The Everyday Life of a Working Artist by Leslie Saeta: 30 in 30

Thursday, January 3, 2013

30 in 30 - Day Two

My Favorite Things - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

"Persimmons", Oil, 6" x 6"

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I am so in awe of all of you. I just checked and there are 222 paintings posted on my blog for Day One of the Challenge. How cool is that? I find it simply incredible.

As I was painting in my studio today I couldn't help but think how many other artists out there had the same goal as me ... finish a painting today! I know most of us try to paint everyday but for some reason it felt different in my studio today. I knew I had an obligation to paint and no matter what happened today I knew I was going to finish that painting. It was also liberating. My "no boats" theme also opened up a lot of new doors and I am really excited about all of my inspirations for paintings this month. (I actually re-named my theme to "My Favorite Things" which includes, of course, "no boats"). The painting I painted today was something I have been thinking about painting for two years. Seems silly, that it took me so long to paint it.

I heard today there are some of you that were intimidated by the talent of some of the artists that posted on my blog. If you are feeling that way then please continue reading ...

This challenge started as a very personal goal for me to get in my studio and paint. I spend WAY TOO much time on the computer and not enough time in the studio. I had a lot of goals for the new year which included to paint more, paint better, reach outside my comfort zone and paint faster. So that is why I decided to paint 30 paintings in 30 days. So even though I have opened this challenge up to all of you and there are 222 paintings posted on my personal blog tonight, this is still a very personal challenge for me. Just like it should be for each one of you.

Someone asked me today if it bothered me that there were some really great artists paintings appearing on my blog today. I laughed and honestly thought, of course not! I am thrilled for the artists that painted them and hope that maybe someday I can buy one of their paintings. Am I intimidated or discouraged by my fellow artists? No. I am happy for them and happy for me. It makes no sense for me to compare my art to others. That is not the purpose of this challenge. The whole reason for this challenge was to get me in to my studio and to paint 30 paintings in 30 days. Knowing there are 256 other artists doing the same thing makes me happy. So please, enjoy the beautiful paintings posted on my blog as long as you promise not to be intimidated by it! Since there really aren't any rules to this challenge (other than the request that you all have fun!) it is important to stay focused, motivated and realize that a little goal to complete a painting in a day can and will have a huge impact on your art in 30 days. Trust me.

Now, for a few brief technical explanations. I forgot to mention that you have 48 hours to post your painting once the my blog post goes live. For example, January 2nd was the Day One of the Challenge. I know many of you painted a painting that day but didn't get a chance to photograph and post your painting. No worries, as you can go back and post your painting to the Day One blog. You have two days to do it.

Secondly, you do not have to paint your painting exactly on the day it is posted. I will not be able to paint in my studio this weekend so I am going to have to paint multiple paintings in the next few days to stay on track. I will admit this has me a bit stressed out but that's ok. I'll get a few done in advance. I know I will.

Happy painting!

Leslie