Channeling Grace - Day 28 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Channeling Grace" - 24" x 18" acrylic on paper - $295

Only 2 days to go and while I'm thrilled with being nearly done, I'll miss the process of painting this series.  I may continue it later on, but have a family emergency I'm dealing with that is going to change my old "normal" into something yet to be decided.

So suffice it to say, I'm "Channeling Grace" at the moment - and lots of it while we figure out what our next steps will be. 

Angels - Day 27 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Angels" - 24" x 18" acrylic on paper - $295

There are definitely Angels walking among us - I see it every day but especially more than ever as my Mom continues her healing journey.  She's still in the hospital but doing a little better every day.  I know the Angels were by her side when we trekked to the ER last Saturday - and please don't think I'm crazy but I feel them by her still.  I don't feel it's her time to leave quite yet, but I do feel they are lining up their forces to ease the journey ahead - one we all have coming one day.

 

Inspire - Day 26 of the 30 paintings in 30 Days

"Inspire" - 18" x 24" acrylic on paper - $295

I only watched a small portion of the Winter Olympics these past couple of weeks but Sunday night I watched the closing ceremony for the event and literally choked up with pride and admiration.  What an accomplishment these young athletes have achieved!

I can't begin to imagine the years they've trained to be where they are today.  All of the pain, sweat and tears simply for an event that is generally over with in minutes.   

Where do they go from here?  I'm sure some will move on to huge endorsements, fame and fortune.  Others will continue to train so they can compete again in another Olympics.  Most will go home a hero to their nation, family and friends.  And others may leave feeling huge guilt from defeat, not knowing their presence changed the lives of so many people watching from afar.

For me, each and every one of the participants are gold-medal heroes and have every reason to be proud, because getting where they did was a huge feat.  The years of training sacrifices have paid off and led them to the zenith of athletic events.

What true inspirations, each and every one of these amazing athletes, and I thank them all for sharing their journey with us.

Faith - Day 25 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Faith" - 18" x 24" acrylic on paper - $295

I've noticed when I create these paintings the word that pops into my head tend to be precognitive. 

This painting was created two days ago and I thought to myself "Yay - I'm getting ahead again!" but little did I know at the time that "Faith" would be exactly what I needed in the days ahead.

I literally spent the entire day yesterday at the ER with my 88-year old mother who was finally admitted to the hospital with highly contagious RSV aka Respiratory Syncytial Virus.  I had been pretty sure when I took her in that it was pneumonia, but when test after test came back negative, the doctors decided to do a nose swab and found the virus present in her body.

To be honest, I was thrilled all the tests were negative, but I was scared to death they were going to send her home and she was struggling to breathe.  I am honestly not equipped or prepared to handle that, and was freaking out over what to do.

So I just called in a few Angel pals of mine and said "handle this" and shortly afterwards, the doc came in and said they were admitting her.

So "Faith" came in pretty handy yesterday, and now I'm out of paintings so I need to get thy bootey back into the studio!  I can't begin to imagine what words will be popping out of my mind over the next few days, but I'm thinking "Heal" and "Don't You Catch It Too!" might be good options. 

Fate - Day 24 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Fate" - 18" x 24" acrylic on paper - $295

Do you believe in fate?  That you have a predetermined destiny in life or outcome for a situation?  I am a believer, and have been for most of my life. 

I know I was born to be an artist, and when I neglect that part of my being, I become stressed and overwhelmed.  As soon as I get back in the studio or am doing something creative, whether it be cooking or rearranging my cupboards, it's like the valve on my inner pressure cooker is released, and the steam can escape.

I equate it to falling in love at first sight.  You know there's a deep connection to the other person and you just have to join together.  If you don't, you find you can't stop thinking about the person and it will drive you crazy until you are finally able to meet again.

This is my relationship with art.  I love it - I know I'm supposed to be doing it - and I'm in my element when I'm making it.  Whenever I ignore it, or let life take precedence over my artistic inclinations, I get anxious and out of sorts.

I basically took the last 6 months off from making art, and this challenge has propelled me back into my artistic zone once again.  I can't begin to tell you how wonderful this feels! 

So I feel it's important to make friends with fate, and for me it's critical that I listen to fate when it whispers in my ear "do something creative." 

Welcome back, my dear friend fate - it's good to have you here again.

Growth - Day 23 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Growth" - 24" x 18" acrylic on paper - $295

I've lost track of how many of these 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenges I've done over the past few years, but I can tell you that every time I do one of these events, I experience major personal growth.  And I've found there appears to be a pattern with my creativity process.  It goes something like this:

1.  Right on - sounds like a great idea so count me in!
2.  Figure out a theme and get 'er done.
3.  Start prepping all the substrates so I'm ready to roll.
4.  Set aside a place in the house where I can work uninterrupted for a month.
5.  Tell my Self I'm going to start making 2-30 paintings at a time so I can get ahead and not stress.
6.  Post my daily painting to Leslie Saeta's 30 Paintings in 30 Days blog
7.  Plan a marketing scheme that includes uploading to ETSY, Artfinder, my blog, FB, Instagram, and Saatchi each and every day.
8.  Days 1-7 go very well - actually exactly as planned. 
9.  I get an out of town job and scramble, using each and every piece I made to "get ahead" and am up until 2:00 a.m. making more art to cover the time I'll be away.
10.  Get back from the job, working 12x as hard to play catch-up in my office then force myself to take a break in the studio to make art.
11.  The art is going amazingly well since I don't seem to care as much so I make a couple pieces using the wild-abandon approach.
12.  Almost caught up and looking forward to getting ahead again.
13.  Eureka!  Caught up and am one painting ahead.
14.  Friend calls to go to dinner so of course I go and have 3 glass of wine which kills my brain.
15.  This day is toast.  Brain is fried.  Upload my one extra painting and grin, thinking I won.
16.  Feeling good and head into the studio to knock out a couple more pieces.
17.  Score!  I've got 5 pieces done and am on top of the world.  Of course it's OK to take a break because after all, I've worked SOoooo hard.
18.  Friend calls to go shoe shopping - got to go.  Upload photos on the blog and figure I'll take care of the rest when I get back.
19.  Am back.  Tired.  I. Am. A. SLUG.  F.... art.
20.  Feeling better - back in the studio for a gentle session of intuitive painting.
21.  Apparently my intuition decided it needed a break too, so I'm stuck with finger painting like a maniac, finding new undiscovered colors of mud.  Not sure this is right.
22.  Tell my Self it's OK to fall behind.  In fact it's A-OK to just chuck the whole notion altogether to eat Twinkies and drink wine. 
23.  I'm out of paintings, and there's no where to go.
24.  Finally kicked my butt into the studio and am looking at all the work I've done these past 3 weeks and tell myself "good job - I didn't make crap."
25.  Start flinging gesso onto the paper surface to prep more pieces.  After all, there's only a few more days left. 
26.  Friends come by trying to drown me in margaritas.  I show amazing resolve and only drink 2. 
27.  I'm just painting now - the rest of the social media postings can just wait.  I'm busy.
28.  Somehow I managed to catch up and even made a little collage of some of my favorite pieces.  Ahhhhh......
29.  WOW - someone actually BOUGHT one of my pieces of art that I uploaded on one of my on-line galleries.  SCORE!  I run to the studio; pack up the piece and ship it out.  Then head back and start knocking out the final piece.
30.  DONE.  Finito.  Completion.  Such a feeling of accomplishment - I can't begin to express the feelings I feel when this is all done and over with.  I freaking just painted 30 paintings in 30 days.  And I sold one.  And there are several more in the cart (which means someone likes them but haven't quite decided to buy, which usually just means squat).
31.  Make up my collage of my 30 paintings and drool.  Doesn't matter what I make or how they look - the point of the matter is I finished creating 30 paintings. 

Now I need to play catch up and upload all the work into my galleries.....an artist's work is never done.

Laugh - Day 22 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days

"Laugh" - 18" x 24" acrylic on paper

I was laughing when I started this piece, thinking of how excited I had been to start the challenge and confident I was that I'd be able to make a group of paintings at one time and be "ahead" of the deadlines.  I even set up my painting area in my glass studio where I have 10x more room to paint and could easily work on 5-6 or more pieces at one time.

But NOooooooo.....

I'm painting in one space in one little area with all my paints and supplies surrounding the paper, and doing each piece one at a time.

So much for staying ahead and making all of these organization plans.

But - I haven't fallen behind and that's huge.  So I'm cutting my Self a little slack and just laughing about my expectations that fell awry.

Such is life - apparently this is how I roll and try as I might to change it and be like my uber organized friends and colleagues, it's just the way I am.

Listen - Day 21 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Listen" - 18" x 24" acrylic on paper - $295


......something we all wish others and ourselves would do more of.....

Believe - Day 20 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Believe" - 18" x 24" acrylic on paper - $295

I still believe in magic, unicorns, fairies and try to have faith that there is good in every single living Soul.  Sometimes it's easier to believe in the magic, unicorns and fairies than the latter, but I have to believe we all have redeeming factors, somewhere deep inside our psyches.

With so many events lately that challenge these beliefs, I often turn off the news and retreat into my studio where I can live in my own little fantasy world.  It's my escape from reality, and for me, it's a much happier place.

Grateful - Day 19 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Grateful" - 18" x 24" acrylic on paper - $295

Beyond grateful.

And I have to say I like the simplicity and lack of color with this piece.  I hope to add a few more like it to the "Silence Between the Noise" series - it feels very peaceful to me. 

Love - Day 18 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Love" - 18" x 24" acrylic on paper - $295

Not much to say about this piece - the word gets somewhat lost in the chaos but it's still there, etched deep into the paper (and our Souls).

It's a good thing.

Imagine - Day 17 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge"

"Imagine" - 24" x 18" acrylic on paper - $295

Simply imagine all the possibilities.....that's all.

Fly - Day 16 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Fly" - 18" x 24" acrylic on paper - $295

Woohoo - halfway through the challenge and the end is in sight!  Don't get me wrong - I love being back in the studio again, but there are so many things happening around me right now that I'm pretty overwhelmed. 

When I get like this I just want to fly away, somewhere quiet and preferably by the ocean where I can dig my feet into the sand and listen to the endless waves. 

I think a beach trip is definitely in order when this challenge is over - perhaps that will be my "carrot" only I'll probably drive since my favorite beaches are only a couple hours away. 

I'm feeling better already, just thinking about it!

Strength - Day 15 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Strength - 18" x 24" acrylic on paper - $295

My mother often says/mutters "God give me strength" and lately I've had more than a few of those moments when I've had to say the very same thing.  And I somehow manage to get through whatever I'm going through and move on to the next situation. 

Such is life, no? 

And strength is what has gotten me through to the half-way mark of this challenge.  It hasn't been an easy month for me in many ways, but I'm determined to get my paintings done and finish what I started.

People ask why I continue to put my Self through such stress when I'm clearly juggling a LOT of things right now.  And I tell them I do it because at the end of the challenge, I will be filled with a joy and knowledge that confirms just how strong I was; how I managed to keep things together and exactly what a huge accomplishment I just achieved.

And let's not forget how much fun I'm having being back in the studio again after a 6+ month sabbatical. 

I'm on the home stretch now and can't wait to see what the next 15 days bring. I know I can do this - I'm strong.

Know - Day 14 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Know" - 18" x 24" acrylic on paper - $295

This is one of those piece that just kind of scream out to you in a variety of fashions.  Subtle yet loud as a freight train; soft and hard at the same time.  It's deep but not too philosophical, and gentle but firm.  It's one of those "I know what I know I know" pieces that told me to "stop - you're done." 

And I knew it was right.

Try - Day 13 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Try" - 24" x 18" acrylic on paper - $295

Well, I tried and tried and tried again to the get the metallic gold to photograph on the painting and it was a massive fail.  I've never been much of a metallic person but there's something about this gold dust that gives the pieces a final touch that leaves a rich impression.  Hard to explain and even hard to capture with a camera, but it's there. 

Feel - Day 12 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Feel" - 18" x 24" acrylic on paper - $295

One thing I've learned in my human experience on earth is that we all have an inner voice that guides us where we need to be.  The difficult part of hearing the voice is we have so much noise going on in the background with a brain that thinks logically versus abstractly that we ignore the voice (and our gut) and proceed with what we believe is right, based on history, facts, and what others tell us.

I can't begin to tell you how many times I "knew" something but went with my logical side (or followed the crowd) instead.  And the number of fails, heartbreak and loss that occurred because of what seemed like a no-brainer turned out to be a disaster.

Life lessons - and it's taken me almost 60 years of being on this earth to learn that our answers really do lie within us. 

This series "Silence Between the Noise" is based on finding those answers by letting the noise fade and plucking the delicate wisdom that waits quietly for us to acknowledge and propel them into our reality. 

We really do have the answers, and we do indeed know what's right, wrong, safe or dangerous for us.  The issue is learning to trust that feeling - especially when it's not what we want to hear!

So here's to life lessons, feelings within and allowing the knowledge to seep into our consciousness.  I think it's more fun to paint them than personally go through them, but then that's me living my human experience.  :-)

Hope - Day 11 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Hope" - 24" x 18" acrylic on paper - $295

.....and from yesterday's "Peace" offering comes "Hope" - another lively little number with lots of colors, drips and swirls. 

Peace - Day 10 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Peace" - 24" x 18" acrylic on paper - $295

There's more shiny metallic gold dust floating on the top layer of this painting, though it's nearly impossible for me to capture its beauty!  I like working with the gold as it gives an extra "umph" to the finish of a piece.  You don't necessarily see it when you look at the piece straight on, but as you walk to the side, you're gifted with a new visual experience of wispy swirls of rich gold.

It felt right to add the dust on this piece - an important message worth its weight in gold. 

Sea - Day 9 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Sea" - 24" x 18" acrylic on paper - $295

Try as I might, I simply cannot escape wanting to do some type of tribute to my favorite place on earth, the ocean.  This piece reminds me of the swirling water in a tide pool, with little sea creatures scurrying about, trying desperately to get back out to sea.  There may even be a jellyfish or two in here.....with a star-lit night!

Ego - Day 8 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Ego" - 24" x 18" acrylic on paper - $295

I'm loving these colors and the wild texture!  Day 8 means only 22 more days to go.....what will that look like?  Time will tell.

Dream - Day 7 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Dream" - acrylic on paper - 24" x 18" - $295

Today's painting is called "Dream" which seems fitting since all of the layers seem to bring me into a dream state just looking at them.  I added some black and white line pieces into this painting and will probably add them to more paintings in this series.  The little splotches of color reminds me of flowers in a mystical garden....maybe I really am dreaming!!

Soar - Day 6 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Soar" - 18" x 24" acrylic on paper - $295

I really liked the colors and contrasts with this piece, and the addition of the asemic writing.  I'm working on 10 new paintings right now, and all are in various stages.  With work being absolutely crazy, it's been a bit challenging getting in the studio as much as I'd like.  Here's hoping I can get a jump on these new works and get ahead of the clock.  I seem to do my best work under pressure, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed this works with art too! 

Be - Day 5 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Be" - 24" x 18" acrylic on paper - $295

I'm finding I'm more present during these intuitive painting sessions, and just enjoying the moment for what it is.  In my other works, I am constantly thinking of a solution for a color problem or a composition issue and at times feel like I'm solving a puzzle versus just painting to paint.

I'm trusting that whatever I do is A-OK, and if I don't like it I can always gesso it away.  But I'm also finding that those little "mistakes" often turn out to be a favorite part of the end piece!  For example - in the lower right corner underneath the work "Be" I was playing with my fingers in the paint and decided to make some dots in the paint.  I had some more at the top and covered them up; but am glad I left the bottom ones alone.  They add another dimension to the painting and remind me of lush green treetops growing on a purple mountain, with their foliage waving back and forth through a misty cloud.

And the metallic gold powder makes another appearance in this painting.  It's hard to photograph but I've got some wisps of gold at the top and center of the piece.

I'm looking forward to adding more pieces like this to the "Silence Between the Noise" series.  If you want to see more of my work or purchase this painting, check out my ETSY shop.  I offer FREE SHIPPING to the continental USA!

A Golden Opportunity - Day 4 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge"

"A Golden Opportunity" - 24" x 18" - acrylic on paper - $295

You never know when "A Golden Opportunity" is around the corner, just waiting for you to accept.  Intuitive painting has a way of opening your mind to seeing and feeling things differently than before.  Letting go and painting without rules and total abandonment lets your Inner Child loose and you will find it's not the end result that matters most; it's the journey along the way.

This painting has metallic gold that's hard to photograph but makes a perfect ending to the "message received" painting session. 

Breathe - Day 3 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Breathe" - 18" x 24" acrylic on paper - $295

“Breathe” - I often find myself holding my breath when I’m painting and I don’t know why. Maybe it’s the anticipation of what’s to come? Hmmm..... do you do this too?? 

Here is Day 3's offering for the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge.  I'm so excited to have a whole weekend to play in the studio!  Feels like Christmas all over again.  I'm planning on working on quite a few pieces at one time, so we shall see what transpires.

I'm also going to try doing some Instagram Stories of the process and maybe add a video or two.  If you want to follow me on Instagram here you can see the stories when they're so up!

Trust - Day 2 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

"Trust" - 18" x 24" acrylic on paper - $295

Sometimes it’s hard to stop adding features and last minute touches to a painting, but when a title pops into my head while I’m working I have learned to trust it’s time to stop and say “done.” For this piece, I was wondering if I really wanted to keep pursuing this style again (old for me and very #cytwombly) but “Trust” popped into my mind and I am listening.

Boy, am I listening......

Silence Between the Noise - a new series for another 30 paintings in 30 days challenge.

"Talk to Me" - 24" x 18" acrylic on paper - $295

It's been a long while since I've painted or posted or done any art in general.  Last May I did three big shows in two weeks and it just wore me out.  Sometimes I do that to my Self and I swear I won't push like that again, only to find I do it and do it twice as well :-0

So I gave my Self permission to take some time off.  Time off from doing shows, and participating in challenges.  The only show I did do was the Sac Open Studio Tour, which I had signed up for in February, 2017 and I was committed to do it.  And I'm glad I did - sales were fabulous and I met a lot of new collectors.

I also taught 18 Holiday Ornament fused glass classes in my glass studio in October through December.  And a few collage classes too.....so I haven't been a total artist slug!

And I did do some small seascapes.  Little babies that are 2.5" x 5" up to 3.5" x 6."  They all fit in small 5" x 7" mats and can be found on my new ETSY site called "Whispers to the Sea" where I'll be selling ocean paintings, calendars, and other shore-related goodies.

I promised some people I would start painting larger seascapes and planned on doing a new series of them for this new "30 Paintings in 30 Days" challenge, but just couldn't get excited.  I really, really tried but I just felt kind of "ugggmphhhh" about it. 

But - I did get excited about working with charcoal, pastels colored pencils and graphite!  And gesso and acrylics.  And quickly prepped 30 sheets of paper and started playing around, just having fun.  And here's the first piece from that little studio romp!  It's called "Talk to Me" and you can see it some close-ups here.  It's the first of (hopefully) 30 new works from my brand new series called "Silence Between the Noise." 

It feels really good to be making art again and even better because I'm having fun.  Getting burned out helped with my decision to pull back and take care of me.  It's hard for me to do this because I'm so used to taking care of everyone else, but art has always been my grounding force and it keeps me sane when things are just crazy.

I can't wait to see what else comes from this series - it's a lot of fun to paint with total abandon and the addition of words into the paint is purely intuitive.  If a word pops into my head, I just etch it into the paint.  Some will stay and others will go.....but this first one just screamed to be "Talk to Me."  So there it is, in all it's glory.  I hope you like it and the others to come. 

Please feel free to leave me a comment or send me an email - I'd love to hear from you!  You can also see some of my work on my Instagram feed.  And if you want to purchase my art, you can buy it here on my Judy Jacobs Art ETSY store or my Artfinder store.