Pink Daisy

Another favorite Paint My Photo photograper / artist member is Nicola B (location says Bucks - assuming from the UK, hard to tell).  Most of the people at pmp-art.com are from the UK or Australia. At least that’s my random discovery.  Love her flower shots! 

Pink Daisy was just begging to be painted.  Isn’t it also great that they help figuring out what to call your painting and give you today’s blog title. In the middle of a 30-n030, you’ll take whatever you can get!  Love the petal shadows and this very sassy girl!

Pink Daisy
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Photo reference PMP Nicola B, Pink Daisy. 

Enjoy, life is joy we make one moment at a time. 

From Russia with Love

Here’s a new painting from my main photo guy, Viacheslav - the Russian I mentioned yesterday.  A lovely arrangement including cosmos (a personal favorite), gerbera daisies and a yellow lily.  Sweet.  Fun to paint and love the bright colors.  I may have to try a few more of them in the days ahead.  

Small Bouquet
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Photo reference PMP Viacheslav, Small Bouquet 2.

Enjoy, life is joy we make one moment at a time. 

Persimmon and Tomato

My favorite photographer on Paint My Photo (pmp-art.com) is a Russian who literally paints with his camera – the compositions are amazing and the post-photo treatment is truly jaw-dropping.  It is a tad frustrating because you really want to paint the photo exactly.  But two artists, brush vs. camera, can probably only be a tie decided by the eye-of-the-beholder!  I’m grabbing the artistic license card again because if I could paint it exactly the same, I would be a famous artist by now. Happy with the way it turned out, but finding that such dark backgrounds are quite the challenge.

Persimmon and Tomato
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Photo reference PMP Viacheslav persimmons and tomato photo for painting. 

Enjoy, life is joy we make one moment at a time. 

Cotton Candy

Roses are a struggle and this one was definitely a challenge, but just loved its simplicity and the subtle luminosity in the photo.  I’ve seen yellow/pink roses before and they are almost unbelievable in real life let alone a painting that conveys the seductive character.  I hope you like it.    Finally decided to just let loose and amp up the color and the have my way with the edges – love the way it turned out.  Day 8 and the marathon is definitely starting to take its toll!   For some reason it reminds me of Cotton Candy!

Cotton Candy!
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Hey, who needs a theme? Me? Well maybe not, but get ready for a who-knows-what-hodgepodge. Thanks for hanging in there with me!  Oh yeah, self-promo: Valentine's Day is just around the corner!

Photo reference PMP Amita Shyam Rose Bud

Enjoy, life is joy we make one moment at a time. 

Johnna

Something New

As I was searching for gold, brass, metal, shiny stuff, help-me-please-anything, and this wonderful photo showed up. Love the color, love the perspective, love the way the light coming across the top is so blinding that part of it disappears.  Frequently, I search for faucet photos and there aren’t very many, but was thrilled when “metal” hit the jackpot!   From what I can tell it was taken in a small town in Poland (Jeziorowskie).  Amazing what is possible these days thanks to the internet (and The Google). 

Turquoise Faucet
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Photo reference MorgueFile Mzacha Pompa Zielona Jeziorowskie

Enjoy, life is joy we make one moment at a time. 

Citrus Confusion?

Today’s gold is this beautiful citrus thing.  The question is, “What Is It?”  The Google came up with an orange, tangerine, mandarin, tangelo, Satsuma, Clementine, huh?!  Too round for a tangerine, too dark for an orange. . . . .  Even tried to figure it out with leaf identification to no avail - like that would possibly work.  Short version - here’s what I found:

  - Citrus cultivation has a casual attitude toward cross breeding and variations

  - Trying to make proper order out of it all is problematic

  - Even the botanists can't agree with each other

Really, too funny but good to know it's all interchangeable.  Therefore, I’m good with calling it Golden Sunshine.  Personally, I love the shadows, the sassy stiletto-like leaf and the bold colors!

After all, what good is a theme if it can’t bail you out in an emergency?  Must be time to move on.

Golden Sunshine
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Enjoy, life is joy we make one moment at a time. 

Photo reference MorgueFile Max Straeten 

Found It!

Okay, definitely not gold, but how cool is this magical key?  Daunting in detail, but so whimsical I had to give it a go.  Asymmetrical too.  So much fun to paint – I guess that happens when you just decide you’re going to do it and know somehow it will just work out.  That’s what painting five days in a row does to you.  It even allowed me to loosen up a bit more too.  I can only imagine this key holds even more secrets and mystery!

Magical Key
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If you are an artist (or want to be) I encourage/dare you to try this challenge!  It’s not too late to start ‘cause no one is counting or checking or testing or rating anything – just do it.  You’ll see, you’ll learn a lot and it will feel good.  Go here to register http://30paintingsin30days.weebly.com/

Photo reference MorgueFile Clarita, Key 2

Enjoy, life is joy we make one moment at a time. 

Johnna

In Search of Gold

Nothing like a weekend to get organized.  Finally got a bit of a rhythm started and hope it gets me through the challenge.  I think finishing a class focused on large, complicated canvas paintings had me struggling to reconnect with my favorite simple, small panels.  My goal is to paint more loosely and this challenge is perfect for that – the daily practice works wonders and so does the smaller format.  Fingers crossed. 

Today’s painting is not really loose, but pushing me in the right direction.  Okay, not really gold either – it just makes me feel better to pretend I have a theme.  Regardless, I bet there are some interesting stories behind whatever door this key opened! 

The Key
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Photo reference MorgueFile Clarita, Key

Appreciate all the feedback and comments – keep them coming!

Enjoy, life is joy we make one moment at a time. 

Puffball

Well today started with what was supposed to be a frog – pretty cool looking one and I was thinking a theme of “near the water” for the first week.  Unfortunately the frog just didn’t work out so now I’m in scramble mode.  This happens because the plan wasn’t that great to start with.  What was I thinking!  A frog, seriously???

Luckily this lovely puffball of a goldfinch stepped in (hey maybe the theme is “gold” – I have that fish and now this!).  This has got to be the puffiest goldfinch ever.  I have seen other birds fluff up when it’s cold and wet so maybe this one got caught by a chilly spring.  

Puffball
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Well I’m off to find more “gold” – an artist commented “Don't overthink it!,” so I’m going to try some of that great advice.  Although, I wonder how many other gold things there are begging to be painted . . . .

  

Enjoy, life is joy we make one moment at a time. 

Johnna

Photo reference Debra Underwood, Goldfinch.

Go Fish

Day 2 of the 30-n-30 and I still have no plan, completely disorganized - no plausible theme and desperately trying to find photos that are delightful and compelling!

I’ve always loved the color orange and this silly fish just leapt out of the water and asked to be painted --- how could I refuse?   Interesting how things are complementary in nature. As is the orange fish in ultra-blue water.  Artists learn that orange and blue (complementary colors), really create pizzazz and visual interest.  Colors directly across a color wheel are considered complementary. So now, don’t you think this fish is even more interesting?

Go Fish
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Please take a minute and stop by Leslie's blog to see all the artists particpating in the challenge - click here. Last I checked there were 510 paintings!

Enjoy, life is joy we make one moment at a time.

Johnna

Photo reference: Hannah Waymack Arthur