Day 57 - 100 Day Project

Day 57 - 100 Day ProjectFollow me on Instagram @KathrynJNeale, #100Days20minptgs, #100DayProject Click here for official webpage.

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Just caught up and now behind! Oh well. Traveling tomorrow to Colorado to see my sister and niece with my boy. I'll have plenty of time to catch up and work on some new watercolors to post. Excited for change of scenery that's for sure.

Day 56 - 100 Day Project

Day 56 - 100 Day ProjectFollow me on Instagram @KathrynJNeale, #100Days20minptgs, #100DayProject Click here for official webpage.

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Gallery Opening last Friday night!

Heather Haymart Gallery Heather Haymart Gallery Heather Haymart Gallery Heather Haymart Gallery

So excited to be accepted into the summer season for Heather Haymart Gallery in Chesterfield Mall! The opening was last Friday night. Heather is an artist herself and her mother is an artist that invented "wood icing" painting and technique. The gallery offers workshops for wood icing, milk paint and Annie Sloan chalk paint as well - I can't wait to participate in all of those workshops since working with new paint is always really fun.

It's funny how the Universe works sometimes. I'm remaining open through my 100-day project. I researched online for Annie Sloan paints and found that this gallery was the only one in my vicinity which is amazingly only 15 minutes from my house. Couple months ago I popped in to purchase some samples and was amazed that it was a gallery offering these cool workshops. I signed up for their newsletter and only a month ago spotted a calling for applications for the summer season. I never thought twice but just applied and promptly just left it up to the Universe. Only couple weeks later I was accepted! So fun. Who knows what will become of it, but just to take a step forward after so long, and a step that I'm fulling comfortable with, is saying "YES" to the Universe - I want this track. I have already gotten a taste of what is expected of being a "real artist" is, in the contemporary art gallery environment. It's just not for me. Perhaps I'll write some of my experiences later on the blog because I'm still processessing them. But this step forward seems just right for me right now. And I'm proud to support these women who are making their own careers in art too. Gives me a lot of joy and gratitude.

Day 54 - 100 Day Project

Day 54 - 100 Day ProjectFollow me on Instagram @KathrynJNeale, #100Days20minptgs, #100DayProject Click here for official webpage.

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Still catching up a bit here. I think I have only 2 days more until I'm on time. Although I will get behind again cause next week I'll be in Colorado visiting my sister. I'm taking watercolors cause it's super easy to travel with watercolors and they dry really fast. But I may get behind in posting and updating but that's ok! I'll get back on track when I get back and then hopefully finish strong! :)

Day 53 - 100 Day Project

Day 53 - 100 Day ProjectFollow me on Instagram @KathrynJNeale, #100Days20minptgs, #100DayProject Click here for official webpage.

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Kind of like this one - experimenting with going more all over with the painting. Definitely more rhythmic but I also liked stopping when I could've gone a little further and keeping it rather simple. Still loving drawing with the pastels. Using a medium against what it's "supposed" to be has been fun these past couple weeks. Pastel is a dry medium so obviously mixing it with paint and lots of water, the physical makeup of chalky pastel either makes it completely dissolve in the water, or it rejects the water depending on how much pastel or how much water. And that is fun to experiment with. So don't be afraid to try out different media and use it against what it's "supposed" to do. You could find unexpected freedom in joy in a new method of painting.

Day 51 - 100 Day Project

Day 51 - 100 Day ProjectFollow me on Instagram @KathrynJNeale, #100Days20minptgs, #100DayProject Click here for official webpage.

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Actually couple days behind so this weekend I hope to catch up! Wednesday leaving for CO so I know it will be a while before updating again. But will definitely stay on top of this project.

Tip #2 Play like a kid again (10 Tips for Freestyle Painting)

Paint Like a Kid Again!Tip #2 is to let yourself go like your a little child. Envision a time when you remember playing as a child having so much fun on a creative project (spontaneous, in the moment, delight in each act without judgment, etc. - think of child or your child, they try, try, try, try, try, try and try again until . . . they get it!, squeal with delight! They are so PROUD and want your approval (your inner child wants your approval).

And remember these tips:

- Taking pleasure in the moment not the destination - You are your harshest critic - What does it mean to you to be “artistic?” “an “artist?” creative? intuitive? - Notice your immediate mental reactions to these words and release them with forgiveness and kindness - Now be here in moment, right now. Close eyes. Put on favorite music and put on repeat for 20 minutes. Close eyes, take 3 deep breathes, and start. Don't think! - Slop it on, pool it, have fun - Enjoy the physical act of moving the paint around on your surface with brush, palette knife, any other tool, etc. Really notice how the paint behaves, if you had more water, less water, more oil/mineral spirits, less.

These are all artwork from my son. He's tiny, artwork spanning when he first starts at 6 months to now 20 months. The latest works I love. They are so spontaneous, free and  there's such genuine experimentation. But most of all he does not care at all what happens. It's the sheer joy in the moment of putting that brush with the paint or glue or whatever to the paper. Then he lets it all go and moves on in the day to snack time or play time or whatever. But the marks are there to prove there was something in that moment that he connected with. And that is the feeling of total bliss with yourself, trusting yourself, your intuition and tell your left-brain critic to shut up! Just this once! Who cares?! :)

Paint Like a Kid Again! Paint Like a Kid Again! Paint Like a Kid Again! Paint Like a Kid Again! Paint Like a Kid Again! Paint Like a Kid Again! Paint Like a Kid Again! Paint Like a Kid Again! Paint Like a Kid Again! Paint Like a Kid Again! Paint Like a Kid Again! Paint Like a Kid Again!

Day 50 - 100 Day Project

Day 50 - 100 Day ProjectFollow me on Instagram @KathrynJNeale, #100Days20minptgs, #100DayProject Click here for official webpage.

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Day 50! I'm just 2 days behind I think so this is  a little late but definitely feeling back on track with Day 50. HALF WAY THROUGH! I was in great need of some more inspiration - color-wise, and also switched to some panels (getting tired of just paper). Good decision.

Next week (literally a week from today, Thursday) I will be driving with my son to Colorado to visit my sister and her daughters. Feeling a bit of trepidation to be doing this all by myself but come last night, I feel a renewed sense of urgency. I need a break! I need a pause and I need to just leave my life right now here for a bit. Looking forward to it.

Day 45 - 100 Day Project

Day 45 - 100 Day ProjectFollow me on Instagram @KathrynJNeale, #100Days20minptgs, #100DayProject Click here for official webpage.

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Totally have taken last week off - not on purpose of course! But after 5 straight days with my son all by myself and then another 5 with my brother-in-law in town, I fell into a bout of exhaustion and fatigue I haven't felt in a long long time. Now catching up!

I also was getting bored, waiting to go get some flat squared panels for sketching and not just on paper. I also wanted more Annie Sloan colors and got them! Next time will get some more.

Tip #1 Embrace the Blank Canvas (10 Tips for Freestyle Painting)

blank canvasSelf doubts plague all of us, but especially newbies who are prone to be particularly self-sabotaging. The only difference is that as you learn the process and begin to trust yourself, you start to feel comfortable with being uncomfortable about painting and just “keep going.” But as with anything, you have to START.

What first comes to your thought when you think  art, artist, creative, intuitive? Write out your initial thoughts.

Now what first comes to thought when you put the word “me” in front of it? Write out your initial thoughts.

Oh believe me does any of these negative thoughts sound familiar?

• I’m not an artist • I can’t paint! That’s WAY WAY Too scary and way too artistic! • I’m more of a craft/project person - tell me what to do and how to do it and I like that more • You have to be “born” a painter - it’s in your blood! • I loved painting as a child, but never “did it right I guess” or was told I wasn’t that good, so I thought I wasn’t • Painting is way too frustrating because I have an “idea” in my head and it never comes out the way I want • Freestyle painting is the ultimate intimidation! How the heck am I supposed to paint abstractly when I have no idea what I’m painting to begin with! •Blank canvas is the most terrifying thing for me. As soon as I start I truly love working with the painting but I have major blank canvas syndrome

Ok answers to all of the above is just to START, START, START, START!

And take a second to just think about this: When you cook, you don’t stress out staring at the counter tops or the oven/stove in disbelief because you can’t cook! You don’t pull out all your ingredients and just stare in horror that somehow these items will be put together into some dish that will be delicious? You know the eggs, butter, flour, salt, vanilla extract, etc. (totally separate and kind of weird objects in themselves when you sit to think about it) will be parts of the total whole, which are cookies! You also know that while dough is yummy, it’s really not what is the end project. Cooked cookies are the finale (even though yes, we all make cookie dough and stop right there!)

My point is that you just start.  You don’t question yourself IF you are a cook, you just are. You are a cook because you are cooking! Now you may not consider yourself a gourmet cook, a good baker or griller or perhaps you just throw things together from frozen stuff or left overs or whatever. But you still are in the act of cooking. No matter what that definition is or how it is specifically defined, you cook yourself or your family a meal.

But most importantly - You also trust the process. You know that all those ingredients will make cookies (now if they are good cookies or not that’s another topic). But right now it DOES NOT MATTER. Just get your paints, get your water and get your brushes. Find that paper or canvas or board or whatever you want to paint on . . . and set your timer to paint.

If you want to start, just begin with 20 minutes - set your timer on your iPhone or whatever and paint till the beeping goes off. And then put aside and don't judge. Next day, do the same until at some point you hopefully get into it and keep painting after the beeper goes off. But the key right now is NOT TO JUDGE ANYTHING - it's so difficult! I KNOW. Believe me. I've been there many many times. But like a cook, you are an artist, because you are painting right now. And that's all that you need to be aware of right now.

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My sister shared this cooking analogy with me when I first started to discuss the possibility of going back to school for . . . art. I was living in Chicago at the time in a great job (one that I could probably have still stayed in over a decade later) but my life was empty. I was very depressed (didn't know it then but realized it looking back). I was yearning for a more creative life. But I was not cut out to be a graphic designer for lie, or in advertising or marketing. It just never felt right. But it wasn't practical at all and my husband was completely bewildered that I would even consider going back to school for art instead of MFA in Graphic Design. This analogy really stayed with me - it was so simple but in it's essence very profound.

Check out my post on how it all began for me - the "Painting that changed my life" in college.

Day 43 - 100 Day Project

Day 43 - 100 Day ProjectFollow me on Instagram @KathrynJNeale, #100Days20minptgs, #100DayProject Click here for official webpage.

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I actually DID do Day 43 yesterday but just didn't have time to post. Picking hubbie up from airport tonight at 10 pm WHILE trying to get my paintings for the gallery opening all shaped up. Deliver them this Friday so lots going on at night! :)