The two Paintings here were painted in January2020, outside, from observation and part of a daily painting challenge I made to FB friends at the beginning of the year. The first one is from my mom’s backyard.  It was freezing that day so I made at least one trip inside to warm up. No worries that day about chasing the light. The second painting looks like a Montana winter. A cold, raw wind kept me huddled on one side of my car. Wind is usually the culprit that sends me home the fastest.

These pre-covid paintings seem like a lifetime away from where we are now. So where am I now?  I decided to participate in the Strada Easel Challenge that runs during the month of September. This is more official because I paint a painting everyday from observation and post it on Facebook. Many artists from all over the world are participating. At the end if you complete a painting a day from observation you are eligible to receive one of the 5 Strada Easels that will be given away. A long shot to win.

Why do it?  Mainly I really enjoy being outside, looking closely, trying to paint what I see. The by-product of doing it everyday is discipline. Of course if you practice painting daily you get better at what you do. It is translating what you see to paint on the surface that is so fascinating. When you are in the field light changes faster than you want it to. For that reason you don’t have time to feel self-conscious. Leave the self-judgment at home. Best of all, painting everyday for a month keeps me caught up to where I am in the present. I encourage artists to try it, make a pact with friends as an experiment. If you already paint everyday then you know its value. Keep on painting!