A new year challenge
/I have set myself up an incredible challenge to do 366 quarter sheet paintings in 2020. Why?
Ever since I got pregnant, my painting practice has been going in fits and starts. I was able to keep my hand in, thanks to the amazing support from my husband, but I really needed to have a consistent practice.
My baby is now a vibrant toddler with a life and experiences of her own. It feels like it is time I create some space for myself, and for experiences independent of motherhood.
I love watercolor painting, but have forever been afraid to paint bigger. As it says in one of my daughter's favorite books, “we can't go over it, we can't go under it, we have to go THROUGH it”.
I want to be able to paint in the small spaces I have between mommyhood, work and life. I prepared for the challenge by identifying some of the more practical things that keep me from painting, and fixing them.
My table has an easel that is always setup with a fresh sheet taped to a gator foam board.
I have a few of these gatorfoam boards ready with sheets taped so I can work on multiple paintings at once.
I bought an year's worth of watercolor paper and cut it up into quarter sheets. I bought enough (cheap) masking tape to last me a year. Having an abundance of something has helped me feel less precious about this stuff, which used to be a HUGE problem for me.
I picked out my most frequently used art supplies and organized them in an ikea drawer cabinet system and have it all available right next to my desk.
I have a Daylight clamp lamp so I can work at any time of night or day.
I setup my Canon Selphy printer to print 5x7 copies of the references. I have these up on a sort of mood board. Inspiration is always at the ready.
I purchased office storage boxes from Container Store that are just the right size to fit quarter sheets. My paper and finished paintings have a place to live.
I made myself a spreadsheet, complete with graphs, to track my prgress.
I consider this part of preparation too - I got an early start to build up the momentum and iron out any kinks in my planning.
I feel ready. Let's do this!
