Monday, April 30, 2012

Day 9


Magic Beans, 6 x 6 inch oil on panel
© 2012 Kathleen Coy

I LOVE this painting! This one exemplifies my whole daily painting project better than any other so far - out of the box subject matter for me and experimenting with technique - these brushstrokes and edges are what I was reaching for.

Look at the bottom coffee bean. I love the loose edges on that one the best. The beans went down first, without much of a defined shape, and I sort of 'carved them out' with broad strokes of the background color.

I love this look - loose, painterly, yet absolutely representational.

This painting makes me happy. (And the coffee beans made my studio smell really good.)

Friday, April 27, 2012

Day 8


All that Remains, 6 x 6 inch, oil on panel
SOLD

All that remains of breakfast, that is. 

I really wanted this one to turn out more loose and painterly than it did. Loose and painterly is not my default setting, but it is something that I want to work on getting better at. 

I do like the soft colors. 

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Day 7


Blue Mug, 6 x 6 inch oil on panel
© 2012 Kathleen Coy
SOLD

The subject for this painting is one of my husbands mugs. For those who don't know, he's a part time potter. This won't be the first time his work shows up in my daily paintings.

I love the two different blues on the inside and outside of the mug. It was fun trying to get the paint to look like glazed pottery. Not crazy about the edges, but overall I like it.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Day 6


Korean War Veteran, 6 x 6 inch oil on panel
© 2012 Kathleen Coy


This is a painting of my husband's granddad's lighter that he had during the Korean War. It's not a zippo type lighter, on the bottom it says it's a "Whirlwind Superlative Automatic Lighter" made by Penguin. I think it's pretty neat.

It's sitting on a small wooden box I got from his other grandpa. I like that something of both of his grandfathers are in this piece.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Day 5


Egg in a Glass Bowl, 6 x 6 inch oil on panel
© 2012 Kathleen Coy
SOLD

I think this is my favorite one so far. I love the looseness of it, the shadows, and the colors of the raw egg white and yolk.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Day 4, It's Cloud!


Watching, 5 x 7 inch oil on panel
© 2012 Kathleen Coy
NFS

Well, you knew my dog Cloud would have to show up sometime in this challenge, and it's pretty safe to say it won't be the last. ;-)

This is one of the few times I've ever painted a dog alla prima (all in one sitting), and am still getting the hang of it, but that's one of the reasons for this challenge - my larger paintings take days or weeks, and I want to learn more about the alla prima, looser brushwork style.

I really enjoyed this one.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Day 3


Golden Delicious, 6 x 6 inch oil on panel
© 2012 Kathleen Coy
Click for purchase information.

Same apple posing for me as yesterdays post, but I wanted to paint it again to do better at making it fit the scale of these small panels this time.

I like this one a LOT better!

The colors are so rich and yummy, and I'm really happy with the edges. I love the detail of the old crate. The reflected light in the shadow is beautiful.

Color me happy!

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Day 2


Apple, 6 x 6 inch oil on panel
© 2012 Kathleen Coy


After the detailed painting of day one, I needed something simpler. There are things I really like about this piece.

• I absolutely love these colors together.
• Some of the edges are not bad.
• I like the little bits of the underpainting peeking through.

But I'm still getting comfortable painting in this small format, and I feel like the apple is too big. And the shadow looks kind of boring to me.

But it was still fun. And I really am digging these colors..!

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

The Reason for the Challenge

I've been slightly in awe of the daily painting movement, and have wanted to try it for a while now. I've decided it's time to jump in.

The plan is, in addition to my larger studio work, to post one small painting a day, for a year. I get weekends off. There may be days when I paint two, just so I have a few in reserve in case of travel or sick days.

The reasoning for this challenge is pretty simple - I want to grow as a painter. I want to experiment with colors I don't normally use, try different brushes and techniques, get back to basics and practice my values, edges, and brush work. Strengthen my foundation, so to speak.

I'm ready to become more focused and disciplined. Posting daily to this blog will get me back in the habit of blogging regularly, and will keep me accountable. I really feel that this challenge will be good for me.

And last but not least, this is a practice in vulnerability, which (thanks to Brene' Brown) I've recently learned is a strength, not a weakness. I may do a bad painting some days. I'm human. As someone who struggles with perfectionism, I'm ready to be open to letting the world see that. We're all learning, growing, and doing the best we can.

I look forward to this project, and I hope you enjoy following along.

And now, I present to you painting #1.


Chicken Timer, 6x6 inch oil on panel
© 2012 Kathleen Coy
SOLD

I like the hard and soft edges, and the blue background reflected in the chicken. I learned that smooth, shiny, man-made objects are definitely a challenge to paint!