Week 12. Here we go, we are almost to the end of this 100 days of Wonder and I feel so proud and accomplished. This project has not only distracted me through the wintery months but it has helped me build a consistent habit of practicing watercolors and meeting deadlines AND carving out time for my work every week.
I have found a rhythm and a balance that is enjoyable and sustainable. This I will be carrying forward.
Week 11 had it’s challenges and it’s fun. The biggest thing I have learned about my creative process in this journey is that it’s better for me not to over think what I want to paint. It’s better if I just dive in when i feel that little spark of passion. Overthinking puts unrealistic expectations on the process and most times frustration and disappointment in the end result.
Week 11 also felt fast and furious. Am I getting into the rhythm of painting nearly everyday? It almost feels like it did when I did chalkboard art as job for Whole Foods Market. I loved those years!
Week 10, can’t believe we are into May! Half of this week was done here in Colorado and the other half in Florida with my plein air setup. I loved painting every morning on the porch in Leisureville. Yes, that’s the actual name of the 55+ community we stayed in. Check out the photo below.
Leisureville plein air mornings.
Back to Week 10. Thistle is my favorite. I really like the composition and macro-like camera angle I chose to represent it. i want to paint more flowers and weeds like this. Maybe a large series of desert/mountain botanicals is next on my plate.
If I had to pick one thing that drains my creative energy I might say it’s my day job. But, I might also say it’s neglecting my health (going without food for long periods of time, etc) that clouds my energy.
So, I’m doing new things to make sure I have the energy to do all the things I want outside of my 9-5 job in retail. Qi Gong and lots of protein are what I added to my self-care regime this week. Getting morning sunlight on my eyes, while walking the dogs grounded, has also been a nourishing game changer.
Interesting week, Week 9. Some where wins, some eh. I’ve decided to keep it simple here and show the 2-3 pieces that I really like. I’ve chosen Valley, Satchel and Creekside. Valley and creekside are subjects I have and still are struggling with so I chose to work on them again!
Each time I paint these scenes I feel like I learn a bit more about how to represent the subjects. Satchel is a painting of my favorite LV bag, nothing more.
April 11, Week 8. This has been an interesting and fun unexpected journey. It feels really amazing to have committed to this practice for 50 days! I’m already planning my next 100 days project and it may have something to do with plein air practice or maybe value studies.
My favorite tiny painting of this week is no. 50 Window. I painted this fairly quickly from a photo I took during a recent trip back to NYC. I feel like I captured the energy of the city in this little painting. No. 56 Fable kinda stumped me at first until I decided to use a recent dream to represent the prompt. Yes, I had a dream of a frog, snake and turtle blocking an entry way to my parent’s home. Weird and kinda fable like.
Can you believe we now halfway through 100 days? That means this week I will have completed 49 tiny paintings of wonder. It feels really amazing to have committed to this practice. Our lives are so busy with work and life and somehow I made time to do this. I’m so grateful to have found this challenge by D. Michele Perry. Thank you for creating this for all of us.
I think one practical way to signal to myself that my creative practice is sacred space is to set boundaries around my practice. i tell myself, this is important, show up, get in the studio and work. Do not compromise for something that doesn’t align with your self. If you are a creative you know that you cannot ignore the urge to create. It is in our soul, it makes us whole, it gives us the air we breathe. We live to see and feel and express our true selves and emotions through our creative work. Not everyone has that or understands what that feels like. I think about creating art every second of the day, every time I look at the sky or a tree or sunset. It’s there, it’s always there. The only way to feel balance and peace is to cultivate my creative practice.
WOW i can’t believe how fast the weeks are flying by! As I type this, (I’m a little behind on posting here) it is now the beginning of week 7! That’s nearly halfway through the 100 days.
My approach to these prompts is to just see where my creativity takes me. I choose to use watercolor and 100% cotton paper in a sketchbook. I divide most pages into 2 because watercolor sketch books tend to have about 25 sheets. This helps me get more out of the book and focus on small 3 x 5 inch paintings that usually take about 30min or less to complete. I just go for it and let my creative mind and brush do the work.
Overall I’m delighted with the results. This practice was something I didn’t know I needed until last week (week 6). To ponder what I have learned so far about my creative practice, I would say, the weekly wonder has helped to strengthen my skills and practice by letting go of expectations and accepting the outcome.
Some of these I’m really happy with, some bring joy to create, some are a train wreck and look nothing like what I expected. All of this is ok and necessary for my personal growth. Being uncomfortable is where the magic happens.
Week 5 brought some challenges but I was still able to show up for my practice and enjoy the process.
Week 6 brought a challenge I didn’t think was possible. I was so excited to start a new sketch book however, the paper was not the same! Not sure what the issue is but when I wet the surface, it pilled. I thought well, maybe it’s just my imagination, maybe it was just that sheet. It wasn’t, this new book just threw me a curve ball. I was expecting the exact same quality and paint handling and it just didn’t perform the same. So, I am patiently waiting for new sketchbooks to arrive before I start week 7.
I find sketchbooks to be really confining and I rarely use them. Part of why I am doing the #100daysofwonder2024 project is to get out of my own way on my sketchbook phobia. Last week I did some poking around and found that Jackson’s Art carries a Saunders Waterford Rough 25 page Fat Pad. I bought 2. Saunders Waterford rough paper is 140lb cold press and the paper of my choice for my watercolors. I love it soooooo much, so I am super excited that they are making a sketchbook and I can’t wait to try it out.
Week 3 recap of the 100 Days of Wonder 2024 project is here. This was an interesting and fun week of prompts. Once again, I had so much fun making these prompts come to life. If I had to choose, Blossom and Cozy would be my favorites. Both of these are painted from photo memories of two of my favorite girls, Tonka with the Cherry Blossoms and Cher in front of her favorite spot, the fireplace. See below for the prompts and my interpretation.
