In yesterday’s post I introduced the 33 Paintings in 33 Days Project that Fairbanks artist Nikki Kinne and I agreed to undertake with an eye toward sharing simple playful paintings across the distance between Wisconsin and Alaska. We are both ‘juggling women’ with too many balls in the air most of the time, so to make this commitment we had to be comfortable with allowing ourselves to accept what the day allowed as we made room for our daily painting.
We decided the paintings may serve as our warm up art exercises for the day, but we both know that consistent and regular attention to painting moves artists forward quickly. A painting each day, no matter how small or quick will represent a commitment to our art process that just might become a very useful habit! When you start the day with any kind of art making it establishes a mental frame of mind that stays with you all day. You see the world through an artist’s eyes, which makes you eager to get back to the studio as soon as possible.
We have agreed to make a painting a day, any size (from artist trading card sized on up), in any style, as loose or tight and as fast or slow as our mood and the obligations of the day require. Nikki, a wonderful plein air painter, has decided not to use photographs for any of her paintings. I may use photographs I take myself if its a for painting that is complicated or time consuming, or just to document source materials . Our goal is to carry on a visual conversation for a month and three days to keep us in contact, and challenge ourselves to relax and play a little in our art making. No rules beyond 33 paintings in 33 days.
Here you see our first small paintings that launch our experiment participating in the Daily Painting Movement, if only for a month and three days. Nikki’s first painting is an on site painting from the shore of the Yukon River in Alaska (which seems very exotic to me).
For my first little painting I start with the familiar and go to my favorite meditative process of painting the dendrites and spirals in the form of a spiraling branch.
We hope you enjoy our creative journey. Thank you for joining us!
(Nikki’s artwork can also be seen at Co-op Arts in Fairbanks, as well as on her artist website.)
11 comments
Helen thanks for putting this together.
Wanting to see more!!!!
More coming!
I think this is a great idea, and want to mention your blog in the Fairbanks Watercolor Newsletter – I hope you don’t mind! I’ll go on upstairs and do a little painting before I write the President’s Palette in the current newsletter.
Helen Howard
We would love you to mention this blog far and wide!
How super fun! Soon enough I will be able to do a challenge like this for myself. You both are such inspiration!
Love it! Looking forward to watching the paintings unfold as the 33 days pass….going to be a wonderful journey for artists and viewers alike!
I usually sketch every evening while sitting in front of the TV. I’d say while “watching” TV, but I don’t do much watching – mostly sketching with pen. I’m going to try to turn one of my sketches each evening into a finished product – – to try to keep up with both of you. Thanks for the inspiration!!
This is wonderful Bev. I hope you will share a link to your favorite results with us!
I did a nice watercolor sketch of Immaculate Conception steeple and roof today from Julia’s Cafe. Thanks for the good example you are setting.
Helen Howard
If you post the image anywhere Helen, post a link for us! And, thank you for the encouragement.
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