Golden Pears - Show Tip #2

Golden Pears, 18 x 18, oil, L. Daniel © 2016

Sold in Solo Show, "Chasing Color, Finding Light", Davis Gallery

Fruit that is actually growing on the tree seems somehow fruitier, doesn't it? It must have something to do with seeing it in context... how it's connected to the tree, how it grows and how it is nourished. This bunch was on a tree in California and the pears were quite sumptuous. I loved their plumpness and how they were tucked into the boughs. 

Golden Pears Block-In (ultramarine and burnt sienna)

Note that I added a third pear to the bunch as I painted. :)

Tip #2 - Set up Deadlines
I need deadlines to get things done. When I was a graphic designer, I often made appointments to show ideas to clients BEFORE I ever did the work. Having an appointment on the calendar forced me to actually do it. Deadlines just work for me, even if self-imposed. For my show, I need more than just an end date to get all the paintings finished. SO, I figure out how many new pieces I want to include, and divide that number by the number of weeks between now and my finish date (remember to include drying and framing time). That tells me how many paintings I need to finish each week, and I can set my schedule accordingly. Number of paintings / number of weeks = number of paintings per week. (Math is not my strong suit and I inverted the equation in my original post. Sorry. Hopefully you got the gist.)

How does this take away the stress? Well, first of all, it breaks down what could feel like a giant, daunting task into smaller achievable goals. Second, it keeps me from getting bogged down in any single painting and gets me into the flow way faster than if I noodle around on one piece. Third, when I meet my goal each week I can pat myself on the back, AND take a break (it's important to feel human). Yes, even a creative can benefit from keeping a schedule. 

Here is a link to my first tip... more to come and thank you for following along!
Tip #1 - Stock up on Supplies

Painters - join me at this Plein Air Workshop:

April 28-30, Anderson Fine Art Gallery, St. Simons Island, GA

Contact Info: Mary Anderson, 912-634-8414

Three Pears Standing - Thirty of 30 in 30!

Three Pears Standing, 10 x 10, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2015

#30 in 30 Day Challenge

NFS

Goal reached! Paintings painted! Challenge achieved! It feels awfully good and if you were here right now, you would see a silly grin on my face! Now... with one more day left in the month, people keep asking, "what about January 31st?" Well, friends, tomorrow I will post a collage of all thirty paintings and share some thoughts from the journey. So please, please stay tuned.

PS - Yes, things do come full circle. I started with pears and I finished with pears. :)

PSS - Click HERE to visit my blog and see all 30 posts again.

Please join me for these upcoming Workshops:

March 26-29, 2015 | Plein Air | Click here to register: Austin, Texas

April 30-May 2, 2015 | Plein Air | Click here to register: St. Simons Island, GA

Breakfast Doily and Christmas Pears - Two and Three of 30 in 30

Breakfast Doily, 6 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2015

#2 in 30 Day Challenge

Christmas Pears, 6 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2015

#3 in 30 Day Challenge

SOLD

Yes, back to that Harry and David box... don't you LOVE getting pears at Christmas time? Besides being sweet, juicy and delicious, they are the perfect "go to" for painting. 

I got quite a few emails of encouragement for this 30 day endeavor, and I have to tell you it's wonderful to know that friends are out there rooting for me. Thank you so much!

Three Pears

Three Pears, 10 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2014

Workshop Demo

Last weekend I taught a still life workshop here in Austin. I thought I was pretty clever scheduling a warm, indoor workshop in January... and then the polar blast arrived. The city came to a near halt due to ice on roads and overpasses; and we almost had to cancel. But in spite of the wintery threats, we all made our way to the studio and painted lovely fruits and flowers while the storm blew through. This was my demo piece from our first session. Many thanks to my brave students who risked life and limb for art!