfway-point of the challenge was a great feeling!
Day 17 – a bowl of blueberries. I have this little ironstone dish that is perfect for holding snacks. I really wanted to paint blueberries, but didn’t have any fresh, so I pulled these from the freezer. I had to shoo my children away a few times – they kept trying to grab berries out of my bowl while I was painting! Painting during the day was a treat, and I love how this painting turned out.
If you look back over the paintings, you may notice something – I almost always use the leftover paint from one day for the background colors in the next day’s paintings. Oil paints aren’t cheap, and wasting them goes against my very frugal nature.