100daysofwonder2024
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.
Week 2 recap of the 100 Days of Wonder 2024 project is here. This was a fun week of prompts and joyful little paintings. My favorite 3 prompts from this week were Journey, Butterfly and Meadow.
I just love how these came to life. See below for the prompts and my interpretations.
Forrest + Daydream
I MUST be crazy, not only am I committing to D. Michele Perry’s #100daysofwonder2024 project, but I’m also going to document and blog about it. Let me tell you why I am committing to this.
For those of you who don’t know me or my background I’ll give you the quick version. I’m an artist, currently obsessed with learning watercolors and painting in the wet-on-wet style and I work full time as a Team Leader for Whole Foods Market, managing one of the largest Whole Body departments in the company with a team of 8.
I took over the Whole Body team a couple years ago right in the middle of the Pandemic and boy it was a challenge. I poured my heart and soul into keeping the team a float and making it successful, but during that time, I knew that the way I was working was eventually going to burn me out and shut down my nervous system. Something had to change or I would not survive.
As a Self-care tactic to help balance my stress, I decided I was going to start painting again after a 10 year hiatus. I told myself I would paint or make the attempt to paint at least once a week and just see where it goes. Back in the day, I was into oil painting (and still am) but this time watercolors sparked my curiosity. So watercolors it was!
See, I told you I’m crazy (or I like to dive into the unknown headfirst) ! I knew absolutely nothing about watercolor, not one thing. I struggled too, almost gave up, but I didn’t. I read books and tried all kinds of paper and paint and sketchbooks and then one day, something clicked. I found my paper, my preferred paint and brushes and then I just played. If you want to see my early watercolor attempts, just scroll to the bottom of my IG and you will see.
Fast forward to 2024 and I have been painting about 2-3 times a week. I am obsessed with landscapes and the wet-on-wet technique. I’m part of Andy Evansen’s Watercolor for All Seasons Mentoring Cousre and Matthew White’s Watercolor Community and have completed nearly 80 paintings and have been in 3 juried shows in 2023.
I wasn’t looking to add more onto my plate but somehow The 100 Days of Wonder project caught my eye. You can find all the info and details here on D. Michele Perry’s website if your curious and want to join in. I’m super excited to embark on this project!
Stay tuned for my next blog post where I showcase what materials I’m using and how it’s going.
Jen
