Last Christmas I received the book called Daily Painting by Carol Marine. I hadn’t heard of this term and it means to paint as often as possible usually small and in one sitting.
I wanted to write about what I have learnt and my experiences of daily painting…
Daily painting is difficult!
I found it very hard to ‘paint daily’ it was usually 3-4 a week, but just having the mind set of small and often made me paint so much more than I did before. To give you an idea in the 2.5 years before last Christmas I managed 35 paintings. This year I have painted 151!
Painting often
Means I have improved massively, I have experimented with subjects, colours, techniques more than I have ever done in the past. I’ve painted subjects that I wouldn’t have thought I’d enjoyed painting like shoes, food and jugs…I now see a painting subject in so many more things. I feel proud of the large and diverse collections of paintings in my studio.
Painting Small
Means I experiment more because the time invested is short so it doesn’t matter so much if it doesn’t work out. Experimenting leads to discovery, keeping it fresh and lively and always developing.
The Blog
Means I have interacted and had lovely comments from people plus had great numbers look in on my work (24,000 this year!). It is a blessing, although hard work to keep it going, but worth it 🙂
The Blog
Means I have interacted and had lovely comments from people plus had great numbers look in on my work (24,000 this year!). It is a blessing, although hard work to keep it going, but worth it 🙂
The downside of ‘daily painting’
I did worry if I hadn’t painted enough or couldn’t post for some reason. At times it has felt a pressure to ‘perform’. Also experimenting and having uncertainty on how a painting will come out and yet knowing I need to post something and show it publicly is very hard too! Plus prioritising whether to paint or be with friends and family.
Plein air
Up until this March I had a fear of plein air painting – painting outside. I didn’t think I could do it and had a block around it. Facing this has been a blessing and now it’s actually my favourite way of painting, which still surprises me! The second half of the year I moved away from still life painting as I enjoy landscape painting more. Although I learnt a lot from the still life observation in my studio – colour mixing and tonal work.
Every plein air painting there is a little adventure and the unknown of how the weather will be, who I will meet, what I will actually paint, and how it will turn out…quite a mix of excitement and trepidation.
But again having done a few plein air paintings my learning curve has been massive, with things like how to apply the paint, translucent, thin, thick, translating the complex landscape subject into a 2D painting in 2-3 hours….I know there’s still lots to learn and looking forward to it!
What’s next…
I have decided to take down the term daily painter from my blog which will take the pressure off. But still paint as often as I did this year. I will be concentrating on plein air as it’s what I love and have a passion for.
I will be continuing the teaching once a month and also working on my own painting skills.
I hope you will continue to follow me and I would love to hear your comments on what I do. (people think they have to be qualified somehow to comment, not at all! Just say something simple 🙂
Wishing you all a Great New Year & happy painting….