Picking up blogging again

Since last January I haven’t written at all. First I wanted a little break after posting a blog every day for 30 days. But this little break got a bit too long I’m sorry to say…

There was plenty to post about but for some reason I couldn’t move myself to do it.

After my ‘30 Paintings in 30 Days’ project I started working on finding a place to exhibit these 30 paintings and then organizing the exhibition itself. It was a lot of work but it was well worth it.

Next I did a commission of 3 savanna animals, I did some illustration work for Dutch magazine
Zone 5300, I started a newsletter to which you can subscribe here, I had my exhibition at the ABC Treehouse and sold a nice amount of art.

After a break of 2 years I started showing my art again at the art market Artplein Spui and now I’m preparing for the open studio at my shared studio Grafisch Collectief Thoets this Sunday June 12^th.

And somewhere in between I celebrated my 40^th birthday.

See, plenty to write about but somehow I just didn’t. Sorry.

My plan is to pick up my weekly blogging. Next week will be about how the open studio turned out!

Looking back at the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

When I first decided to participate in Leslie Saeta’s 30 Painting in 30 Days Challenge I wasn’t sure if this was for me. I wasn’t sure how I would react to the pressure of creating every day, taking a picture every day (considering the murky Dutch weather), posting every day…

After my first aquarelle on January 1^st I knew that the plan I had (drawing insects and flowers from graveyard Huis te Vraag wasn’t going to work. Already I felt a huge resistance to continue.
Next day I made a flower portrait. In my ‘drawing a day’ sketchbook I had been drawing a few flower portraits and decided to continue with those and there wasn’t a day I got bored with it.

Some days I feared not being able to do another one but every morning I would find a fitting face and flower. And in a months’ time I feel like I did grow in the way I told my story.

Lessons learned: I like working on projects like this. I like working on not too many things at the same time. I can (sort of) handle aquarelle paint. I can handle the pressure of having to finish a painting every day for a longer period. I enjoy creating and I can do this every day.

Creating makes me happy and no matter what people from the past or present have told me, I am an artist!

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge – Day 30

The last flower portrait of this challenge. A bit of a creepy one. I was thinking about this composition a while back but didn’t feel comfortable to actually paint it and decided to save it for last.

Thank you Leslie Saeta for this wonderful challenge, I learned so much.

Aquarelle, 25 x 18 cm, +/-10 x 7 inch

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge – Day 29

Both enjoying and regretting the (almost) end of this challenge. Going to miss these flower ladies but also going to be happy about having more freedom in my daily schedule. I learned so much this month (I will get back on that in a later post) and I think it’ll have to show in my upcoming work one way or the other.

Aquarelle, 25 x 18 cm, +/-10 x 7 inch

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge – Day 28

Aquarelle, 25 x 18 cm, +/-10 x 7 inch

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge – Day 27

Another half-way creature.

Aquarelle, 25 x 18 cm, +/-10 x 7 inch

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge – Day 26

So here’s slightly different. Although I was pleased with the result of the portrait/ flower mix I missed having around ‘creatures’ half-way being a person and flower.

Aquarelle, 25 x 18 cm, +/-10 x 7 inch

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge – Day 25

This has been the 7^th portrait of portrait being blended into flower. For the 5 remaining days of this challenge I want to try something slightly different…

Aquarelle, 25 x 18 cm, +/-10 x 7 inch

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge – Day 24

Another beautiful, withered tulip for inspiration.

Aquarelle, 25 x 18 cm, +/-10 x 7 inch

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge – Day 23

Every time I’m sitting down to do these portraits I’m a little scared that I won’t be able to see any faces in the flower reference I have but again and again they keep appearing.

Aquarelle, 25 x 18 cm, +/-10 x 7 inch

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge – Day 22

Parrot tulip in bloom.

Aquarelle, 25 x 18 cm, +/-10 x 7 inch

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge – Day 21

You’ve probably noticed I love how some flowers curl and twist when they wither. The flower I used as a basis for this portrait is a tulip.

Aquarelle, 25 x 18 cm, +/-10 x 7 inch

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge – Day 20

Open your mind?!

Aquarelle, 25 x 18 cm, +/-10 x 7 inch