Category: 100 paintings

Time’s Up!

The Underside (c)2011 Dora Sislian Themelis
9×12 Watercolor on Arches paper

A busy weekend doesn’t always afford the chance to paint. You would think that having two days free from other duties around here I’d have time to myself. It just isn’t the case. Except for 20 minutes that I was able to wrest free for me!

Yes, twenty glorious minutes. Sad isn’t it? Sad that I can only find twenty minutes to myself. The thing is not to dwell on the time, but the activity. So I had twenty minutes, big deal! I used it to my advantage. When you set your mind to something things happen. Don’t you find it to be so?

Seeing that I was in between errands and visiting this Saturday, and all alone for once, I grabbed that time to paint. Hey, I’m on the clock here with that commitment to paint 100 paintings! By the time I was finished with this my people here started to arrive, Son#2 first, then The Mr.

Bzzzzzzz. Time’s up!

Thinking of Something Else

Back to business! As you can see I have ditched the apple. I’d had enough of it. I think it was more fun for me when I had the apple in the middle of objects that really didn’t belong together. Then it became a habit. Boring? I’m not sure. That, and the annoying paint colors, was making my painting time feel drab.

Maybe painting time isn’t supposed to be that exciting anyway. Maybe it is. The action of painting, the process, as I’ve said so many times, is the goal. Just to paint. The end result is a by-product of the action.

Yeah, yeah, I know, I get it. Still, I want to be excited by the subject. I keep thinking back to that autumn day at the beach when I scrounged around for objects only to find broken shards of shells to paint. They were really small pieces and then I got the bright idea to put the apple from my lunch next to the shell bits for a color pop. I was so excited with the prospect that I painted quickly and was happy with my work.

Three Shells (c)2011 Dora Sislian Themelis
8×12 Watercolor on Arches paper

Now the apple idea is old, the paints annoying. No more apple. No more leaves. On to shell bits. I think I need the color pop though. And then I think I need to move on. I should look through my swipe files and photos to see if anything appeals to me. Going back to painting from photographs feels like a step backward, for me anyway. Since I’ve been painting from life it’s helped me see things better. Can you switch back and forth like that and have work that feels right? Something to ponder.

Finished for Friday

The Dark Apple Hides Shells (c)2011 Dora Sislian Themelis
8×12 Watercolor on Arches paper

A finished work for Friday is here. I am done! I can’t touch this another time. I think I will keep at this apple until all that paint is used up. I have no choice. How many times can I complain about these paints? I guess an awful lot by the looks of the posts about this apple! Have you all had it with me yet? I’ve had it with my constant whining. The next time I decide to throw caution to the wind and by paints I know nothing about, kick me please?

Besides that, I fooled around with my camera and for some reason my photos in my last post came up like a widescreen TV. I don’t know what button I pushed. I was hunting for something that would take a decent photo and not be huge when I uploaded it to the computer. There’s just alot of steps to get the photos the right size so that they upload in seconds rather than long minutes. I mean long. Looks like there are no short cuts here, or in life in general.

I will be posting this to the 100 Paintings Challenge, too. Slowly, but surely, I’m working my way to 100. Oh I’ll do it, too. No doubt. But it’s going to be slow.

A while back I purchased another book on creativity and resistance titled The Creative Habit, by Twyla Tharp. I know she’s a great dancer and choreographer, but from what I’ve heard this is a really good book for breaking through blocks to creativity. I finally started reading yesterday and I think it’s going to be interesting.

I want to read it slowly for the words to really go into my head. Most times when I read, I more or less scan and read too quickly. Oh I’ve read big books in a couple of days, but don’t ask me what I read, I couldn’t tell you. While I’m reading I am in the moment. After I’m done, forget it. Talking with a friend about a book I had just finished, which she read in college, she remembered characters and plots. Me? I could barely remember the main character and some sketchy details. Not good. I need to take time to read this, and not while I’m having lunch. No. Multi tasking is not my forte.

The first page of The Creative Habit began with this: The White Room. Just imagine a large, empty, white rehearsal room for dancers. Immediately I thought of a blank, white canvas or paper. I knew then that this was going to be a good read. I will let you know next week.

Beware the Ides of March

“Beware the ides of March” Julius Caesar,  Act I Scene II, William Shakespeare

In olden times the ides of March meant nothing more than the middle of the month. No omens of evil, nothing bad, just mid-month. For some reason the ides took on this spooky quality after Shakespeare has the Soothsayer mention it in the play about Julius Caesar, on the day he meets his end.

The ides fall on the 15th of March, May, June and October. Check out the Wikipedia link. The other months’ ides fall on the 13th. So what? What’s the big deal? Everyone always says that line as if some big thing will befall them on this date like Caesar. Shakespeare made the ides have some weird and eerie feeling. I think I’ll stay away from painting today.  Why play with fire?

Although, something interesting might come of it if I do paint. Who knows? Maybe some strange, ethereal quality will emerge from the dreaded apple and fearsome shell bits?

Can you picture it? The apple- dark, mysterious with red foreboding. The shell bits-pasty white with pointy and sharp edges. The fearful pebble! What will it mean? What is the evil omen they suggest? Is it possible to paint a lonely apple and broken bits of seashells with an quality of doom? How about the beach pebble?

I have an idea! I think I will paint!

Already Off Schedule

“The best laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley; And leave us naught but grief and pain For promised joy”
~ Robert Burns(Scottish national Poet of Scotland, who wrote lyrics and songs in the Scottish dialect of English. 1759-1796)

Here I go again, but it’s not my doing, sort of. I need to confess I never got to paint and not going to get to it until I have a free moment. Painting will have to wait. Family obligations come first.

The funny part is that poor apple is starting to get old! I keep it out with the shell bits so if I have time I can just paint. If I put the apple in the refrigerator, I have to fish it out to work which might hamper the motivation. It’s a whole thing.

On the bright side, the weekend is coming up. Will I or won’t I paint? That is the question.

On to the Other Side

Determined to keep myself in a mode of allowing good things to come my way, I painted. Yes, I did. I took the time while my granddaughter napped this morning and ran to the paints. I cannot let another day like that get the better of me. My mind is set. I must paint daily. At least I’ll try to paint daily. Fingers crossed!

Let me remind you, I’m still not happy with the colors I’m using. I don’t mind mixing colors to get what I’m looking for, but this is ridiculous. I just can’t make the colors I need with these paints. MamieriBlu is lovely and creamy, blends nicely on the paper, but my brain is looking for colors that are just not there! What else can I say? Maybe I didn’t buy all the colors I needed? My palette is full, but I am still lost without some of my favorite colors.

I like using a palette with minimal, but essential colors. Here I have more than I really need except they don’t look like the colors I’m accustomed to using. I know I keep harping on it. It’s a problem for me.

Other Side of the Dark Apple (c)2011 Dora Sislian Themeli
8×12 Watercolor on Arches paper

I turned the still life set-up around once again, to get a different perspective. I also moved around the table to get the shadows going in the opposite direction. The reds are not what I wanted, but somehow it works. I’m not sure if the apple looks like it’s laying down. I think it’s floating. Maybe I’m wrong. I don’t care. I signed it and it’s finished. Questions? Comments? Criticisms?

Finished Items for Friday

TADA! Voila! Finished items! Yes! Winning! (A Charlie Sheen-ism) The knitting marathon is done! And I must say I am very pleased with the outcomes. I didn’t want to give it away in the earlier post, but these were birthday items for my sister. Working from the mohair yarn we purchased the hot pink and the pink, fire polished beads. The mohair became a scarf adorned with the beads at the fringes. The hot pink with sparkles became an adult bonnet-like hat with extra beads at the ends of the ties, and a pair of fingerless gloves. My sister is definitely a “winter” and these colors suit her perfectly. She likes a bit of bling!

I knit the scarf in a garter stitch pattern on really big needles to accommodate the loftiness of the mohair and rayon yarn. It’s beautiful stuff from Fiesta La Boheme. Sounds beautiful, right? It does to me. This yarn is delicious and soft as anything. I must admit this yarn is a bit pricey, but it’s justified due to the colors they offer and the great softness. Besides, mohair is a warm yarn. So while it looks gorgeous, it’s practical too. The hat and scarf are acrylic blends and they will hold up wonderfully as hat and gloves.  Overall, it was a fun project to make and give.

On the painting front I finished two watercolors. Well, one is really finished, the second is finished in my head. I signed both anyway. The second work just needs a brush stroke where I know an apple stem is supposed to be, and I’m done!

Dark Apple (c)2011 Dora Sislian Themelis
8×12 Watercolor on Arches paper
Dark Apple in the Afternoon (c)2011 Dora Sislian Themelis
8×12 Watercolor on Arches paper

Good thing I keep the painting equipment out on the dining room table or they’d never see any action with the studio in my basement and the baby asleep upstairs! I’ve used up my favorite paint colors in the small travel set so this week I brought up my large palette. Now, I’m not thrilled with the paints in this palette, but I have to use them up before I buy more.

The travel set was Windsor&Newton, the large palette has MamieriBlu. Not thrilled with the later, more comfortable using the former. Although the MamieriBlu paints are really lovely on the paper, the colors are throwing me for a loop. Alizarin Crimson is not the same as the WN paints. This apple was a very deep red and I just wasn’t feeling it with these colors. I did my best. I lifted out color. I added color when dry. I did what I could to make it feel right.

I set up the first painting and worked from there. For the second work I just shifted the paper the objects were laying on and painted the same items from a different angle. I think I will do that again at the next session. I think I moved the apple so I saw the top end instead of the bottom. A more pleasant view.

Finished work, non the less!

I Will Beat the Crazymaker

Have I mentioned that I have a stalker? What’s up with that? People turn into some kind of crazy here and there.

Friendships are strange. It’s nice to have friends, but not when they become out of control monster-like. Think of the Hulk. He’s such a nice guy, right? Then something clicks inside his head and he turns into this wild, green monstrosity. There’s no putting that thing back in his box. Nope.

When I was reading The Artist’s Way trying to reign in Mr. Resistance, I read about the Crazymaker. Everyone has one of those people in their life now and then. They make it hard for us to do our own stuff by distracting us with their stuff. The bad thing about it is that sometimes you don’t know you have a Crazymaker on your hands until they jump out of the box like the Hulk!

I made my peace with my Crazymaker, in my head. I ignored. It worked, for a while.

Now they’re circling in the waters like a shark trying to fool it’s prey. I think I’m the prey. I will try to ignore, again. But the thing is this: they know what they’re doing. They make it hard to ignore.

People around me tell me things related to the Crazymaker. These managers of mayhem are smart. They know how to worm themselves in my direction, by using others I’m close to or friendly with.

Lately it’s been by cyberspying. That’s my definition because I can’t think of anything else to call it that will convey my meaning. Sly and calculating, they are. But guess what? I catch the drift. I’m not a fool. I’m outside because I identified the Crazymaker for who they are and I slowly stepped back. Anyone remember that skit from the ’60’s with actors I can’t think of right now, “Slowly I turn, step by step…”

That’s me, backing out of the driveway! But wait! Who’s that shadowy figure trying to get my attention?  Nah, not fooling me. Still I ignore. How long will they lurk?

Anyway, I painted a twenty minute piece the end of last week which helped me drive thoughts of that Crazymaker out of my head. Now that I’ve committed myself to the 100 Paintings Challenge, twenty minutes of work is going to help me keep going. Quick and done!

Broken Shell (c)2011 Dora Sislian Themelis
8×12 Watercolor on Arches paper
That will show the Crazymaker and Mr. Resistance who’s boss! Nyah-ha-ha-ha!

I’m In

I did it. I took the plunge. I made the commitment. Got on the band wagon. I took the first step of a long journey. Can’t think of any other analogies to convey what I’ve decided to take on with all the other stuff I do.

For a year or so I’ve been trying to beat Mr. Resistance at his game. I read The Artist’s Way, The War of Art, Walking in This World, looking for ways to get around the blahs of going to the studio to paint. Reading The Artist’s Way was my jump off point. The tasks were do-able most of the time. The most beneficial step forward was the daily writing of Morning Pages. Thank goodness for those Pages! The constant blabbing going on in my head has moved to the written page, leaving my brain pretty clear and babble free.

The thing is I wanted to be painting on a regular schedule. In the past year I have moved well along, but, alas, no schedule. I thought that, maybe, I’m not a good schedule person-type. I thought, maybe, I’m not organized enough to make myself walk down the steps to my studio area, in my house, at a set time each day to work. Try as I might, I couldn’t seem to act as if I have a job in an office, to which I had to show up every day and get paid at the end of the week. Where was the payment, the cash, the moola? Not in my basement studio it seems. And not anywhere else either. It just wasn’t happening on that regular basis I was looking for.

It was happening alright, just not how I expected it. Yes, I painted some solid work. Yes, I learned things about watercolors and materials. I learned how to find inspiration, when to give myself a break, how to lighten up and when. Live life, ignore some stupid stuff, much of it my own, pay attention to nice stuff, smile and move on. Yes, learning lots of stuff. Good stuff and not so good stuff.

I knew that spending a small amount of time in the studio looking through my things, sorting, cleaning, could lead to doing. For fifteen minutes I could do something and it worked, for a while. Planning to show up for fifteen minutes would turn into a new project. Process, process, process.

One day while floating around the internet I stumbled onto The Twenty Minute Challenge blog by Teri Casper, and things suddenly started to happen. I learned that I couldn’t fool around all day long with watercolors because I wasn’t getting what I thought I wanted with all the water, the sloshing paint, the fuzzy-ness developing on my paper. But in twenty minutes I could have a finished painting! What a concept! Smack me in the head!

Those quick paintings I did on the beach in October were finished works. Why couldn’t I do the same thing here? Well, it worked and I did it.

Fast forward through to the present. Through Teri’s challenge I found the 100 Paintings Challenge. Sounded daunting, but other artists were working through it, why not I? (I, me, which one is it? Forget it.)

If I had found out about this idea months ago I’d have plenty of work under my belt by now. The thing is, I don’t think I would have had the guts to do it. Don’t think I have the guts right now, just that I’m afraid if I don’t jump in with both feet Mr. Resistance will grab me from behind and beat me up. So I threw down the gauntlet and said YES, before I backed out. Remember- YES is the operative word?

Here I am, making a commitment to do 100 paintings in the year ahead. I said yes so it’s done. The wonderful, kind Laure, administrator of The 100 Painting Challenge was lovely with her encouragement, as was Teri and the other artists over there. Laure asked me if I wanted to begin right away or wait. I replied that I needed to begin as soon as possible to keep the momentum going. I even had the latest painting ready to go.

What’s Left of Fall (c)2011Dora Sislian Themelis
8×12 Watercolor 140lb Arches cold press paper

This still life started out as a twenty minute loosely painted work. I knew I would go back to it to define the areas needing work and decided to make this #1 of the challenge.

I did it. I’m ready. I made the commitment and I’m peeking around the corner for Mr. Resistance. If he shows up I’m going to deck him!

The Operative Word is Yes

I’ve been thinking of entering the 100 Paintings Challenge. I won’t lie, I’m scared to begin and I don’t know why. This year I have fought with resistance to creating art and been winning most of the time. Reading The Artist’s Way helped quite a lot. Doing the tasks, writing Morning Pages without fail, pushing myself to be a parent to my inner child artist helped me to find inspiration and motivation. Another book, The War of Art, had more ideas and thoughtful quips for finding the muse and working on creativity. I’ve just found The Creative Spirit, by Twyla Tharp which is supposed to be good, too, but haven’t read it yet. I will let you know how it is when I do.

Finding the blog, The Twenty Minute Challenge, nudged me to find twenty minutes in a busy day to paint. A while back I was playing with just fifteen minutes in the studio which was productive. Doing 20 minutes, to begin and finish a work, was even better. Ding! and you have to stop. I was usually finished with my work by the time the timer rang. Fifteen minutes a day, or twenty for that matter, can help push along a larger project, which I have done. Much can be accomplished in small chunks of time as long as I don’t have to have a wrestling match with resistance, which could derail my efforts for a lot longer.

In comes the latest push, nudge, dangling carrot on a stick, the 100 Paintings, and I’m tempted. That little bad boy on my shoulder says “Why do you want to do that? People are going to have things to say. You’re busy as can be lately and you will never have the time to do 10 pieces, never mind 100” and on. Then again, the good girl on the other shoulder tells me “Why not? If you had taken up the challenge a long while ago you would already have 25 or more paintings in the mix and be excited to keep going.” So goes my discourse in the Morning Pages. Thank goodness I write those pages. Who wants to hear all this stuff that goes on in my head? Why this, why that, why not?

So why don’t I just jump in and sign up? What’s with the commitment phobia? The lovely fellow artists/bloggers are so nice at encouraging me to do it and I’m hedging.

But this being a Monday, and I love Mondays, I am tempted to just say yes. I read something in the past that said whenever there is a question, the answer, the operative word, should be Yes. So I think, hedge-hedge, the answer is Yes. I will. I accept the challenge. Now all I have to do is go over to the blog and begin. It’s still scary.