September 15, 2009 - day 36

Da Vinci watercolor and Prismacolor colored pencils on

140lb Aquarelle cold press watercolor paper

With each day and each painting I am learning a lot. Some paintings are turning out great while others I really hate but with each one I am learning something new. Today I learned a new way to paint distant trees and white fur. Last week I learned how to create realistic crayons. Sometimes I learn because I like the effect that I achieved other times I learn from my mistakes.

I am starting to see how daily painting has the ability to take my art to the next level. Last year I painted 25 paintings. I wasn't painting often enough to benefit from my successes and my failures. Now though, with painting every day, I am able to say to myself "I really liked the way that part of that painting turned out so I am going to do that technique in this painting" or "I really hate the look of that I wonder if I tried this it would work better?"

Also, by stepping outside my comfort zone - repeatedly - I am pushing myself to try new subjects and new techniques. I am learning to not fear failure. There are always going to be people who try tear you down. They make innocent little comments that can smash at your self-esteem without them even being aware of how their words hurt. I am learning to not care what some one else might think about my art. It really has nothing to do with them. It's about me expressing myself regardless of whether the art turns out good, bad or ugly.

I am also finding that art really is subjective. Everyone views it in a different way. The things that I hate some one else will love and vice versa. I have had one person say they love a certain painting and then have some one else say they hate it. Some people like realism while others like their art to leave something to the imagination. There is no right or wrong just personal preference. That's a big lesson for me to learn because I have always hated certain styles of art but now I am starting to see it from the other side.