My Paintings Process

Practice. The 100 Day Project.

Posted on May 19, 2016

I’ve never been good at keeping a sketchbook, or even painting daily unless I can block off a few studio hours to really paint.  So the idea of creating something every day for 100 days was intimidating, but the idea of pushing myself in that way really excited me.

With a bit of trepidation, on Tuesday, April 19th, I began #the100dayproject, committing to creating every day for 100 days and sharing the results on Instagram.

Working within certain parameters would, I knew, make this process easier to document and control, so I decided to create 100 small artworks on 6×6 vellum ( I’m addicted to these little guys for quick sketches ).  I started with acrylics for the first few pieces, whipping out quick little paintings while I worked on bigger canvases in the studio.

1 of 100_acrylic on vellum_6x6

But I soon switched to watercolor, as it just so happened that the beginning of the project coincided with our prep to move from OR to WA, so the watercolors were much easier to whip out while my acrylics were packed away.

13 of 100_watercolor on vellum_6x6 7 of 100_watercolor on vellum_6x6 22 of 100_watercolor on vellum_6x6 24 of 100_watercolor on vellum_6x6

And I do believe a love affair with watercolor has begun!  A large part of what artists who have participated in #the100dayproject have experienced has been a creative breakthrough or the discovery of a new technique or new palette or approach.  I don’t plan to give up acrylics, but I do think I’ll be exploring watercolor on a larger scale very soon!

You can follow my #the100dayproject progress by following me on Instagram or searching the hashtag #100littleartworks.  There is also now a #100littleartworks page on my artist site that I’ll be updating periodically.

I’m enjoying this new journey!  Have you ever participated in a daily creative challenge?  What did it do for you?

Images by me.

Painter, art and artist consultant, traveler, discoverer-- Lesley Frenz blogs and paints her way throughout the West Coast and Northwest, sharing the work she finds significant and meaningful. All while highly caffeinated.

You Might Also Like

Defining Venters. The Palette.

September 1, 2016

Defining Latitude. The Palette.

March 24, 2016

Inspiration Overload.

June 2, 2016
  • Rene Lynch
    May 19, 2016 at 11:28 AM

    I would love to try…..I did try a 30 day challenge and failed miserably. So glad you like watercolor, my medium of choice. I tend to work on really large pieces, so the idea of a small painting a day really appeals to me.

    • Artsy Forager
      May 20, 2016 at 11:51 AM

      I think giving yourself room to miss a day here and there is key.. The process and journey is more the point than the dailyness of the challenge. I’ve seen other artists commit to “X” number of pieces of work within a given time period, which might be more doable!

  • Erin
    May 22, 2016 at 2:27 AM

    These watercolours are lovely, there is so much texture and depth in their simplicity. I love exploring the tag on instagram and I love seeing the blogs I follow and their projects, as it shows that we’re not all one trick ponies, y’know?
    Erin

    • Artsy Forager
      May 23, 2016 at 9:34 AM

      Erin, thank you for the compliment! And yes, you are completely right! One of the reasons I’m enjoying these watercolor studies so much is that they are different from the way I approach my acrylic paintings. I think too often we pigeonhole artists into the style/subject/medium they are “known” for, while as artists it is our nature to need to explore!