Lost in Thought

Lost in Thought

click here to purchase

You know that quote about art washing the dust out of the soul? I can't remember how it goes, but I absolutely love it. It is so true. I spent this afternoon looking at an art book and I felt so refreshed (Karin Jurick's museum paintings, love it!). Yesterday I spent the day sculpting for my Tumble Creatures line. And every day since September first I have made a whole hearted attempt to paint. It has refreshed my mind, heart, and soul so much. 

It is so easy to get stuck in a rut of daily life, and not appreciate the wonder that it is to be alive. Art helps immensely with that. Don't you think? 

The main thing I learned with this painting was, to paint the hand in as few strokes as possible. I am pretty happy with that hand because I think they are the hardest thing ever to paint. And ears. Oh and mouths. And don't even get me started on teeth. Okay it's all dang hard amiright? 

The Sunny Spot, and a balancing act

'The Sunny Spot'

6 x 6 inches

oil on panel

Click here to purchase

So much of our every day life is just trying to keep everything in balance. Don't you think? Balance with work, family, hobbies, kids activities, school work, church work, yard work, house work. It's so tough to keep it all together. And I don't think any of us really do. Some do it better sure, but no one has it all together, as much as they want us to believe they do through social media posts.

The last few weeks my family has been really sick. My dad had surgery. And my sweet old dog, Chauncy is nearing the end of his life, and so we have to decide when to make that hardest decision that will separate him from us forever.

So my mind. . . it's been everywhere. My heart has felt so heavy. I'm not trying to sound like my life is terrible, because it's not. I feel so blessed to have the life I do. Loved ones that care about me, a warm comfortable home, and plenty of food to eat. But still. . . it's been tough, and I'd be lying if I said otherwise.

During this time of stress and sadness I've let a lot slip. But I've maintained as much as possible two things that help me feel balanced even in stressful situations.

Fitness. And Art.

I think we all have those things that clear our mind and rejuvenate us to tackle the day. And even if it seems selfish to take time to do them, we HAVE to. Otherwise there is nothing left of us to offer anyone else.

At the end of a long week of being a caretaker to many sick people and a dog I finally entered my studio. Turned on the lamp. Laid my brushes out carefully. And I painted. It lasted about 15 minutes. But it felt so good and restored something in my soul I had felt was missing that long week.

Art is so much more than just paint on paper. It is so much more than a profession. It is a balm to my soul. And I think that too often we forget that as we chase after professional goals and personal ones too. It was a good reminder to me. Hopefully it was to you too. When was the last time you got to do what rejuvenates you when you really, really needed it? I'd love to know.

Love,

Crystal

Watching: The Walking Dead

Listening to: Nirvana

Reading: Lizzy and Jane by Katherine Reay

Drinking: water

Snacking on: protein bars (G2G are my fave)

Oil portrait work in progress

 16 x 16 inch oil portrait commission

In progress

Still working on commissions, but I thought I'd show a pic of this one in progress. Nearly done (well. . . the hardest part is anyways). 

And here's a little Last Unicorn doodle I did while drawing with my son the other day. :) 

Hope you all are doing well!! 

We've sold our house and will hopefully be all settled in to our new place by the first part of November. Then life can get back to normal, lol. It's been a crazy last few months!

Reading: Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan
Listening to: The Monstrumologist (audio book) by Rick Yancey
Watching: Supernatural
Snacking on: buffalo spiced Wheat thins

So Studious

'So Studious' 

16 x 20 inches

oil on gessoboard

private commission

Finished up painting number 2 in my commission series of portraits. I am really happy with his face. I think I captured something special there. But I'm not sure what. . . What does that say about me you think? ;)

I miss daily painting, but still have found it difficult to get much painting done lately. So far, my weekly goal to post once a week has not come to pass. And. . . I'm okay with that. For nearly 4 years I have been diligently posting and painting, mostly to fill this blog. And I feel like it's okay, more than okay, to slow down now. 

Maybe I should have done so sooner. There are more important things in life after all than paint and brushes. I worry that sometimes I get too caught up in the day to day 'have to's that I lose sight of the big picture. 

My children. Growing before my eyes. My littlest is in kindergarten now and it was just a few weeks ago that he clung to me and didn't want me to leave him when I dropped him off in the morning. Now he runs off with a wave and a 'bye mom!' shouted over his shoulder. 

But that's the way it's supposed to be. I'm glad that he's happy and secure enough to know that I'll come back for him. 

But still. The shift from being the center of his little world, to not so much anymore is hard. But I know that this too will pass, and soon I'll be okay with it. After all, I know he'll always be my little boy, my best friend. He whispers it to me every day when we hug goodbye. :) 

I'll post when I can again, but not sure when that will be. Hope all is well with you good blog friends. Sending hugs and cupcakes your way. 

Mood: Contemplative

Listening to: Hurricane Bells

Reading: The Monstrumologist

Watching: World War Z

Snacking on: chips and my mom's homemade salsa

Drinking: ice water

 

Edith

'Edith' 

SOLD 

12 x 16 inches, oil on gessobord

 

First of all let me just say that 12 x 16 inches is MUCH larger than 5 x 7. Yes, I realize that many of you are saying in your very best Severus Snape/Alan Rickman voice: "OB-viously." 

 

 

I knew that, but, knowing and applying one's knowledge are two vastly different things. Her face alone took me several days to paint, and I must say that I'm very happy with how she turned out. 

 

Painting so many small paintings, I've gotten used to painting a face in one sitting. That took me by surprise with this painting at first, but it was also very good for me I think. For all the benefits of daily painting (of which there are many) there is also something (or many things, whatever) to be said for slowing down and taking your time with a painting. 

This is the first in a series of portraits I've been commissioned to paint as part of a corporate installation. Also, this one is the smallest size. O-o. 

 

This will require epic amounts of cookie dough and Supernatural episodes. I'm totally up for this challenge. :) 

 

Huzzah!! 

 

Listening to: Grinnin in Your Face by ZZ Ward

Reading: Nothing :(. Ain't nobody got time for that (right now anyways. Life is hectic these days). 

Snacking on: honey mustard pretzels

Watching: Alphas

Drinking: diet coke

Filigree - Self Portrait

'Filigree' 

5 x 7 inches, oil on panel

I'm part of a small group of artists that have banded together as a sort of peer mentoring group. We talk about our goals, our vision for our work, share business ideas, and challenge each other. It's full of awesomeness. These women are incredible and I'm so honored to be part of their group. :) 

So we had a painting challenge. It was to paint a self portrait that was a true reflection of you. I kind of suck at that. I've painted myself before, and every time it has been a very uncomfortable experience for me. I don't like looking at myself. I hate drawing attention to myself. In a crowd or group of people I prefer to hide, unseen and unnoticed. 

And a self portrait is basically the opposite of all of those things. It's all about ME. I mean, there's really nowhere else to look. Unless you like grey backgrounds, and if you do then. . . awesome.You've come to the right place. But, I digress.

My way around this is to typically hide part of my face in some way. Like the filigree mask above, or like this: 

Or like this:

So how then, was I to paint a self portrait that was a true representation of myself? I did what I felt most comfortable with. A partially hidden version of me. Again. Because I do think this is really how I am. I could go on and try to think of something really meaningful to say about why I paint myself this way. But I won't.

Because there is no real deep meaning to it. I just prefer to be in the background, instead of the spotlight and that alone says SO much about who I really am that there really isn't anything else to say.

Tough Choices - A is for Apple, a new painting challenge

'Tough Choices' 

6 x 6 oil on masonite

Not For Sale

For a while now I've wanted to do a series of paintings based on the alphabet and I thought that now would be a great time to do that since I've kind of felt like I needed a new creative challenge. And can I just say how EXCITED I am about this? I love thinking up new subjects or themes based on a letter. 

Last night I laid out all my photos (yes all of them, because I'm awesome and old school like that) and sorted them into piles of paintings I'd like to do based on letters. This is going to be a fun project. I'm excited. Wait. . . I already said that. 

Anyway, here is the first painting in my alphabet series, A is for Apple. This is a painting of my youngest son when he was about two. He simply could not decide on which apple to eat, so he compromised by taking a bite out of all three of them and then leaving them there with little mice sized bites taken out of each one, thus interrupting my still life set up. The cute little stinker. 

Flicker in the - SOLD

'Flicker in the Dark'  SOLD

5 x 7 oil on masonite

“Sunsets, like childhood, are viewed with wonder not just because they are beautiful but because they are fleeting.”
― Richard Paul Evans

This is another painting I have wanted to do for a very long time. It's based on another photo taken by the wonderful Steve Evans (babasteve on flickr) of a beautiful little girl from Madagascar. I was so taken with her piercing gaze, which to me looks very serious, but also curious, contrasted with the very childlike gesture of her hands close to her mouth. I think she probably has one or more fingers in her mouth because I only counted three fingers and one thumb on her curled up hand on our left. 

Portraits are my very favorite subject to paint, because of the emotional connection I feel while painting them. But. . . they are hard for me. Even if the process itself isn't always hard (but usually it is), the act of trying to bring out human emotion on a little flat piece of wood with a stick with some hairs on it and a couple of tubes of smeary oil color is definitely draining. 

But this time, I really feel like I caught a little of something that I wanted to. A little bit of soul perhaps. I hope it's visible to you guys too. :) 

Thief - (SOLD) and a photobombing Giant Schnauzer

 'Thief'  - SOLD

5 x 7 oil on masonite

private commission***

This is the first little Yorkshire Terrier I've ever painted and I'm quite certain that he's also one of the cutest dogs on the planet. Seriously. Those little eyes just look straight into your soul! Thief is a champion show dog and this painting was a gift for my client's mother on her birthday. :)  I love being a part of gift's like that.

In other news, this happened:

Maggie Stiefvater is giving away illustrated bookplates if you send her a link to a photo of you holding her book, The Raven Boys. She also said you could send a photo of your pet and the book, if you were, um, as handsome as Quasimodo and didn't want to show your face. ;)

*So at first I took this picture:

But then I thought. Dude. That's boring.

So then I did this:

And this:

And this:

And then FINALLY, this:

So I hope this meets your specifications Maggie. Twas no easy feat to photograph my giant hound (who is sitting on my lap**) whilst holding your book at the same time. :D

*There's a part of me that often thinks that I need to be a "serious artist", and therefore this should be a "serious art blog", but. . . I'm not serious. I'm just. . . me. And that's what art is all about right? Unique individual expression.

**No animals, books, or artists were harmed in the making of this blog post. 

*** Why yes I am accepting commissions for pets or people, thank you for asking. Please Click here if you'd like more information.

Sun Seeker - Gypsy Vanner horse SOLD

'Sun Seeker'  - gypsy vanner SOLD

5 x 7 inch oil on masonite

“Yours is the light by which my spirit's born: - you are my sun, my moon, and all my stars.”
― E.E. Cummings

Backlighting on a white horse is pretty much an ideal painting waiting to happen for me. The sunlight shining through that thick white mane created some truly beautiful colors that I could not wait to paint. I also really, really love that beautiful black head contrasted against the rest of his white body. I may do a full body painting of this boy in the future so you'll see that he does have more black spots than just this one. :)

I always worry that maybe I use color a little too. . . liberally, but that's just how I see things and I love color, so there you go. I think I should probably just embrace this fact of my painting style instead of stress over it. 

In any case I like how this turned out. And I am finding that the more I paint with oils the easier it is for me to mix colors vibrantly in a way that is very similar to my watercolor palette. I feel like with each oil painting I am discovering more about how I paint, and how I want to paint. I think that's why I'm using them so much right now. Lots to discover and learn and that keeps me motivated. It's when things start to feel routine that I start to get blocked I think. Found that out the hard way. ;) 

Reference photo, with thanks, by Notorious Stock on deviantART.

Understudy - Italian Greyhound SOLD

'Understudy' 

5 x 7 inches oil on masonite SOLD

I started painting this beautiful girl because of that dramatic lighting and that beautiful soul shining in her eyes. And then when I finished it I stood back and thought she would have made a great understudy for the girl in Vermeer's painting, Girl with a Pearl Earring. All she needed was a little blue towel wrapped around her cute head. I was tempted to go back in and give her an earring after I noticed that. Oh so tempted. Reference photo, with thanks, by Just Chaos.

In other news. . . 

My super fantastic sister got me the Most Awesome Shirt ever! Suits me don't you think? Pink, check. Cupcake eating reference, check. Nailed it!

Listening to: The National, A Terrible Love
Reading: The Great Gatsby
Watching: The Vampire Diaries
Snacking on: homemade white chocolate and dried cranberry cookies  (the sugar ban is a thing of the past. Moderation people. That's the name of the game now. I eat healthy stuff too. Most of the time. )

Refuse To Be Hidden - SOLD

'Refuse To Be Hidden'  SOLD

5 x 7 oil on masonite

'Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.' -  Marianne Williamson

I often think about the fear that is a part of being a creative person and putting your heartfelt work out into this sometimes cold and cruel world. Maybe because it is one of my own personal demons and something I am constantly battling. 

This beautiful African girl, her bright, intelligent gaze, and the way she's coming out from her hiding place behind this tree, unafraid, really touched me. This is another one of those images that I have wanted to paint so badly for so long, but put off doing it for a long time because of the fear of not doing it justice. 

So I finally told that fear to shut the heck up and painted her anyway. Just because I wanted to. No, that's not entirely true. I felt like I needed to paint her. So I did. And I love it. :)

Reference photo, with thanks, by the awesome Steve Evans.

Freedom of Innocence

'Freedom of Innocence' 

5 x 7 inches oil on masonite

"When we are children we seldom think of the future. This innocence leaves us free to enjoy ourselves as few adults can. The day we fret about the future is the day we leave our childhood behind." Patrick Rothfuss

Something that always gets my heart when I paint a child is their innocent, but also very knowing expression. It's something that I think most people don't see, at least I know I don't see it until I spend a few hours studying their eyes. And it's something that never fails to amaze me. 

Listening to: Fall Out Boy

Reading: The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss

Watching: Gold Rush 

Snacking on: see photo below :) 

Greek Yogurt Brulee. Oh. My. Gosh. This is so yummy. :) Here's the recipe I adapted.

 

Bloom of Youth SOLD

'Bloom of Youth'  SOLD

8 x 8 inches oil on masonite

I have wanted to do an oil painting of this little girl ever since I first drew her sketch here. I really love the graceful tilt of her head, which seems such a precocious gesture for one so small. Her full lips and dark eyes caught my attention too. And of course those beautiful flowers in her hair and on her dress. And I have to say that I really like how this painting turned out. :) Reference photo, with thanks, by Ryan Lobo.

I've decided to try and have weekly themes for my paintings. I sort of feel like I jump all over the place depending on what interests me at that given moment, and then also when commissions demand it, and then I feel a little bit lost when it comes time to sit down and paint. Too many ideas can be just as paralyzing as too few in my opinion. So this week, my theme is children's portraits in oils. Here we go with number one. :)

*Sigh* I feel like a huge weight has just been lifted off my shoulders by making that commitment out loud here. It's already decided for me what I'll paint this week so no more indecisiveness (which is code for STRESS in my mind) about what to paint and what medium to use. It's all in the bag. The hard part's done, now the fun, easy part remains (Har har. I jest, painting be hard maties!).

This weekend our family went to a Bird Refuge that is about two minutes away from our house. We go every year and it is one of my favorite trips. Hardly anyone is ever out there, and honestly we don't see very many birds, but it's so peaceful and just fun to be together. Here's a couple of pics featuring our trusty 'Crocodile' (my four year old son's term for the navigator, which sounds like alligator, which he then confused with a crocodile) and our little family's quiet adventure. Happy Monday everyone. :)

 

Haven - SOLD

'Haven'  SOLD

5 x 7 inches oil on masonite panel

For a while now I've been wanting to paint a series of girls and horses. A reflection on my childhood and teen years I guess. And somehow when I was searching for photos of girls and horses I found this one of a girl cradling her dog (Italian Greyhound I think). They both looked so completely content. So safe and secure. Although the title could refer to the dog wrapped in the girls loving arms, I think it also applies to the girl finding a haven with her dog. At least, that's how animals have always been to me.  A refuge and a safe haven from the world.

In other news this weekend was cold and grey, but our family got to spend all of it together! We went to the park so the kids could drive their RC cars, but we also ended up doing some exploring. Littlest Cook started making his own little rock collection after finding a small abandoned gravel pit, and all three kids came home with pockets full of rocks. We saw a herd of newborn calves and momma cows (including a darling pure white calf which I will be painting), and a ginormous beetle (which I may be painting as well).

It was such a great weekend, I was sad to see it come to an end, but happy for the memories we made. Until tomorrow my friends. :)

Ambiguity in Red

'Ambiguity in Red' 

8 x 10 inches oil on gesso board

I think it's pretty clear that I have a thing for red/pink. I was at home by myself one day and the sun was in that perfect spot in my kitchen and I just so happened to be wearing a bright pink sweater. So naturally I sat in that spot of sun and took a picture of myself to paint. This is painted on purchased gesso board, not the masonite that I usually use and gesso myself. It was a challenge to get used to the super smooth surface at first. But I did find there was a lot more opportunity to use transparent colors with this surface, than the masonite, and I really loved that. The brightest areas are really thin glazes of oil color that I laid in at first as a block in but then decided to leave. 

Listening to: Writing Excuses podcasts (after a nearly two year block I finally feel like writing fiction again!)
Reading: The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Watching: The Colony
Snacking on: nothing :( In an attempt to run longer distances this summer I'm trying out an anti-inflammatory diet to see if it helps my knees, and apparently sugar is like totally bad for your health. Which means no cupcakes for me. :(((

Cold Nose, Warm Heart SOLD

'Cold Nose, Warm Heart'  SOLD

6 x 6 inches oil on masonite

I've been going through a lot of old art magazines lately trying to decide if I want to cut them up and put the paintings that inspire me in a  journal, or leave them as is. I've found SO many amazing articles that I never noticed before. I've found a painting demo by Richard Schmid and Scott Burdick (two of my favorite oil painters), an article about why an artist would want to paint in more than one medium (can I get a Huzzah for that?), and an article about painting with passion by Alvaro Castagnet, who always brings out my inner fangirl. 

So I've decided to not cut them up for now. Reading through them was one of the main reasons why I wanted to do an oil painting again. I keep telling myself that I *should* just stick with watercolors, because that's what I know, but I just can't. I was feeling really sorry for myself yesterday about some recent painting fails (watercolors no less) and at ten o'clock last night felt this strong desire to try and put some of what I'd learned from the masters about oil painting in the art magazines into practice.Which lead to 'Cold Nose, Warm Heart.'

And now I feel happy about my art again. Isn't it funny how much our moods can reflect how we're feeling about our art? Or am I the only crazy one like that? :)

Reference photo by sskennel, thank you! 

Flare

'Flare' 

5 x 7 inch oil on masonite

$65 plus $7 US shipping, or $15 International shipping

You’d find it easier to be bad than good if you had red hair, people who haven’t red hair don’t know what trouble is – Anne of Green Gables

I realized something today. Part of the reason I like painting with oils is because it's a constant challenge for me. And there's a lot of discovery too, figuring out how to do something that I was having trouble with before. I have to think the whole time, and there's also a lot of uncertainty. . . which is also why I don't like painting with oils. ;)

But the only way to get over that is to keep on painting. Onward! :D

Reference photo by Katlin Lewis. 
 

Breeze SOLD

'Breeze'  SOLD

5 x 7 inches oil on masonite panel

Back to oil painting last night. Don't know how long I'll stay here (I'm a fickle creature like that) since I still have my colored pencil piece to finish, and some watercolors too. But it feels right to me for now. 

Every time I take a break from oil painting I feel a little bit of fear at the idea of starting a new painting. Probably because they're still a step outside my comfort zone. So I thought I'd go with another monochromatic portrait. This time a sepia one. I thought it might enhance that dreamy expression this little girl seemed to have. 

None of my kids used pacifiers (not for lack of trying to persuade them to on my part!) or sucked their thumbs (or fingers??) so this little one with her two fingers in her mouth was very endearing to me. 

And here's a shot of what this painting looks like standing back a bit: 

That's something that I think gets lost when showing your art online (I guess that's a bit obvious though right?). What the painting looks like from a few feet back. And then you get to see my pretty glass bottles too. :) Got to paint those babies some day!

Reference photo by Jay Ryness, thank you!

Tenacious - SOLD, and 10 things I've learned from 30 paintings in 30 days

'Tenacious'  SOLD

5" x 7" oil on panel

Reference photo, with thanks, by Steve Evans 

Note: You have been warned, this post is looooong. :) I won't be offended if you skip it if it doesn't interest you. Well. . . maybe a little, but I'll get over it I promise! ;)

Well it's nearly over. 30 paintings in 30 days. When I started out on this challenge I knew it would be, well, um. . . a 'challenge.' :) For two years in a row I did NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, where you write an entire 50,000 word novel in 30 days). So I knew that any kind of creative commitment that involves producing work every single day is tough.


In fact, since the last NaNo I did (2011), I haven't written consistently since. Why? Because I got severely burned out. It is wicked hard to maintain serious creative energy without a break for that length of time and maintain your passion for creating at the same time.

But I feel more passionate about painting than I ever have about writing. Painting is woven into every single piece of who I am, while writing is just for fun, a 'hobby', not a life sustaining endeavor (which is what painting is to me, sometimes I feel like I can't breathe if I go too long without painting). With my passion for painting so strong I hoped I wouldn't feel burned out by doing this 30x30 challenge.

But I was wrong. I did feel burn out at times. But I didn't let it stop me from painting, I didn't let it kill that passion that I have for creating art. Because I need to paint, and so I have always found a way to work around whatever road block is in my way so that I can.

So, here are ten things that 30 paintings in 30 days has taught me:

1. Don't ever run out of chocolate. Seriously. Keep a secret stash somewhere or something. Trust me, you'll need it in those moments when the last three paintings you've attempted have resulted in nothing but a big pile of suckage reminiscent of the world's largest dung heap.

2. Don't expect every single painting to be a masterpiece. This was a hard one for me, and something that a few of my good online painting buddies had to knock into my head a few times (you know who you are, ahem, Carrie, Sandra, Teresa, and Bren. Really all of you. All of you helped pull me out of my self pity mire). It is highly unrealistic, and stressful, to think that every single thing you produce needs to be a huge success. And to stand before a blank piece of paper or panel with that thought at the front of your mind is just setting yourself up for disaster.

3. Don't think you have to paint like anyone other than yourself.  In order to produce a finished painting every day I sometimes thought that I needed to paint like someone else, so I could paint faster, not like my detail oriented, accuracy driven self. And so some of the work I produced this month didn't satisfy me completely. It took me a while to realize that this is what was bothering me when I started to feel burned out, but when I finally did I embraced the fact that I should only ever paint like myself, detailitis and all. Because painting any other way, forcing myself to be 'loose' when it doesn't come naturally to me at all, is being dishonest. And I believe that in order to paint with feeling and emotion you have to be completely honest with yourself first.

4. Everyone needs a dragon day. In the middle of my burned out period this month I started sculpting little dragons out of clay, just for fun. I did this on Sundays, which is my permanent day off from painting (30 x 30 challenge or not I still wasn't planning to paint on Sunday). When I was talking to my sister about how I was feeling so uninspired about painting, but so excited about making cute little dragons she started calling Sundays my 'dragon day.' And I liked that idea so much that I now call Sundays my dragon day, whether I'm sculpting a little dragon, or putting together a photo album, or baking a new yummy treat. A dragon day is a day where you refill your creative well, it's a day to do anything creative that you want, just for fun, with no expectations that anything will come of it other than the joy you get from the act of creating. 

5. Don't try to paint a portrait (or any other difficult, complex subject) every single day for 30 days. Just don't. Trust me on this. Portraits are my favorite thing to paint, but they are also very draining for me. I feel like I put more of myself into one of my portraits than I do any other subject, so to paint them for 30 days straight would leave me nothing but a blibbering idiot by the end of the month.

6. Don't doubt yourself. Love thyself fellow artist! Repeat after me: You is kind. You is smart. You is important. And you is a good artist. Don't ever forget it.

7. Streamline your housework and meal planning. Or whatever other work you do. Now is not the time to volunteer to bake your son's class personalized cupcakes with each child's name iced in calligraphy. Now is not the time to deep clean your basement and closets. Now is the time to do the basics of housework and cook reliable, family favorite meals.

8. Keep yourself surrounded with things that inspire you. Visit other artist's blogs and websites that leave you breathless with their beautiful work! Read books or magazine articles, or listen to podcasts (like this one) that talk about the life of an artist, their thought process, and what they do to stay inspired. Pin an inspiring quote, favorite photos that you want to paint, or pictures of paintings you love above your workspace to motivate you. Keep a journal of the things you see in your daily life that make you pause and see how beautiful your life really is. In other words, enjoy the journey that is your life.

9. Forgive yourself. So you didn't do 30 paintings in 30 days, you only did 17. So what?? You tried, you painted your heart out, and you accomplished great things anyway. If you need further reassurance go back and read #6 of this list.

10.  Recognize that this challenge is more about the journey than the destination. Trite perhaps, but so true. It's not a race, there's no need to compare yourself to anyone else. This challenge is about you and your art and what it means to you and no one else. It's not about the end result, it's about the process of painting and the joy it brings you.