I had been documenting my art journey on Instagram … specifically my watercolor and sketching.

Some of my art story I have told on this blog … just a few posts back (the PleinAirpril posts), but the real start was mid-November 2023.

After PleinAirpril, I took a break and then it seemed like there was one home/rv project after another and I didn’t paint much until December when I started one of my favorite YouTube artists daily Advent Calendar painting. Since then I have been painting and drawing nearly every day.

There have been several art challenges with the 100 in a year theme. I started one for 100 3×3 inch paintings in a year and finished 27 so far:

1-9 …

10-18

19-27

No masterpieces :) !! But some I liked, all I enjoyed creating and learning something new along the way. The minis are fun as they are generally quick to complete … still layers and drying time, but also the variety of techniques tends to be fewer so they give me a chance to practice in a simpler way than when doing something larger.

I have been alternating between painting on cut sheets of paper and the cute mini-sketchbooks I found. All are done on 100% cotton, cold-press watercolor paper.

(Mini-sketchbooks from Just Journal It)

Recently, I watched the below video. In addition to another 100 small paintings, Leslie Stroz starts (at 1:00) with “What happens to your brain when you make art”. She shares scientific studies that show some positive things that happen when you make art … art including any creative endeavor. I found it is all true for me.

While the other challenges tended to be specific in size and format, Leslie encouraged any artist participating to choose their own size, medium, subject matter … what each artist prefers.

I will continue with the 3×3. But I have some of the mini-paper and a tin like what she is using.

So, I am doing this second challenge in the super-mini size which is 1.25×2 inches.

My first 4:

#2 (lower left), I tried ink and wash.

Lots to learn in scaling down!

I will paint larger along with these minis and hopefully some Plein Air as well. I have my SUV (traded Jeep for a large SUV) set up to allow me to sit and paint from inside as well as make a hot drink and enjoy a snack while waiting for layers to dry.

When I was working my “day job” from my home office with all of the home distractions, I worked from a schedule with general time slots for working, getting outside, baking, etc. Since retiring from that work, I have kept with a schedule … more flexible, but a plan for the day. As the news swirls, I set myself 1-1.5 hours to read or watch news and send letters/emails to my government reps. I have time slots for photography, videography, writing, chores, playing and walking outside with Emmett and Oscar, painting and drawing … my days are full but balanced.

I usually paint in the evening and find it is very helpful to me in turning off the noise of the day. After painting as I clean up, turn out lights, take Emmett out in the fresh air … I find I am prepared for my night rest and sleep.

Hope anyone reading also has a creative activity that they love as well as opportunity to get outside!

First … I deleted my Facebook and Instagram accounts and will be posting here and on YouTube.

I also cancelled Amazon Prime and Kindle Unlimited. I have not deleted my Amazon Account. I hope to not buy from Amazon but the database of what and when I have purchased items is there and it can be helpful.

Generally, I plan to buy only necessities and at this point in time there is really not much I need to buy other than food and house supplies.

I know that there are some subscribers of my blog that are not in the U.S. … WHAT a mess! I fully support boycotting American products. I hope that within my lifetime we (U.S.) can turn things around and be forgiven.

I believe one of the things that we can do is use our $$ or lack of $$.

There is a sad but true meme: 0-1939 in 3 seconds referring to Tesla and Elon Musk.

I think that we (U.S.) may need to channel our 1939 (WWII) “rationing” mindset: make do and mend, reuse and repair, grow our own vegetables. I wish we weren’t in this position and that we hadn’t destroyed the trust of the world, but maybe a bit of frugality will be good for us.

I don’t intend this blog to be super political but there is part of me that feels if I do not do something, speak out, take some action … I am by inactivity complicit in the horror of current events.

So, I am living frugally and being as aware as possible where I spend by $$s. I write and email my Senators and Congressman. I spend some time educating myself on the facts of what is happening.

AND, I live my life with the intent of being kind to myself, to my pets, to others … helping others if I can.

I get outside with Emmett and Oscar: walking and playing.

I make art – watercolor and sketching, I work on my photography and videography. I bake and cook.

I make sure to notice the beauty all around me.

As noted in the previous post, I simplified my painting subjects … mostly.

The first day after regrouping, I painted my front door :) ! I liked the result and more importantly, I gained a bit of confidence. Also, a break from going out and about as I set up just off my front porch so could step inside and have a cup of tea waiting for layers to dry.

That’s the thing with watercolor … it is layers and if not left to dry, the result can be a mess. I was rushing things when painting from the back of the Jeep.

So, in addition to keep things simpler, I slowed down.

Still, I had days when I thought … “I have made no progress at all!”, i.e. I am not getting even a little better!! And days when I thought … “I am getting worse!”.

Yesterday (5/4/2024), I watched a video by one of my YouTube artist favorites and a Pleinairpril motivator: SarahBurnsStudio. Sarah is originally from the United States (Colorado). She married a Scot and has lived in Scotland for the last 7 plus years. She has been a professional artist for at least 10 years and went to art school … in her video of “5 really important things she learned from Pleinairpril” (this is her 3rd), she notes that the “no progress/regression” angst is common to all artists, including herself.

It was kind of funny … the weather in Scotland seemed to mimic the weather here in Northwest Montana … rain, snow, sleet, sun (minimal) and repeat. She had her share of painting out her house and/or car windows!

Still, as in the first half … I had ok, bad and downright awful results. I struggled some days with deciding what and where to paint. BUT, as soon as I started, I got lost in the process and even with frustrating results, I enjoyed. And I learned!

One of the biggest things I learned was to slow down, to observe and to think a bit before dipping a brush into the paint. For me, observation and really seeing shapes and colors and proportion … vs painting (or drawing) what I “think” is there is challenging. For example, a cup is round, right? Well, yes from the top down, but not from an angle. And that goes for structures and landscape.

I started using a bit of a trick … when I got things really wrong, I would print my reference photo … I always took a photo of what I intended to paint … and trace. Then compare the trace to my painting to see where I went wrong. I did a couple of “second try” paintings after doing that to teach myself. Some progress and I know that it will take a LOT of practice to get better at observation and translating that observation to a sketch or painting. Excellent brain exercising!!

So … second half paintings:

The top painting was from “real life” from the Jeep as it was raining and windy and with waterbrushes. I was not happy … The bottom is with my regular brushes from my reference photo and at my desk.

4/27 … super fail as noted.

4/29 … second try from reference photo. I didn’t hate the first but felt it could be better and felt like trying again.

The finale … ending like I started with “The road home”.

In addition to adjusting subject matter, I adjusted my kit as well … more detail on that in another post, but …

At “home”, I used a small household painting ladder … that got me thinking about some sort of transportable “easel” solution …

I received the above tripod mountable easel for the last 2 paintings. Also above is a Portable Painter palette. All evolving…

Sadly, on the 30th for the “Road Home” finale…

…alternating snow and rain squalls had me painting from inside the Jeep. Really inside as from the driver’s seat.

My absolute best experience was on 4/26/2024 when I painted at Wayfarer’s State Park in Bigfork. I used to walk here with Karl (Karelian Bear dog) almost daily. The thing that made the painting experience the best was that I knew I could park near picnic tables and I found a spot with a great view …

The option to set up outside similar to my at home desk setup was wonderful! And it gave me some ideas to be explored further.

Below are links to YouTube videos: my 2nd half video and SarahBurnsStudio video on the 5 important lessons.

Holy cow!! It has been a wild ride on the art train!

First, I am taking a Zoom art class. It is 2 hours long on Saturday mornings in April. The instructor is an artist I have followed on YouTube, primarily for her journaling style. The class is a combination of beginner drawing and watercolor with water brush.

I absolutely love how she teaches … the pace, the techniques … it is fun as well as educational. She teaches understanding underlying shapes and understanding those before diving into loose or freehand drawing.

As shown below, a circle is within a square. When the perspective changes, the square becomes a trapezoid and so the circle becomes an ellipse which is flatter on the top part and rounder on the bottom.

This approach really resonates with the programmer/engineer’s daughter … me!

*** we worked from a reference photo she had of the McDonald’s coffee cup and a muffin.

First class we did the drawing and practiced shapes.

Second class we painted. And before painting we did a lot of paint mixing to understand the colors we would use. Becky guided us through the process as well as the shading.

Tomorrow (Saturday, 4/20) we move to a more detailed drawing. In addition to the Zoom class, the class is recorded and posted so I have been able to review and retry things.

AND, it is helping in my Pleinairpril waterbrush painting … getting better color contrast and shading.

So.

Pleinairpril first half: 4/1-4/15. My expectations of going out and about in the Jeep to some of my favorite photography spots and painting small landscapes turned out to be very challenging physically, mentally and artistically (my beginner skill set!). I had anticipated weather challenges and planned on painting outside close to my house when the weather was bad … even that was often tiring. There were many days when I just wanted to paint in my office at my comfortable art desk in my supportive chair.

Also, my results were pretty horrible. But one of the “rules” of Pleinairpril is to focus on the positive: getting outside, adventurous outside art … “the journey not the destination”. I was able to find a little something in each painting that I felt was something done ok and newly learned, but there was still some frustration and discouragement.

However, I regrouped yesterday morning and decided to keep things simpler for Pleinairpril: the 2nd half.

Overall, despite the frustration and disappointment at my results and the physical challenges … I am enjoying the challenge!

From the first half:

On 4/5, there is no photo in the journal. I received a call late on 4/4 that windows I’d ordered and were to be installed in May … were in and the company had a cancellation for 4/5 … would I like the last minute install? YES, I would!!

Emmett, Oscar and I were gated into the kitchen and living room to give the installers access to the office and bedroom. I did not want to leave them with all of the commotion, so I painted at my kitchen island from a reference photo.

It was a fun reprieve from the outdoor kit and conditions and totally worth it … I LOVE the windows, especially the awning windows in the office:

The windows open out from the bottom for air flow but there is no obstruction of the view or light. The sunroom has 2 more windows plus the sliding glass door. There is not a day since the install when I have not marveled at the view through these windows.

So … 4/6 – 4/9. 4/7 … masking fluid disaster. YIKES. I decided to try masking fluid with no practice :(

On 4/15, I was not feeling 100% and decided on an inside still life of a few pansies from the 4/11 painting.

Ultimately a varied experience and a lot learned!

Most days, I set up my Insta360 X3 and took some video of my location and setup. The video below has a montage of days 1-15 after an introductory summation of my experience and plan for 4/16-4/30.

Meanwhile, Emmett, Oscar and I enjoy the Northwest Montana Spring of warm, cold, snow, rain, sleet and repeat!

Pleinairpril is an annual art challenge to paint or make art, out of doors, every day in April.

As a very new, beginning watercolor, ink and wash, sketch … artist, I did not think it was something for me at this time.

But I did want to do some out and about, i.e. Plein Air art. To that end, this past week, I made an art kit for making art away from my home art desk.

THEN.

And I decided to JUST DO IT!!

So …

Right.

I do not anticipate any masterpieces.

I hope to see improvement!

Whatever, I will have fun!

Yesterday (3/10/2024) was “Spring forward” in the U.S. … Clocks ahead for Daylight Saving Time.

While I wish we would do away with the whole time change thing … in the whole scheme of things, and with the way the U.S. political scene seems non-functional … not holding my breath!

For me it is a 5-minute update of the few devices, appliances and car that do not automatically update. As a long time “work from home” person, my relationship with the clock is to be on time for meetings and appointments. Otherwise, I eat when I am hungry, sleep when I am tired and go for walks when Emmett signals that it is time! We roll in sync with actual daylight/nighttime.

I will say that this year, Spring forward was very welcome. I fell on the ice a little over a week ago. Not really bad, but enough that some stiffness and soreness disrupted my sleep for the first 3 nights. And then … my sleep routine turned a bit upside down and for the last 4 days I have been going to bed 7:00 p.m. latest and so getting up 3-4:00 a.m.

After Springing forward, I find that I am on a more normal-ish schedule … not that it matters, but if I get up in the wee hours, Emmett gets up as well and I feel I need to get out with him … and 3-4 a.m. is kind of the witching hour for nighttime predator critters. I confess to being a bit more anxious after the mountain lion my security cameras caught at 2:30 a.m.-ish… BUT, I check the cameras, light Emmett and me up, turn on the outside lights and we go. My theory with lighting both of us up is twofold: we know where each other is AND we hopefully look strange to a lion or coyote, i.e. most prey for those critters do not have LED lighting!

I also throw the thought to the Universe that Emmett and I mean no harm … we respect and love all creatures.

So far, I have spent many hours in the woods at night with no problem and no fear (MOSTLY!)

Back to Spring Forward.

To celebrate, I made Spring Forward Sunday Sourdough Bagels – YEA!!!