Hello lovely friends and family!!
Today I'm excited to share my experience
of a
thirty day painting challenge
with you all.......
It started towards the end of our trip when I began to notice my dear friend Judy Wise posting raw, energetic, quirky, exploratory paintings to FB with enigmatic captions, documenting a thirty day process of painting on the same canvas, over and over with the hashtag #judyschallenge and #paintoniteverydayforthortydays
The images were sooooo compelling and Judy talked about her growth as an artist through the process so I decided that once I was home and settled I would give it a whirl for myself!
If you'd like to read about Judy's experience jump on right on over here but don't forget to come back.
Something pretty amazing happened for me during this challenge!
I learned to let go and truly allow in a deeper way than ever before.
a couple of FYI's
* I did not work on this challenge every single consecutive day but I did work on it for thirty days
* Judy Wise started the challenge and loves to see others jump on board using the hashtags above so we can all learn and grow with each others experiences
* There is no set procedure, time limit etc to move forward. Go with your gut and a "whatever happens happens approach"
Day 1 - i jump in full of gusto and happily try out some techniques I had been exploring while filming my latest Mini Mojo class Pattern. Color. Texture! (which you can find more about here)
WORDS AND FEELINGS: flow, free mark making, energetic
Day 2- feeling great and playing with transparent glazes of Daler Rowney F & W acrylic artists inks. I start to feel a little apprehensive at the fact that I already like it a LOT on day two!
WORDS AND FEELINGS; loose, spacious, curious, slightly apprehensive
Day 3- TAKE THAT! I will NOT be attached on DAY 2..be gone pretty painting, out with the old, well, most of it....except for THAT little lovely bit and THIS one over here.....
WORDS AND FEELINGS: cautiously lavish, duality, upside down
Day 4- strange happenings with the appearance of a funny little bird lady, a cat, a vessel and a cup. Trying too hard to contrive some kind of narrative, blaaaahhh!!
WORDS AND FEELINGS: story, contrived WTH!
Day 5-when in doubt add teal or turquoise or any mix of the two. Holding onto the imagery here because honestly I don't have a clue what else to do! Add in a ladder but don't know why!
WORDS AND FEELINGS: aimless, fall back, confused
Day 6- Put a vibrant magenta and red glaze over the whole thing( well almost ;p). Throw in some fluoro pink for good measure!
WORDS AND FEELINGS: moody, bold, let go
Day 7- no clue what to do and have very little time so I pick up the closest paints and do this. Oh brother is right!
WORDS AND FEELINGS: crap, hate it, rushed, disconnected, WTH!
Distract myself with kitties and filming for a few days and try not to think about it!
Day 8- for some reason its really hard to wipe out the funny bird lady completely so I tip toe around her...
WORDS AND FEELINGS: attached but don't know why, indecisive, flailing
Day 9- turn it around. Add some green because I don't usually add green. Put some random stamps on. Hate on it. Don't want to show it on social media but show it anyway. I am, as Judy said, putting my uglies out for all to see....
WORDS AND FEELINGS: more flailing, failing, ugly, stuck
Day 10- make a drastic move, throw some random colors on and still hate it. Even more than before! Notice how sad that little face is still peeking through.
WORDS AND FEELINGS: arrgh, ugh
Day 11- Fall back on an old move to try to break my mood and move forward. At least its a start.
WORDS AND FEELINGS: hopeful, new start, let go
Day 12- feel some freedom begin to return in my choices and begin to notice bits I do like again.
WORDS AND FEELINGS: fresh, relief, bold
Day 13- feel in the flow today and paint freely. LOVE it again! Uh oh.....
WORDS AND FEELINGS- new, proud, excited
Avoid making any new moves and get distracted by Christmas tree and cats for a few days
Day 14- for several weeks I'd been working on renditions of a beautiful horse whose photo I took in the New Forest, England. I decide to flip the canvas again and bring the horse into the landscape.
WORDS AND FEELINGS: pushing further, fearless, happy
Day 15- I LOVE this horse! I really do! Oh crap! I'm only half way through the challenge. Lovely supportive friends tell me to just add tiny dots for the next fifteen days. I know that's not the answer for my highest growth.
WORDS AND FEELINGS: strong and unsure all at the same time
Day 16- I add some collaged napkins and call it a day
WORDS AND FEELINGS: contemplative, hesitant
Day 17- hey look! There's a tree... and two giant birds...and a beautiful horse!
WORDS AND FEELINGS: just not ready to let go
Distract myself with Christmas.... and family.... and kittens.
Day 18- breathe, let go, breathe, let go. See it wasn't so hard!
WORDS AND FEELINGS: let go, breathe, let go, breathe :)
Day 19- What kind of lush landscape is this? Playing with new color combos and loving it again.
WORDS AND FEELINGS: exploratory, curious, in the zone.
Day 20- back in "not sure" land. Make some moves I don't love.
WORDS AND FEELINGS: turquoise doesn't FIX everything, flailing again
Day 21-I spy the faintest suggestion of an eye and eyebrow top left where I had whited out a whole section. Theres a woman waiting to emerge but she's asleep for now...
WORDS AND FEELINGS: mystery, awe, excitement, anticipation
Day 22- stress about the fact that there are still 8 days to go and I really, really LOVE this sleeping beauty spooning the land. add some more random stamps and fiddle a bit aimlessly
WORDS AND FEELINGS: attached, disjointed, contrived
Day 23- Oh geez, what was I thinking!
WORDS AND FEELINGS: Aargh, Ugh
Distract myself for several days with visiting family.... and baby WOMBATS!
Day 24- turn it upside down and let her go.
WORDS AND FEELINGS: let go, breath, allow
Day 25- I see the faintest impression of a face and body and go for it. She returns! Awake this time! Bottom right I see a vague human form, a woman inside the earth, cocooned. I try to bring her out...
WORDS AND FEELINGS: connected, curious, open
Day 26- she might be here to stay, this beauty. After all there are only 4 days left right? I can totally work around her. Wait. thats me getting attached. What was the whole point of this process again? I decide I don't like the idea of that woman curled up under the ground and I let her go.
WORDS AND FEELINGS: claustrophobic, curious, attached
Day 27- bring in some white! Yes. Thats a bold move right? and I get to keep the woman. Start to get pretty and fiddly with more flowers in her hair and listen to a small voice inside say, " you're playing safe. let go."
WORDS AND FEELINGS: hold tight, let go, listen
Day 28- I remember a time when my dear friend and wondrous artist Orly Avineri prompted us to slash a bold brushstroke of color over the favorite part of our journal spread during a workshop....
and I did it,
and I survived.
SO I take a deep breath and I do it again!
WORDS AND FEELINGS: surrender, allow, open, expansive, brave
Day 29- I spend a day walking in and out of my studio with a piece of chalk in my hand.Turning the image this way and that. Looking through squinted eyes, relaxing my vision, burning incense, taking deep breaths and asking for guidance. Top right I see a bottom, a derriere that is.
I sketch in a figure and it looks like me.
My eye goes to the orange shape to the left and I am astounded! I see the horse! He's back!
I'm so excited that I'm forgetting to breath. I'm reminded of Elizabeth Gilberts TED talk on creative genius and I know that RIGHT NOW I am connected to something way bigger than myself.
This is amazing!!
WORDS AND FEELINGS: connected, open, wonderment, narrative, therapy
Day 30! " A Horse Named Surrender"
Grateful times infinity for this journey, for this peaceful woman sitting naked on a ledge, for this majestic horse standing close by, protective and accepting, for the sleeping beauty now become the land, unseeing, unseen but giving support and foundation to those above.
Grateful for the magic and the wonder and the unfolding story. Grateful for you too xox
As always I'd love to hear from you in the comments below. I so enjoy reading your sweet words xoxox
Comments
xoxox
I took your workshop in New Mexico last Spring and it really accelerated my joy and dedication to the muse. Big thanks and many blessings!
Thank you for being so open and sharing those feeling we all have as a painting unfolds. So lovely to feel the connection of others walking the journey, as sometimes I can feel isolated in the studio.
I found your journey truly inspiring. I will enjoy a reread.
thank you Tracy xxx You're doing so much good in this life.
that comment was from Julie Stapleton
'Studio Jooles'
xxx
give this challenge a try....not sure I can do it =) i may fall in love with a piece and need to stop....how did you keep going =)
Stacy x
Excited to see the journey ahead unfold.
Thank you and many blessings to you and your loved ones on the Eve of 2023
What a wild ride! That is the epitome of letting go and trusting. Brave and transformative, every move we make takes us somewhere 🙏❤️
Thankyou Tracy