Finite! 30 Abstract Figurative Paintings in 30 Days

Collage of the 30 Paintings I completed in 30 Days

The 30 Paintings in 30 Days challenge is over and I must say I am thrilled I completed it despite a LOT of things that were going on around me.  When I decided to do the challenge (my 3rd) I originally planned on doing abstracts again.  Then I thought I wanted to paint animals in a fun, more illustrative manner.  But a voice inside said "go for the abstract figures" which had always been challenging for me, and I'm glad I listened. 

I didn't want to concentrate on features as much as I wanted to test my ability to paint forms and the various squiggle lines just sort of happened midway through the process......I had recently taken a Reiki class and wanted to portray energy with the figures.  I'm still not sure about using the lines around the shapes vs. using accent lines, but will have to wait and see.

I enjoyed mixing up some new favorite colors too!  I normally use Golden and Lukas paints but pulled out some old Matisse acrylics from Australia and started blending all three brands with each other.  One of my favorite blends was Matisse Southern Ocean Blue with Golden Primary Yellow or Indian Yellow which turned into a rich pea green.  Another mix was Golden Dioxazine Violet with Matisse Australian Sienna and Utrecht Bright White.  Blending complements with white and playing with the amounts of each color made me feel like a chemist and I loved the rich neutral colors that appeared.

Truth be told, I'm relieved the challenge is over and now I can play catch-up with some of the things that have slipped by the wayside (ie getting taxes ready for the accountant, cleaning house, and organizing my garage/studio).  During this time I also moved my studio out of the ArtHouse and needed to find room for all the things I had been storing there.  I'm feeling rather unsettled with my home and my garage studio being a mess.

This morning after the last panel was posted I went to pack up all the paints and organize the studio but instead I found myself sketching out three figurative scenes on three 20" x 20" canvases.   I guess I just can't help myself.....painting is just in my blood!!