Day 60 - 100 Day Project

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Gallery Opening last Friday night!

Heather Haymart Gallery Heather Haymart Gallery Heather Haymart Gallery Heather Haymart Gallery

So excited to be accepted into the summer season for Heather Haymart Gallery in Chesterfield Mall! The opening was last Friday night. Heather is an artist herself and her mother is an artist that invented "wood icing" painting and technique. The gallery offers workshops for wood icing, milk paint and Annie Sloan chalk paint as well - I can't wait to participate in all of those workshops since working with new paint is always really fun.

It's funny how the Universe works sometimes. I'm remaining open through my 100-day project. I researched online for Annie Sloan paints and found that this gallery was the only one in my vicinity which is amazingly only 15 minutes from my house. Couple months ago I popped in to purchase some samples and was amazed that it was a gallery offering these cool workshops. I signed up for their newsletter and only a month ago spotted a calling for applications for the summer season. I never thought twice but just applied and promptly just left it up to the Universe. Only couple weeks later I was accepted! So fun. Who knows what will become of it, but just to take a step forward after so long, and a step that I'm fulling comfortable with, is saying "YES" to the Universe - I want this track. I have already gotten a taste of what is expected of being a "real artist" is, in the contemporary art gallery environment. It's just not for me. Perhaps I'll write some of my experiences later on the blog because I'm still processessing them. But this step forward seems just right for me right now. And I'm proud to support these women who are making their own careers in art too. Gives me a lot of joy and gratitude.

Day 54 - 100 Day Project

Day 54 - 100 Day ProjectFollow me on Instagram @KathrynJNeale, #100Days20minptgs, #100DayProject Click here for official webpage.

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Still catching up a bit here. I think I have only 2 days more until I'm on time. Although I will get behind again cause next week I'll be in Colorado visiting my sister. I'm taking watercolors cause it's super easy to travel with watercolors and they dry really fast. But I may get behind in posting and updating but that's ok! I'll get back on track when I get back and then hopefully finish strong! :)

Day 53 - 100 Day Project

Day 53 - 100 Day ProjectFollow me on Instagram @KathrynJNeale, #100Days20minptgs, #100DayProject Click here for official webpage.

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Kind of like this one - experimenting with going more all over with the painting. Definitely more rhythmic but I also liked stopping when I could've gone a little further and keeping it rather simple. Still loving drawing with the pastels. Using a medium against what it's "supposed" to be has been fun these past couple weeks. Pastel is a dry medium so obviously mixing it with paint and lots of water, the physical makeup of chalky pastel either makes it completely dissolve in the water, or it rejects the water depending on how much pastel or how much water. And that is fun to experiment with. So don't be afraid to try out different media and use it against what it's "supposed" to do. You could find unexpected freedom in joy in a new method of painting.

Day 51 - 100 Day Project

Day 51 - 100 Day ProjectFollow me on Instagram @KathrynJNeale, #100Days20minptgs, #100DayProject Click here for official webpage.

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Actually couple days behind so this weekend I hope to catch up! Wednesday leaving for CO so I know it will be a while before updating again. But will definitely stay on top of this project.

Tip #2 Play like a kid again (10 Tips for Freestyle Painting)

Paint Like a Kid Again!Tip #2 is to let yourself go like your a little child. Envision a time when you remember playing as a child having so much fun on a creative project (spontaneous, in the moment, delight in each act without judgment, etc. - think of child or your child, they try, try, try, try, try, try and try again until . . . they get it!, squeal with delight! They are so PROUD and want your approval (your inner child wants your approval).

And remember these tips:

- Taking pleasure in the moment not the destination - You are your harshest critic - What does it mean to you to be “artistic?” “an “artist?” creative? intuitive? - Notice your immediate mental reactions to these words and release them with forgiveness and kindness - Now be here in moment, right now. Close eyes. Put on favorite music and put on repeat for 20 minutes. Close eyes, take 3 deep breathes, and start. Don't think! - Slop it on, pool it, have fun - Enjoy the physical act of moving the paint around on your surface with brush, palette knife, any other tool, etc. Really notice how the paint behaves, if you had more water, less water, more oil/mineral spirits, less.

These are all artwork from my son. He's tiny, artwork spanning when he first starts at 6 months to now 20 months. The latest works I love. They are so spontaneous, free and  there's such genuine experimentation. But most of all he does not care at all what happens. It's the sheer joy in the moment of putting that brush with the paint or glue or whatever to the paper. Then he lets it all go and moves on in the day to snack time or play time or whatever. But the marks are there to prove there was something in that moment that he connected with. And that is the feeling of total bliss with yourself, trusting yourself, your intuition and tell your left-brain critic to shut up! Just this once! Who cares?! :)

Paint Like a Kid Again! Paint Like a Kid Again! Paint Like a Kid Again! Paint Like a Kid Again! Paint Like a Kid Again! Paint Like a Kid Again! Paint Like a Kid Again! Paint Like a Kid Again! Paint Like a Kid Again! Paint Like a Kid Again! Paint Like a Kid Again! Paint Like a Kid Again!

Day 50 - 100 Day Project

Day 50 - 100 Day ProjectFollow me on Instagram @KathrynJNeale, #100Days20minptgs, #100DayProject Click here for official webpage.

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Day 50! I'm just 2 days behind I think so this is  a little late but definitely feeling back on track with Day 50. HALF WAY THROUGH! I was in great need of some more inspiration - color-wise, and also switched to some panels (getting tired of just paper). Good decision.

Next week (literally a week from today, Thursday) I will be driving with my son to Colorado to visit my sister and her daughters. Feeling a bit of trepidation to be doing this all by myself but come last night, I feel a renewed sense of urgency. I need a break! I need a pause and I need to just leave my life right now here for a bit. Looking forward to it.