Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days – Lessons Learned

This was the second time I participated in Leslie Saeta’s ’30 Paintings in 30 Days’ challenge. This September was very different from last January, both the set-up and also the lessons learned.

In January I painted at home, used pictures I made and flowers I bought to make the flower portraits I did.

This past September I got my sketchpad, my painting- and drawing materials, my drawing stool and went on my way to the Amsterdamse Bos (Amsterdam Forest) by bike and then went on by foot.

Being on my way to ‘the spot’ was very much part of the process but also took time. Posting my blog and pictures with it, took more time. So a lot of time went into this project which was hard sometimes. But I did it, I could manage the busy schedule for a whole month!

So in one way I’m glad it’s finished and on the other I’m sad because it also felt very good to spend my days painting and drawing in the forest.

When the weather is good I will probably go back there to draw. This felt too good to quit!

My plan was to spend my time drawing plein air, drawing nature. I love nature but drawing or painting it was a horror to me with all its chaos. During this month I think I moved in the right directing to finding order in this chaos and putting it to paper.

Along the way I added more colour which I think turned out to be a good move. Adding colour gave my work more depth.

Also just sitting down at a nice spot doesn’t make a nice painting/ drawing. I need to pick a subject within the image I want to create and love it! This is wat happened on day 21 where I fell in love with this tree stooping over the path. From that day on I tried to find a tree like that again and again.

Spending more time (love) on one drawing also worked out for the better I think or at least it added to the joy I experienced in making.

These trees still live in my brain, especially the ones that had fallen over. They probably will find their way back as a subject.