Comments on: Alighting the Shadows http://www.artmakr.com/alighting-the-shadows/ making art simple through tips tutorials and articles on art and living the artist life Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:08:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: Sandra Flood http://www.artmakr.com/alighting-the-shadows/#comment-155 Sandra Flood Tue, 18 Dec 2007 20:26:54 +0000 http://www.artmakr.com/alighting-the-shadows/#comment-155 Daily painting has always been there. Creating a new piece a day is an excellent way to develop your skill as a painter, but painting every day is just as good. One of the problems I have with the "movement" on the net is that there is a lot of really good little paintings just given away on E-bay. Artists are letting good original pieces go for less then a digital print and I feel it just cheapens their work and the work of others. The other problem I have with just painting one piece a day is you can get into a rut . You get too comfortable with a technique and you miss out on the challenges of working larger. Working large is a whole different animal. However you as the artist knows what works or does not work for you. Only you know what you want out of painting. I have one friend who paints about one small piece a day and he says he would get bored to death if he had to spend more time then that on one painting. So to each his own! Daily painting has always been there. Creating a new piece a day is an excellent way to develop your skill as a painter, but painting every day is just as good.

One of the problems I have with the “movement” on the net is that there is a lot of really good little paintings just given away on E-bay. Artists are letting good original pieces go for less then a digital print and I feel it just cheapens their work and the work of others.

The other problem I have with just painting one piece a day is you can get into a rut . You get too comfortable with a technique and you miss out on the challenges of working larger. Working large is a whole different animal.

However you as the artist knows what works or does not work for you. Only you know what you want out of painting. I have one friend who paints about one small piece a day and he says he would get bored to death if he had to spend more time then that on one painting.

So to each his own!

]]> By: Neil Hollingsworth http://www.artmakr.com/alighting-the-shadows/#comment-131 Neil Hollingsworth Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:50:16 +0000 http://www.artmakr.com/alighting-the-shadows/#comment-131 I flirted with the PAD idea in early 2006. At the time I was actively listing small paintings on ebay for auction. Friend and fellow artist Karin Jurick told me about this daily painting movement that was building in popularity, and suggested I try it. So, for one month I painted a 6x6 each day. I thought that the time limitation would in some way loosen up my style, and give my work a more "painterly" quality. By the end of that month I had produced 30 paintings I wasn't particularly proud of. They weren't bad, they just weren't completed to my satisfaction. I found that the process for me was more about beating the clock, than creating a satisfactory painting. That was the extent of my PAD experience. It did take me out of my comfort zone for a while, but I realized very quickly that it would be a short-lived venture. The kind of work I enjoy requires multiple layers, and that takes time. I know that the PAD works for many artists, but for me it was a square peg in a round hole. In the years since my venture into the PAD movement I've been fortunate to have been taken on by a number of galleries, all of whom want larger paintings. This has also taken me out of my comfort zone, but in a way that is more conducive to my style. It's all about finding what works for you. I flirted with the PAD idea in early 2006. At the time I was actively listing small paintings on ebay for auction. Friend and fellow artist Karin Jurick told me about this daily painting movement that was building in popularity, and suggested I try it. So, for one month I painted a 6×6 each day. I thought that the time limitation would in some way loosen up my style, and give my work a more “painterly” quality.
By the end of that month I had produced 30 paintings I wasn’t particularly proud of. They weren’t bad, they just weren’t completed to my satisfaction. I found that the process for me was more about beating the clock, than creating a satisfactory painting.
That was the extent of my PAD experience. It did take me out of my comfort zone for a while, but I realized very quickly that it would be a short-lived venture. The kind of work I enjoy requires multiple layers, and that takes time.
I know that the PAD works for many artists, but for me it was a square peg in a round hole. In the years since my venture into the PAD movement I’ve been fortunate to have been taken on by a number of galleries, all of whom want larger paintings. This has also taken me out of my comfort zone, but in a way that is more conducive to my style. It’s all about finding what works for you.

]]> By: Debi McSwain http://www.artmakr.com/alighting-the-shadows/#comment-130 Debi McSwain Tue, 11 Dec 2007 17:46:36 +0000 http://www.artmakr.com/alighting-the-shadows/#comment-130 I began a painting a day series on September 25th and it has done wonders for me. I have always had a bit of a problem with discipline and now my blog gives me just the incentive that I needed. Since starting the PAD I have produced work that I am happy with and work that I deplore, but no matter. I accept the dark side. The other problem that I see happening a bit is that I am painting small pieces now which is new for me and I do tend to neglect my larger pieces. I have three unfinished large canvases as I write this. I do my small piece, blog it and then move on to my work with horses and my dreaded domestic duties. BUT AT LEAST I AM MIXING AND MASHING PAINT EVERY DAY. That gives me great joy and satisfaction. I began a painting a day series on September 25th and it has done wonders for me. I have always had a bit of a problem with discipline and now my blog gives me just the incentive that I needed. Since starting the PAD I have produced work that I am happy with and work that I deplore, but no matter. I accept the dark side. The other problem that I see happening a bit is that I am painting small pieces now which is new for me and I do tend to neglect my larger pieces. I have three unfinished large canvases as I write this. I do my small piece, blog it and then move on to my work with horses and my dreaded domestic duties. BUT AT LEAST I AM MIXING AND MASHING PAINT EVERY DAY. That gives me great joy and satisfaction.

]]> By: Peter Yesis http://www.artmakr.com/alighting-the-shadows/#comment-129 Peter Yesis Tue, 11 Dec 2007 14:30:50 +0000 http://www.artmakr.com/alighting-the-shadows/#comment-129 This is a great topic. I think that every painter comes to daily painting on a different path.The daily painting blogs may not be a "movement" in art but they are a new way that artists have to communicate, share and sell their work. Pitfalls come with every method or routine of painting. Daily painting is no exception. Being part of a large group can make it is easy to fall into several traps. These traps or habits can sneak up on you and keep you from doing your best work or worse replace easel time with screen time. I started daily painting as a way to build confidence in myself and to build a habit of discipline by practicing everyday. Everything else comes second. The everyday part is a goal, the direction I aim for, but I am not consumed by it. To stay out of the pitfalls of any routine yo should keep returning to your core motivation. Why are you an artist? Like any routine, it has to be fun. If you don't enjoy it it won't last. This is a great topic. I think that every painter comes to daily painting on a different path.The daily painting blogs may not be a “movement” in art but they are a new way that artists have to communicate, share and sell their work.

Pitfalls come with every method or routine of painting. Daily painting is no exception. Being part of a large group can make it is easy to fall into several traps. These traps or habits can sneak up on you and keep you from doing your best work or worse replace easel time with screen time.

I started daily painting as a way to build confidence in myself and to build a habit of discipline by practicing everyday. Everything else comes second. The everyday part is a goal, the direction I aim for, but I am not consumed by it. To stay out of the pitfalls of any routine yo should keep returning to your core motivation. Why are you an artist?

Like any routine, it has to be fun. If you don’t enjoy it it won’t last.

]]> By: Jiddje http://www.artmakr.com/alighting-the-shadows/#comment-128 Jiddje Tue, 11 Dec 2007 09:26:26 +0000 http://www.artmakr.com/alighting-the-shadows/#comment-128 I also joined the PAD-movement in July this year. I painted and posted one painting a day, or at least 22 or so a month. Subjects are not hard to find. When you take a good look, subjects are all around you. But after a while, I gave it a little thought. What is my goal? Do I want to produce and post one painting a day? Or do I want to make paintings that makes ME happy? I decided to go for the last one. I want to think what to paint, how to paint it, think about the composition, how to make better colors. And I wanted to make bigger paintings as well. What I do try, is to paint every single day. Just to keep up, and train myself. You get better at things, when you do it every day. You'll learn from your "mistakes". And you will observe better. This all is easy for me to say. I have a day time job. I paint in the evenings and weekends. So, that PAD thing is not for me. There is not much choice. Painting a day costs me 2 hours a day at least. And I want to do so much more than just that. But don't get me wrong here! I admire all the PAD painters. The all make nice work and some of them don't miss a day! It is admirable. I wish I could do that. Begin the day with a small painting and then go back to the larger work. Maybe later, when I ... Happy painting, Jiddje I also joined the PAD-movement in July this year. I painted and posted one painting a day, or at least 22 or so a month. Subjects are not hard to find. When you take a good look, subjects are all around you. But after a while, I gave it a little thought. What is my goal? Do I want to produce and post one painting a day? Or do I want to make paintings that makes ME happy? I decided to go for the last one. I want to think what to paint, how to paint it, think about the composition, how to make better colors. And I wanted to make bigger paintings as well. What I do try, is to paint every single day. Just to keep up, and train myself. You get better at things, when you do it every day. You’ll learn from your “mistakes”. And you will observe better. This all is easy for me to say. I have a day time job. I paint in the evenings and weekends. So, that PAD thing is not for me. There is not much choice. Painting a day costs me 2 hours a day at least. And I want to do so much more than just that. But don’t get me wrong here! I admire all the PAD painters. The all make nice work and some of them don’t miss a day! It is admirable. I wish I could do that. Begin the day with a small painting and then go back to the larger work. Maybe later, when I …

Happy painting,

Jiddje

]]> By: Lily http://www.artmakr.com/alighting-the-shadows/#comment-126 Lily Tue, 11 Dec 2007 06:17:46 +0000 http://www.artmakr.com/alighting-the-shadows/#comment-126 I can only paint something that are not demanding if I need to paint one painting a day. If I want to create something new or exciting, I may need to take months to think and construct. I like daily painting in the sense that it really requires me to work hard that I need to produce something interesting that can be posted in my blog at the end of the day. I can only paint something that are not demanding if I need to paint one painting a day. If I want to create something new or exciting, I may need to take months to think and construct.

I like daily painting in the sense that it really requires me to work hard that I need to produce something interesting that can be posted in my blog at the end of the day.

]]> By: Ed Terpening http://www.artmakr.com/alighting-the-shadows/#comment-125 Ed Terpening Tue, 11 Dec 2007 03:41:57 +0000 http://www.artmakr.com/alighting-the-shadows/#comment-125 Although for a while I participated in the "painting a day" movement, I ultimately withdrew as I found the concept arbitrary and somewhat destructive. Why is it important to paint and post one piece a day? Can you take a day to think, to study? Take a week or so on a concept or larger piece? I found myself addicted to painting one piece a day, and that ultimately led to some sub-standard work, and to thinking too short term. It's a great goal to paint at least daily, because as painters we evolve and learn through covering as much canvas as possible. But let's face it, the idea of painting once day and posting in a blog is quite arbitrary and frankly a bit gimmicky. -Ed Although for a while I participated in the “painting a day” movement, I ultimately withdrew as I found the concept arbitrary and somewhat destructive.

Why is it important to paint and post one piece a day? Can you take a day to think, to study? Take a week or so on a concept or larger piece? I found myself addicted to painting one piece a day, and that ultimately led to some sub-standard work, and to thinking too short term. It’s a great goal to paint at least daily, because as painters we evolve and learn through covering as much canvas as possible. But let’s face it, the idea of painting once day and posting in a blog is quite arbitrary and frankly a bit gimmicky.

-Ed

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