Well, I did it! Yesterday I completed 100 days of art along with a number of other artists, and it feels so good. I should warn you that days 7 through 9 were self portraits. Or at least, I tried to do self portraits. They’re pretty funny, looking at them now, and I don’t think I’m in there at all!
At the bottom of this post, you will also find the completion of a painting from day 66. On day 66 the prompt was to revisit an old painting and do it differently, so I did on that day. Since then I have been working away on the full-sized image and that is provided below.
Day 92
The prompt this day was pattern. Many years ago, when I lived in the Vancouver lower mainland, I took some photography courses. A few assignments involved nighttime photography. On this occasion, I went with a classmate and we walked the shoreline from Canada Place to Stanley Park. Just before getting to the park, there is a bridge and the railing has balustrades. The view through the balustrades presented the city lights shining on the water.
I found the photo and recreated it. I was surprised to see on the photo that each balustrade shape was different from the next.
Day 93
Rocks. South of town is a piece of land called Stillwater Bluffs. It is loved by the community yet owned by a logging company. There are cliffs leading up from the water that people enjoy climbing. This image is of looking in the opposite direction, the cliffs being to my back.
It was a very calm, hot day, and the rocks were warm in the sunshine. I used Promarker Pens, plus a tiny bit of coloured pencil.
Day 94
Favourite cartoon. Well, I’m not really a cartoon person, so I had to improvise. For a number of years this monkey has been hanging around the house. He is a childhood toy of my husband’s and now he hangs on paintings, furniture and, at the moment, this old lamp.
I’m happy with the glass, although the top is a little wonky. The brass base was tarnished, but I just couldn’t figure out how to show that, so I made it like new. The monkey was fun to create – I could hear him talking me through the process! 🙂
Day 95
Today’s prompt was musical symbols. I recently took up playing the Cello and so I am getting used to the bass clef. I added the treble and, a new one to me, the alto clefs.
Before that, though, I found our tiny cymbals and painted those. The clefs then had something to be focused around.
I like the repetition of circles in this picture.
Day 96
Something Soft. Our dear friend Bev gave us a bunch of pussy willows last month. They sit on our dining room table and are a reminder of the incredible art of nature. They catch the light so the edges glow for much of the day.
Figuring out how to make them fluffy was a bit of a mind bender, but then I got it. I used a bristle brush and splodged on the paint. I held the brush vertically and danced it across the paper.
Pussy willows used to be seen a lot around here and yet now they seem to be quite rare. I hope these ones in their vase last a long time.
Day 97
This was a Friday and I met with my plein air group. The weather looked a little changeable and so we headed indoors again at the Townsite mall.
This picture is created just a few metres back from the one I created the week before. I used charcoal so I captured a photograph of the finished piece while still in the mall so that it wouldn’t matter much if the image got disturbed as I cycled home. Those are my fingerprints along the top edge!
I’m happy with how the floor ended up. It is tiled and had some shine to it.
Day 98
The prompts ran out today, so I went back to my list of things I had wanted to accomplish during this challenge. One was to be able to create a self portrait. I had tried this a couple of times during the early weeks then given up.
I tried various photographs, standing in front of the bathroom mirror, sunlight shining in from the side. But, none turned out, so I turned the camera onto selfie and tried again.
I am not used to taking selfies! However, I ended up with a photo to use. In hindsight, good reference photos are essential…and I should have kept trying! Oh well, lesson learned.
This one is in soft pastel. My husband says I got my nose and eyes sort of right…but the bottom of the face is totally off 😉
Day 99
So, I got out the charcoal, tried measuring, and gave it another go. I thought I was getting somewhere.
Apparently, this one is even less like me! Gosh, self portraits are hard!
Day 100
The final day of the challenge, and I gave my self portrait one last go. I used pencil this time and again went with measurements.
And, once again, I thought I was getting somewhere. I was even excited at the end when I held it up to show my husband…and I got a “Wow!” which made me happy, until he said…”there’s something wrong about your jaw area.” Oh crikey!
I showed him the photo reference and it became clear that I had captured an image of myself that doesn’t even look on the photo like me!
What fun, though. How often do you get chance to take time working on a self portrait?
And so the Challenge of 100 Days of Art is over. It has carried me through from New Year’s Day to yesterday. The camaraderie among us artists participating has been lovely, encouraging and motivating. Seeing other people’s daily creations has been awe-inspiring.
I have really enjoyed experimenting with so many different materials, and following prompts that have pushed me to create. And, I have finally been able to put painting as a priority in my day. I hope that continues from now on as I work hard to learn more and improve.
Today is the first day beyond the challenge. I decided to finish off a painting started on day 66.
You may recall these. The blue/purple one is a recreation of the teal one. The teal one was completed in 2018 and although I had displayed it at the gallery I had never been totally ok with it. It was the perfect one to revisit for this challenge. I got out the original, which had been painted in acrylic, and put it onto my easel. I slowly painted over it in oils, adding more background, removing the foliage and just cleaning things up. I finished it this morning. Here is Catching a Ride (2) 36″ x 12″.
I think this is a good way to finish this blog series. Thank you so very much for reading, commenting, and, in your own way, encouraging me to continue. I appreciate you all.
Janet and Janet 