Landscape Phobia PPF

Landscape Phobia, Paint Party Friday

"The Rogue River" Acrylic 5x7 - Riverscape?

One of the things I rarely, if ever, painted, LANDSCAPES, has been my focus for the past few weeks. I challenged myself to paint 30 of them in 30 days, ACEO size, for Leslie Saeta's 30 in 30, my second time for doing her challenge. Now I am swimming in landscapes, seascapes and cityscapes and not just 2.5 x 3.5 inches either. I figured it might help me improve if I did something I disliked, probably because I was not good at it. Each one I paint seems to get better, or at least easier, and now I enjoy the challenge.

Last time I chose Food Still Life because I felt it was not my best or favorite subject. I think they turned out pretty good, actually. The collage above has most of them. I left out the really bad ones in the album, but I did finish 30. Hardly any of them sold, even though I had them priced very reasonably. But food paintings are not very popular, I am told.

I have hopes for the landscapes this time, because I read online that they sell better than any other topic, and I do intend to sell my work. My goal is to make more money selling my art than I do collecting my SS retirement benefits each month. I can dream, can't I? I will be making a collage of the 30 (or maybe 25 best ones) on October 1.

You can follow my 30 in 30 landscape paintings on my blog post here.

A very busy week of Painting

What I painted the first week in August 2014

"Melting!" Auction on DPW

​Ice Cream Cone, done for a DPW challenge. ACEO size, 2.5 x 3.5 inches, on 1/8 inch thick masonite. Can be displayed on a tiny black easel, included FREE. Start your miniature art collection today.

Auction for this 9x12 Mohawk Pig in Neon colors on Daily Paintworks

According to the California Potbellied Pig Association, "Adult pigs are covered with coarse, dense bristles. Most have a 'mane' or 'mohawk' that runs along the top of the neck and topline. The mohawk bristles can be raised and lowered depending on the pigs emotional state. Upright bristles can indicate aggressive feelings, but the mohawk is also raised when the pig is very content." I prefer to think of this one as a very happy piggy.

"Bruges Canal." 12x16 Landscape done with Acrylics using fluorescent neons, bright colors. Painted on canvas board with thick impasto mostly with a palette knife and a stiff brush. Thanks to the "Reference Photos for Artists 2" Group on Facebook for the FREE inspirational image by Debbie Peaty. I found that the trick to getting the colors to be bright is to first do an underpainting with pure titanium white and then use the neons on top outlining in black.

For sale on Daily Paintworks

The theme for this month on my ACEO Facebook Ebay group was Rivers and Lakes. Here are my 3 ACEOs with that theme.

ACEO Mountain Lake with Rocks and an Evergreen Tree Acrylic

ACEO River at Sunset or Sunrise Stream Rocks Trees Colorful

ACEO Abstract Lake Sailboat Sunset Magnet Acrylic on Masonite 

Peek-a-boo Village, 8x10 Acrylic on heavy paper, with FREE mat.

"Peek A Boo Village" 8x10 Acrylic on 140# paper, comes with a FREE mat. Based loosely on the photo PMP site photo Village d'Azur by HARDJANI YORICK. Contemporary style landscape/seascape of red rooftops peeking out from a densely wooded forest area overlooking the ocean. 

Matted and ready to frame

"Alley Cats" 8x10 Acrylic on Canvas Board. For reference I used an old brick wall photo by Paul Sherman, on paintmyphoto.ning.com for the background. The wall was done impasto style with thick acrylic paint using a palette knife, one brick at a time. I was inspired by a couple of challenges in the acrylic group on PMP. I added the cats because the wall was kind of boring, and I have been thinking for months of what to paint on it. I think it works. The Alley Cats are not really friendly, and I think a cat fight is imminent.

The first HALLOWEEN ACEO card

The challenge this month in the ACEO Ebay group on Facebook is to use the above photo as inspiration for a card. Here is my interpretation, in acrylic Neon Fluorescent paint. Get out your black light!