Day 75 - 100 Day Project

Day 75 - 100 Day ProjectFollow me on Instagram @KathrynJNeale, #100Days20minptgs, #100DayProject Click here for official webpage.

*****************************************

Did it!!! FINALLY caught up officially! This is the 75th day and wow, looking back it's amazing to see how much has changed and what's been fun to experiment with. I've definitely tried to keep it "light" and not make that much demands on myself. If I did, it wouldn't have happened because it would've been too much pressure. But this is the final push through July to finish which is definitely possible now that I am all caught up. And like I anticipated, just visiting a new place gives such fresh inspiration.

For the past week, it's been like Seattle here (well I hear Seattle is experiencing record-breaking draught!) but raining consistently every day for like 10 days. I think in the lastest couple pieces, that delicate, watery, light, neutral feel crept into my paintings. Haven't seen the sun really since the day after coming back from Colorado. Frustrating cause these are the longest days of the year! Last year we were having a great time at the golf course with our little guy, being outside during weeknights even felt like a treat. Ah well. I'm sure the sun and hot is around the corner . . . it's St. Louis for pete's sake!!

Day 74 - 100 Day Project

Day 74 - 100 Day ProjectFollow me on Instagram @KathrynJNeale, #100Days20minptgs, #100DayProject Click here for official webpage.

*****************************************

Ran out of those canvas boards so now back to paper and you can see/feel the difference. The paint "sticks" and "grabs" more, not gliding on the surface like on the canvas boards. And it's a different look too or can be. I like the randomness of the blue dripping/dropping but with more intention then some of the earlier pieces of this entire series where it was really random. Still kind of abstracting the "landscape" feel that is so dramatic when you think of Colorado. The landscape can't help but completely shape your mental psyche and leaves its mark, even in memory.

Day 72 - 100 Day Project

Day 72 - 100 Day ProjectFollow me on Instagram @KathrynJNeale, #100Days20minptgs, #100DayProject Click here for official webpage.

*****************************************

Really liking the direction the "Colorado" series took last week. They freed my painting up a lot and ended up being very sketch-like. I had to made even faster decisions in those moments because I didn't have a lot of time. Moving into the canvas here, it's even a bit slower just to wait for paint/water to dry (even with hair dryer!) so these ended up being much more "sketch-like" as well. But I'm really liking the delicacy of these past several pieces. Trying to just wait for the paint to do it's thing.

Day 70 - 100 Day Project

Day 70 - 100 Day ProjectFollow me on Instagram @KathrynJNeale, #100Days20minptgs, #100DayProject Click here for official webpage.

*****************************************

Last watercolor, watercolor pencil in this series for now. Having fun with the drawing part of this series and then layering more organic shapes in watercolor paint. You notice the color palette is naturally different. I think that's why I tend to not mix colors because with watercolor you can't pre-mix a lot of colors because they instantly get "muddy." Whereas in oil paints, for example, you have a lot to work with before they get all muddied out. Instead watercolor encourages "layers" of color that makes different colors, what shows through and is translucent, etc. instead of "under-painting" which is more like the oil painting tradition. Opaque colors are a different breed. But I would love to get back into oil painting. All mediums have their pros and cons.

Day 60 - 100 Day Project

Day 60 - 100 Day ProjectFollow me on Instagram @KathrynJNeale, #100Days20minptgs, #100DayProject Click here for official webpage.

*****************************************

Ugh. I don't normally get "attached" to my paintings - it's a very fluid process and you learn to train yourself to let go of "this and that" - meaning what you "like" and "don't like" etc. Instead, you are constantly exploring, experimenting, seeing what is "working" and "not working."

However, sometimes the synchronicity of your decisions come together in a beautiful way aligned with what is working. And you actually start to like it! that's what happened in this piece. The upper left area was quite beautiful - the brush strokes, the decisions I made, and then when I put some yellow in there it was just all working.

Stupidly! I made a HUGE mistake - when only wanting to blot out a certain part, I ended up completely smashing that area into a huge pile of MUD - meaning all the colors ran together to literally create brown, all the beautiful, delicate brush strokes gone and awful. I had to blot as much as I could out but it was still pretty late.

In the end - I only have the memory of what it was for only a couple minutes. UGH. Super sucky!! And then you get "attached" and you get mad. So that's what I did! :)

Day 58 - 100 Day Project

Day 58 - 100 Day ProjectFollow me on Instagram @KathrynJNeale, #100Days20minptgs, #100DayProject Click here for official webpage.

*****************************************

Complete new look for next several days. Several reasons for this include combination of total new scenery reinvigorates you with new imagery and also very practical reasons of traveling.

- In Salida, Colorado for this week visiting my sister and niece (and their new puppy, their old wolf/dog and their beautiful cat) - I actually have to be very strategic with my paints - for traveling purposes I had to bring watercolor which is by far the easiest to paint with and doesn't get everywhere and doesn't ruin clothes or other people's carpet! I also brought some watercolor pencils for drawing and pastel pencils - again super easy to box up and light to travel with. - I don't have the luxury of leaving everything out - my 20-month old son and I are sharing the guest bedroom and I do NOT want him in all my stuff. So I have to work QUICK. - I also have to do several at a time (which is against my original 20-minute painting strategy) but it has to work this way. I don't have lots of time to just sit and get everything out and paint. I have to work around the schedule with my sister and my son. - But what's cool is a totally different look! Obviously uber inspired by the awesome scenery here. Was outside all morning (literally 4.5 hours!) with my son, walking along the river down in the main town area and then walking up and out on a trail towards the mountains. You cannot help but have that kind of imagery in your head. - Therefore, next few pieces are directly inspired by landscape and rocks and water. My favorite themes!

Day 57 - 100 Day Project

Day 57 - 100 Day ProjectFollow me on Instagram @KathrynJNeale, #100Days20minptgs, #100DayProject Click here for official webpage.

*****************************************

Just caught up and now behind! Oh well. Traveling tomorrow to Colorado to see my sister and niece with my boy. I'll have plenty of time to catch up and work on some new watercolors to post. Excited for change of scenery that's for sure.

Day 56 - 100 Day Project

Day 56 - 100 Day ProjectFollow me on Instagram @KathrynJNeale, #100Days20minptgs, #100DayProject Click here for official webpage.

*****************************************