Day 4 - February Challenge 28-in-28 Days

Warm Winter Sun 6 x 6"

A small pastel on Uart paper.

BURNING OFF OF THE FOG 10 X 13

Day 2 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

I have once again accepted Leslie Saeta's challenge to complete a painting a day each day during the month of September. I hesitated to accept the challenge. September is a very busy month and I don't like to set a goal I can't keep.  I decided an attempt to paint daily is better than not attempting at all. I am working on a new technique. I have tried using an underpainting in the past but I found myself rarely using that method, but I just took a workshop with an artist whose work I have long admired; Barbara Jaenicke. She uses an underpainting  and I have decided to try this method again. Yesterday's painting and todays painting were both started with an underpainting. I am beginning to like this method, but I still have a few challenges to work through. this painting is available through Daily Paint Works: http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/susan-klabak/burning-off-the-fog/254397

Sunlit Pines 8.5 x 8.5

Day 22 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

I've been wanting to do a painting of the green lichen that grows on many of the trees in our woodlot. I loved the colors in this painting...my favorites - greens and blues.

The Shack 9 x 11

Day 21 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

I am often attracted to derelict buildings. They seem to tell stories, and I like to embellish the stories in my own mind; thinking about the people that have used or inhabited them long ago. I wonder what the builder of this building would think if they saw this building today, so sadly neglected. 

Last Light 10 x 15

Day 9 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Sliver of Light 5 x 11

Day 8 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

GREENS OF SUMMER 9 x 9

Day 4 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

On a  snowy,very cold, wintery day it is nice to pull out a photo of summer to paint and transport myself to warm, sunny days

.http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/susan-klabak/greens-of-summer/190270

FIELD IN MOTION 8.5 x 11"

Day 2 of the 30 Paintings  in 30 Days Challenge
I grew up in farm country, my parents had a farm in Ohio and even when we moved to Michigan we were in a rural area with a big farm field behind our house. I have many happy memories of my childhood and I think that must be why farm scenes attract my attention as subjects for my paintings.

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/susan-klabak/field-in-motion/189979

CLOUDS BUILDING 14 x 7"

My painting for Day 12 of the 30 Day Painting Challenge.

Sun on the River 9 x 11

This is day five of Leslie Saeta's  challenge - 30 Paintings in 30 Days.

Check out Leslie's blog to see what the other artists who have taken on the challenge have posted. lesliesaeta.blogspot.com

MOSTLY SUNNY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS 9 x 11

My painting for the 30 in 30 painting challenge  ( 9-3-2013)

30 PAINTINGS in 30 DAYS - SEPTEMBER CHALLENGE

SEPTEMBER CLOUDS  5 X 7

Artist Leslie Saeta has again issued the challenge to create 30 paintings in 30 days. I'm in, but I'm already a day late. Better late than never! Here we go.

30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS - #25

Iron Posts 9 x 12

30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS - Painting #22

Morning Sun on Barn with Silo - 100 strokes - 5 x 11

I love doing the 100 stroke paintings. Makes me stop and think before I put the pastel to paper, since every stroke must count (no pun intended). The 100 stroke paintings are probably more of an exercise than to be counted as a painting, but never the less this is my entry today for the 30 in 30 challenge.

Only five days left in the challenge. I will need to get busy creating larger works for three separate shows coming up this spring. But I might create a new challenge for myself involving the 100 strokes works. I think there is much to be learned from keeping the strokes to a minimum, and making myself stop after the count is complete. Those last strokes become very deliberate. A fun challenge.

30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS - #17

RED TRUCK 8 X 10

This painting was started over a week ago, when friends and I got together to paint. I didn't finish it until today. An earlier version I painted from the same photo reference in the GALLERY on my website. I missed two days of the 30 day challenge and I'm still not feeling great, so finishing this rather than starting fresh today was just what I needed.

30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS - DAY 14

Pasture and Creek 14 x 20

On this cold winter day I needed to work on a summer painting. Almost half way through the challenge.

30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS - DAY 10

Fog and Snow 5 x 7
Today the temperatures rose into the 40's and most of Wisconsin was blanketed in fog. It rained during the night last night and part of the morning but we still have snow on the ground, and the ski hill  near our house was open today. In this painting I tried to capture the cold fog.

30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS - DAY 9

100 STROKES 5.5 X 9

A small study completed with 100 strokes. I might make this my next challenge - complete 100 - 100 stroke paintings in 100 days. I'll really have to think about that because I am getting ready for three upcoming exhibits all within the next six months so that challenge may have to wait until this summer. That would be a good time to do that challenge; I could add that the 100 paintings have to be done en plein air! 

30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS - DAY 7

AUTUMN DRIVE 6 X 6
Through Leslie Saeta's blog site and her 30 day challenge I have "met" many other artists who have accepted Leslie's challenge to complete a daily painting. The connections have been made by email with artists across the US and beyond. I've discussed a trade of artwork with another artist and shared ideas and comments with many others. It's been inspiring to know we are 'in this together' and supporting each other.
View the other artist's art at  lesliesaeta.blogspot.com

30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS - DAY 6

RED BARN WITH CLOUDS 6.5 X 9
I've been a cloud watcher for as long as I can remember.  As a child I spent many hours lying in the grass, watching the clouds move past and chewing a blade of grass. I've been known to say "it's a good cloud day" and that usually means, cobalt blue sky with fluffy cumulus clouds.