Embracing my wild side

14 x 11 inches "Just a Cold One" Mixed media on paper

                                            

     30 painting in 30 days is happening again in Jan.  I have done this challenge from the first one started and plan to give it a go again.  This time I am putting my oil paints away for 30 days and going with mixed-media.  Going to explore working loose, pushing myself out of my comfort zone and seeing what happens.  

     I have started following an Artist by the name of Robert Joyner at his web site Paintloose.com  and he has really inspired me to work with mixed-media.  

   Thought I would share a few paintings with this loose approach today...

And just so you know I actually did 4 beer can paintings with just one beer...just I am not too wild after all :)

Ok how about some coffee now...

16 x 12 inches mixed media on paper, "Blue Steam"

                                                 

14 x 11 inches, "One More  Cup"

                                            

Hope you all enjoy the up coming month it should be fun.

Also hope everyone had a great Holiday and wish everybody a wonderful New Year too.

Mary

 

Always Something to Paint

Acrylic on canvas 6 x 6 inches  Geranium 1

                                

Acrylic on canvas 6 x 6 inch Geranium 2

                                  Click to Bid

 The subject for these 2 paintings were a some Geraniums I pick outside a Holiday Inn I was staying at for a short trip I took this Fall.

  I was restless and  really wanted to paint something, so I took a short walk and noticed the flowers still in bloom outside the hotel entrance.  So, I helped myself to a couple of blooms and went back to my room, grabbed on of those cheap plastic cups and set the flowers up on a window sill and started painting.  The first painting was done in the room that evening.  The second painting I used the original painting as a starting point reference.
  The idea is if you love painting you can always find something of interest to work from.
Mary

New toy new paintings

Just fell in love with a new product from Princeton Brushes; Catalyst paint blades.  Started the following 2 paintings with this new tool.

10 x8 inches Acrylic 

                                                                       Click to Bid

8 x8 inch Acrylic

                                                                      Click to Bid

    The blades are basically rubber palette knifes and great for roughing in an under-painting.  

This is the beginning of my next one using this method...

Here is the subject, soon to be another finished painting.  Prefer so far painting with these on the a smooth board, letting the under painting dry then when finishing with detail.

Thanks for looking

Mary

Over 30

Thought I would collage all the photos of the September paintings together.  Guess I got into it pretty well, 35 paintings in 30 days, and some have already found new homes.  Great little challenge, may even do it again when it comes around.

Mary  

The 30th

Wow the end of the 30 paintings in 30 days.....

Red Eyed Daisies  oil on canvas 14 x 11 in

                                                                       

Made it through another challenge,  almost didn't do it, at times thought about not finishing, but instead painted about 35 paintings this month.  The house is a mess, but I don't care, it was fun.

Mary

All about layers

"Indecision"  14 x 11 inches Acrylic on canvas

                                         

Finished today for day 28 of the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge.  

I started this yesterday and count that layer of the painting day 27, because it could have been a finished work at that point, but decided to do more. 

    

   I plan to do a small video of the process and the thought process soon and add to my YouTube channel.

   Day 26 is another painting that came together with layering...

"Dances with Light"  !4 x11 inches  Acrylic on canvas panel

                                         

   This painting branched off from this painting...

The painting need more, wasn't sure what for a while.  Finally I decided to let intuition take over.

Now it feels complete.

Mary

Comfort Zone

Day 19 and 20 ....

"Ruby Rose"  Oil on stretched canvas 10x8 inches

                                            

Decided to visit my little comfort zone; oil and florals, for this paintings for the challenge.  

Sometimes that comfort zone is a good place to go, to let what you are learning or struggling with sink in.

"Peaceful Energy"  Oil 10 x 8 inches

                                             

    Only a week and a half to go!

Mary

Oh I need this like a hole in the head...

Day 17 and 18 of 30 paintings in 30 days.

12 x 16 pastel

                                         

   I started a class about pastels this week.  Yes just what I need another media to work in.  I have tried pretty much all the other medias, watercolor, oil, acrylic, even encaustics.  I figured might as well add pastels to my bucket list.  

   It is strange pretty much like drawing but with color, (and lots of dust).  Not sure what to think of it yet, maybe because there is so much to learn.  May like may not, time will tell.

   Also thought I would share for one of my daily paintings a card that is going out with a painting that I just sold.  (Figures this counts as one of the 30 in 30).

What if?

Day 16 of 30 paintings in 30 days...

"The Group"  Watercolor and ink 14 x 11 inches

     Today instead of starting a new painting I decided to ask myself "what if" while going through some watercolors that were complete, but I was not really happy about.  I was curious what adding some ink lines to the paintings would do.  What did I have to loose...nothing.

    I got so involved with this I ended up reworking 3 paintings today.   The Tulips were first, next up a couple cat paintings...

the original watercolor

Added some line work with ink....

But didn't stop there, decided a cropped version looked much better....

"do Not Disturb"  6 x 8 inched matted to 11 x 14 inches

   One more to go..added some ink work...

Then again did some cropping, (one of the things I love about watercolors is the ability to crop them if needed)

"So"  8 x 6 inches matted to 14 x 11 inches

All in all a pretty productive day :)

Mary                                        

Warm up to painting

3 more paintings of the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge...
   Day 13

"Cool Shade"  14 x 11 inch Acrylic on watercolor paper

                                               

  Day 14.....

"Reeds in the Light"  16 x 12 Acrylic on watercolor paper

                                                      

    The paintings above were what I call warm-ups.  If I have a painting that is taking a while to finish, each day before working on that painting I start out with a smaller warm-up.  Doing these warm ups get me in the painting mood for the day.

Day 15 I finished up one I have been working on for a couple days. 

The View, 16 x 20 inches Acrylic on canvas

                                            Buy with PayPal

Sometimes my favorite paintings are the little warm -ups.

Mary

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/artists/mary-schiros-2331 

Changing Mediums

Day 10 of 30 in 30

"Big Flower Little Vase"  14 x 11 watercolor

                                                                                       Click to Bid

Relaxing and enjoying watercolors.

Day 11....

"Sunlit Stream"  11 x 14 watercolor

                                                                                   Click to Bid

After 2 days of working with my portable watercolor palette, I notice how similar the two paintings looked even thought they were different subjects.  So going back to a still-life decided to change palette and medium.  Wanted to address the sunflower but with acrylics.

Day 12.....

16 x 12 inches, "Hidden Poppy" Acrylic on watercolor paper

                                                                                  Click to Bid

I am always amazed by how much the medium we paint with influences the painting style.

Mary

Day 9

11 x 14 inch acrylic on canvas paper, matted and backed, "Focused Light"Available at DPWs

                                 
   The other day I started a seascape that was suppose to be mainly blue, but ended up a warm red over all color.  Today I decided to give it another try.  Got my blue colors on this one, mission complete :)
    Day 9, only 21 more to go.
Mary

catching up on a few days

Should be posting these each day, but sometimes life just gets in the way.  I have been painting each day for the September 30 paintings in 30 days challenge, just forgetting to post.
Day 5...

"Rose Maze"  11 x 14 Acrylic on paper

   I have been rereading a book called "Life, Paint and Passion" by Michele Cassou and Stewart Cubley.

            Day 6...Day 7 and 8 

acrylic on paper 12 x 9 inches

The main idea in the book is about letting go and painting for the process not the product.  Think the idea has wonderful to work with.  Letting go a bit on the thought process and just letting the paint guide you does help open your mind to a lot of new ideas.
Mary

Acrylic on canvas paper 16 x 12 inches

 

Acrylic on paper 12 x 9 inches

Day 4 of the 30 in 30 Challenge

"Martini Roses"  Acrylic on on canvas paper, Matted and back to 14 x 11 inches

     Day four of the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge.  Just having some fun, I know these mini roses would not really fit in a martini glass, but "so".  Decided to I would just make them fit in that glass, one of those reasons I paint, so I can create my own world:)
     When Leslie Saeta announced this 30 in 30 almost thought about skipping it.  But, I haven't missed one yet, so why not sign up.  Four days into it I am glad I jumped in.

Mary
Schirosart.com

Painting with a Group

A little catch up on the 30 paintings in 30 days, posting yesterday and todays paintings.

Red Sky,  Acrylic in canvas, 11 x 14 inches

I started this planning on a dominant blue color in mind.  I started with the red as an underpainting, planning on it being an under tone.  But, I fell in love with the warm red red color and just kept going.  This is day 3 of 30 paintings in 30 days.

   Yesterday I dropped by the Fenton Michigan community center in time to paint with some of the wonderful painters that are part of the (LAVA) Lakes Area Visual Artist group.  The group had a model that day to paint, and I decided to give it a try with my watercolors.  Pretty happy with how it turned out.

Dau 2 of 30 paintings in 30 days

Mary

30 in 30

Today is the first day of the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge.  This time around I will be some days post paintings that are finished on that day but started earlier, (like this one), other days it will be a painting completed in one day.

Oil on gallery wrap canvas, "Standing at Sunset" Available at Dailypaintworkks.com

   I enjoy the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge, but also realize not all paintings are complete in one day.  I always work on more than one painting at a time, so there will be a variety of works posted this month.

Mary
Schirosart.com

Watercolor Canvas

"A Burst of Blooms"  12 x 12 inches,  Watercolor on canvas, Available at DPWs

Taking a small break from oils right now, and re-visiting watercolors.  Decided to work on some special canvas designed just for watercolor painting made Fredrix archival stretched watercolor canvas

Started this painting, beginning with the background.  I put down a wash of yellow leaving the center open, and covered the washed area with plastic wrap.  I then set the whole canvas aside for about a half an hour to dry.  When I removed the plastic there was a wonderful texture of yellows and white.

It is a little hard to see all the texture from the photo, but hope you get the idea.  From this point I just started painting my vase of flowers.  One note about working with watercolor on canvas, it is easy to put down paint, but even easier to lift paint.  So when painting be brave and put those colors down, because you can easily remove a mistake, but forget about layering your color, go for bold.

    When it is finished and dry, lightly spray the painting 2 or 3 times with an acrylic varnish, that is what seal the painting so it does not need to be framed under glass.

Be brave and give it a try.

Mary

SchirosArt

Early change

Poppies in a Daisy Vase, Oil on canvas panel, 10 x 8 inches

Starting out an oil painting with an underpainting is a great way to see how well the composition will work.

The first idea was to include a seashell with the flowers.  But after looking at the lay-out, the shell added nothing to the composition. The shell was too centered and actually distracted from the flowers.  At this point the changes were easy to make, to complete the painting.

Just bought I would share the idea, do not be afraid to change your plans, and earlier in a painting is much better than later.

Mary

SchirosArt

Always something to paint

When you need something to paint just look around.  There is a saying "paint what you know".

Oil on canvas, Available at DPWS

Driving around in Michigan this is a common view from just about any road or highway.  The lone barn and Summer green fields.  Painted the barn painting from memory, something I know.

Acrylic on watercolor paper, 14 x 11 inches, Avaialble at DPWs

Some of the first wild-flowers to bloom are daisies, I have worked up many painting from the flowers.  Daisies grow like weeds (maybe they are weeds, pretty ones) all around my yard.  They are always a subject available to paint.

Acrylic on canvas panel, 10 x 8 inches, Red Star,Available at Dailypaintworks

Another flower that grows, again like weeds are the daylily.  Most of mine are yellow, plain boring yellow flowers, but a few that come up look like red stars.  The back side of the flower is yellow, the heart of the flower is yellow and orange with deep red at the edges of of the petals.  These are always a challenge to paint, and each year I take up the challenge.

So to make a long story short, there is always something to paint.

Mary

Schirosart.com