September 30/30 Challenge. Day 24

I'm running behind with my posting. This is for day #24. I had hoped to paint all day today, but spent the morning bringing in my houseplants. A few days ago the weather changed drastically. Last week I was complaining because it was hot and humid - then almost overnight the temps dropped to the 40s. The wood stove is going and I am dressed in a heavy sweater and jeans and it is still September. This must be why I chose to paint this subject yesterday.

Snow Bound, 6x8, oil  SOLD

 I'm still working with a 6x8 stretched canvas, gallery wrap with a 1" profile. 
The painting continues on all the edges. No frames needed.

To reduce computer time, I will post my weekly paintings to my Ebay Store at the end of each week. You can always contact me directly for more information.

Thanks for visiting. Happy painting.

Celene

www.CeleneFarris.com

My Ebay Store – 30/30 Paintings

Artist Block

Definition - a loss of inspiration, motivation, or ideas. A creative stand-still.

Here are a few suggestions that I found helpful when I'm in an artistic slump. Because repetition creates boredom, I look for changes.

• Change my canvas size – I usually paint in mid range sizes but lately I’ve been working smaller. I enjoy these small canvases and because they work up fairly quickly I can experiment with new ideas. And these small paintings are very popular with my customers. Always a plus. 

• Change the type of canvas – I have worked on artist quality canvas panels for years. I am now using stretched canvas, gallery wrap with a 1” profile. The edges are painted with a continuation of the painting, making framing unnecessary, unless the customer specifically requests a frame. I like the feel of this new surface and the finished look of these small paintings. And it's a relief not having to deal with framing. Another plus.

• Change of subject – For years I was a serious still life painter. I am now working with landscapes. The technical differences between the two required me to rethink my painting process - especially the differences between the shallow picture plane and controlled subject matter of a still life and the expansive picture plane and atmospheric effects of landscape painting. 

• Reference material – I revisit and reorganize my reference photos both printed and digital and try to find new compositions in these old pictures. I prefer to work from my own photos and always carry my camera with me, constantly looking for new material. 

• Choosing a theme – When I can’t decide on what to paint, I try to pick a theme or a subject for  series of paintings. I am currently working on an ocean theme with waves and rocks. I have a new theme in mind that will have something to do with music, but I haven’t formulated it yet. When I tire of my current ocean series, I will move on to my new theme. 

• Take an art class – either in person or on-line. Sometimes you need a bit of help or encouragement to solve the problem. I am currently taking an on-line figurative landscape course.

• Join Art Groups – Membership encourages participation. A great incentive to paint. The three groups that I really enjoy are Leslie Saeta’s 30/30 Challenge offered in September and January, Bill Guffy’s Virtual Paint Out with a new destination each month and Robert Hagan’s Artist Group (now a closed group, by invitation only). They are free and fun, with no commitments and only a few basic rules. And since they are on-line, I can participate at my own convenience.

• There are many other art groups to join, Facebook is a good place to search them out.  If you prefer, you might find an art group in your neighborhood, or start a new group with fellow artists in your area.

And sometimes Artist Block means you just need a break from the studio for awhile. The danger is in staying away for too long……

Thanks for visiting,
Celene

My Ebay Store

Leslie Saeta's 30/30 Challenge

Bill Guffy's Virtual Paint Out

My Website

Day 19 - Crashing Wave

Jan. 30/30 Challenge. Day 19

Today was another good day for painting and listening to classical music by Rachmaninoff.

Crashing Wave, 6x8, oil  SOLD

I'm working with 6x8 stretched canvas, gallery wrap with a 1" profile. 
The painting continues on all the edges. No frames needed.

To reduce computer time, I will post my weekly paintings to my Ebay Store at the end of each week. You can always contact me directly for more information.

Thanks for visiting. Happy painting.

Celene

www.CeleneFarris.com

My Ebay Store – 30/30 Paintings

Sept. 30/30 Challenge. Day 17

Today was a great day in my studio - cool, sunny and the windows wide open. I painted while Rod Stewart and Johnny Mathis sang and then Peter Nero played the piano for me. The house was quiet as Tony and Ginger were at camp for the day, so no cooking. 

I took a long walk in the afternoon and then checked our vegetable garden. I found that last night the deer ate all the leaves from the squash and pumpkin plants and nibbled on the vegetables so I picked up what was left. We always plant enough to share, but sometimes the deer get greedy. I should have done a bit of housework after that, but instead I went back to my studio to start another painting. Why spoil a good day!

Maine Coast, 6x8, oil  SOLD

I'm working with 6x8 stretched canvas, gallery wrap with a 1" profile. 
The painting continues on all the edges. No frames needed.

This painting was available in my Ebay Store - 30/30 Paintings.

Thanks for visiting,
Celene

 www.CeleneFarris.com

Sept 30/30 Challenge. Day 15

This is yesterday's painting. I'm finally catching up.... 

 

Grampa's Farm, 6x8, oil SOLD

I'm working with 6x8 stretched canvas, gallery wrap with a 1" profile. 
The painting continues on all the edges. No frames needed.

If you'd like to see what Leslie Saeta's other artists are doing, here is the link to her 30/30 Challenge website https://www.saetastudio.com/30-in-30.html. Participating artists from all over the world are posting their challenge paintings to her site. And there is also a world map with location pins for all the artists.

Thanks for visiting,

Celene 

www.CeleneFarris.com

My Ebay Store – 30/30 Paintings

   

Sept 30/30 Challenge. Day 11 and 12

This post is a combination of the Challenge and the Virtual Tour.

This month's virtual tour is Lancaster County, located in southern Pennsylvania on the Susquehanna River. This land, included in William Penn's Charter of 1681 is home to a large Amish community and expansive, pristine farms. This agricultural region is often called Pennsylvania Dutch Country.

The term Pennsylvania Dutch has nothing to do with the people of the Netherlands, but refers to the descendants of the German settlers and French Huguenots, along with English, Welsh and Ulster Scots, who immigrated to this region seeking the promise of religious freedom offered by William Penn.

Hay Season, 9x12, oil SOLD

Lancaster County Farm, 6x8, oil SOLD

Thanks for visiting,
Celene

These paintings were available in my Ebay Store.

Ebay Store – Virtual Paint Out

Ebay Store - 30/30 Challenge

To see all my paintings from all of our virtual destinations - Virtual Paint-Out.

www.CeleneFarris.com

Sept 30/30 Challenge. Day #10

I'm finally catching up with my 30/30 Challenge paintings. This 6x8 oil painting is on stretched canvas, gallery wrap with painted edges. 

 

Twilight Glow, 6x8, oil SOLD

My Blog issues appear to be resolved. I'm sorry if you received duplicate posts this week. Google Blogger was checking their mail delivery system. I think we are back to normal now. Thank you all and I really appreciate your patience and your assistance.

Thanks for visiting,

Celene

www.CeleneFarris.com

My Ebay Store

Request

Dear subscriber,

We've been working on my computer issues and I have a request for my subscribers.

Would you please either message me or reply through email when you receive this post.

I really appreciate your help in this matter. It is the only way to determine if my blog mail delivery system is working correctly.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Celene

Sept 30/30 Challenge. Day #7

The Waterfall, 6x8, oil

Day seven and my Blog is still misbehaving. I have done all that I could and spent too many hours on the computer, so I've turned the problem over to our son, the computer whiz in the family, and I am just going to paint. I'm sorry that these posts are not being shared to my subscribers but I will share them to Facebook, Pinterest and my Website as I can do that manually. At the end of the week I will post my week's work to my Ebay Store.

Thanks for visiting.

Happy painting,

Celene

www.CeleneFarris.com

My Ebay Store - 30/30 Challenge

Sept 30/30 Challenge. Day #6

Today's offering -

City Lights, 6x8, oil

I didn't paint yesterday. Instead I spent the day trying to figure out why my Blog posts aren't being sent to my subscribers. I'm not sure what the problem is, hopefully it will soon resolve itself. I am thoroughly frustrated with computers!

Hopefully yours,

Celene 

www.CeleneFarris.com

My Ebay Store 

Sept. 30/30 Challenge. Day #4

I wanted to paint a morning of absolute stillness and peace on the coast of Maine. Not a sound anywhere. Not a person in sight. The words of a song, "the sounds of silence" came to mind. A perfect title.

The Sounds of Silence, 5x7, oil

Thanks for visiting,
Celene

www.CeleneFarris.com

My Ebay Store – 30/30 Paintings

Sept. 30/30 Challenge. Day #3

Another painting for the 30/30 Challenge.

Sailing Around the Point, 5x7, oil

To reduce computer time, I will post my weekly paintings to my Ebay Store and my website at the end of each week. You can always contact me directly for more information.

Happy painting,

Celene

I hope you haven't received duplicate posts this week. My blogger host is misbehaving and the matter should soon be corrected. Sorry for any inconvenience.

www.CeleneFarris.com

My Ebay Store – 30/30 Paintings

Sept. 30/30 Challenge. Day #2

Another day, another painting for the 30/30 Challenge.

Moonlight Serenade, 6x8, oil  SOLD

As I was painting today and listening to classical music the song, Moonlight Serenade, came on. I thought it was a fitting title for this painting.

To reduce computer time, I will post my weekly paintings to my Ebay Store and my website at the end of each week. You can always contact me directly for more information.

Happy painting,

Celene

Note: Just a reminder - If you wish to receive my blog posts automatically through your email, please subscribe to my blog. Remember that it is a two-step procedure. Please contact me if you have any problems with the subscription process. Thanks so much for your interest. 

www.CeleneFarris.com

My Ebay Store – 30/30 Paintings

 Link to the 30/30 Challenge website https://www.saetastudio.com/30-in-30.html      

Sept. 30/30 Challenge. Day #1

California artist, Leslie Saeta, is again inviting artists world-wide to join in this challenge. Thirty paintings in 30 days is a challenge and, for me, probably not achievable. But I will paint as often as I can and post them here on my blog. At the end of each week, I will post all the available paintings to my Ebay Store and my website.

All artists are invited to join. There are no rules, no commitments, no limits and it’s free. It’s just a fun time for artists to meet and post their work to Leslie’s website. And also a great way to focus on trying to make more time for painting. So join us. 

Here we go...........

 

Solitude, 5x7, oil

Happy painting,

Celene

www.CeleneFarris.com

Ebay Store – 30/30 Challenge Paintings