A Painting a Day - Day 65

This is the painting I had hopes of posting yesterday but could not finish because if nothing else, this 100 paintings in 100 days has showed me I really really need to sleep. So instead of 100 days, it has become more like 105 days! Oh well. I am giving myself grace and room to be human. This is the most productive I have ever been in my life. So I am not feeling bad for missing a day or two!

My sister asked me the other day if I am sticking with this because I have done this project publicly. I did not hesitate. YEP. If people were not watching this, I would have quit this weeks ago! Ha! But I am so glad for the accountability because of the progress I have made in a very short amount of time. It has been completely worth the struggle.

This 5 x 7 red wing black bird is available for sale for $25. If you would like to own it please email me at lauraparkhurstillustrator@gmail.com. Thanks for being there for me! I may not know who you are, but your visits have kept me going. I have 35 paintings left to go! Hope you can come by again tomorrow!

A Painting a Day - Day 63

It is interesting to go through the ups and downs of doing a long project like these 100 paintings in 100 days. The hardest is the stress of trying to actually do 100 in 100 days. I have already missed that goal when I took some time off a couple of weeks ago and then yesterday I posted the previous day's painting and did not have a new one to post with it. That is kind of disappointing, but I have to accept my limitations. With a month and a half to go, I have to some how gather up the energy and patience to keep going even though the days I don't feel like doing this are becoming more frequent.

I know I can keep going because I have made up my mind. I just want to keep the quality of my paintings satisfactory. That is challenging. Especially when I have off days like today where I feel tired, stressed, hurried and unmotivated.

But I got it done! So feelings of wanting to quit will be nothing compared to the triumph I will feel when I have completed my 100th day. Then I have to decide what my next move will be. Probably take a little break for the holidays! Then at the first of the year, get back to it!

This blue jay was as fun to sketch as he was to paint. I enjoyed the pattern the black markings on his feathers created. Blue jays are such pretty birds, even though they can be a nuisance to bird watchers because they tend to chase other song birds off. When I was a kid, it was fun to watch them hop across the yard, their blue color so striking and vibrant.

I painted this blue jay on 5 x 7 watercolor paper. It is available for sale for $25. If you would like to purchase it, please email me at lauraparkhurstillustrator@gmail.com. Thanks for checking out my art. Please let me know what you think in the comments below. I would love to hear from you. See you tomorrow!

A Painting a Day - Day 62

This was meant for yesterday but I wasn't able to complete it in time. Having a goal to paint daily has been such a great way to become productive and prolific, but I am finding it difficult to avoid having a day here and there where I just can't get it done. I am not certain I will get a new painting off today either though I do have a sketch.  Irregardless, I am creating at a rate and quantity I have never achieved before and encourages me that I can continue to produce many pieces of art in the future.

I recently watched an instructional video about watercolor painting and the artist used his sketches to develop his plan for the painting. As you can see in the photo below, I drew the kangaroo and developed shadows. I think used this as a guide for the shadows for the painting. Remembering that all bodies have volume, shadows and shading done with a consistent light source can create a three dimensional feeling to artwork. The sketch helps to achieve this.

Thanks so much for visiting my site. This painting is my 62nd painting in my 100 paintings in 100 days project. It has already been sold and will be going to a new home! Tomorrow's painting is already planned. I hope you can come again tomorrow to see it.

A Painting a Day - Day 61

I have been focusing on eyes so much during this 100 paintings in 100 days project. When you get the eyes right the picture comes to life. They have to sparkle and glow. If they are flat, the picture is lifeless.

This little dog grabbed my attention because of his eyes, the way he is looking up at the viewer and showing the whites of his eyes. Dogs look so human when they do that. It makes hearts melt!

This watercolor is 5 x 7 and is available for sale for $25. If you would like to own it, please email me at lauraparkhurstillustrator@gmail.com. The first person I hear from can buy it and give this little puppy a new home!

Thanks for visiting today. It has amazed me how much traffic my blog has been getting. I hope I can continue to post interesting stuff even after this 100 days is over. Maybe I should consider another 100 days to keep my momentum going.... Well, hope you can come again tomorrow!

A Painting a Day - Day 59

Today was  absolutely a perfect day to take my dog for a walk with my son and daughter. The sun was bright and the air was crisp. And I enjoyed the time I had to talk things over with my sweet boy while my spunky daughter took off way a head of us on her scooter. My dog would not quiet down and stop pulling on me, but she got over her pity party she was having from being cooped up at home.

This is from a sketch I did a few months ago but I thought it fit my mood for the day and the happy little dog fits it into my theme.

This was a painting I did with layers of glazes, bringing out more and more details. And if I had more time, I could have developed it even more. But as it is, I feel like it is quite charming. Especially the red barn.

This 59th painting is available for sale for $50. If you would like to purchase it, please email me at lauraparkhurstillustrator @gmail.com. Thanks for visiting my site today. Hope you can come by again tomorrow for a new painting.

A Painting a Day - Day 58

Today, November the 1st, is All Saints Day on the church calendar. I know in Catholic churches this is a day of obligation if it falls on a Sunday. I grew up in the Lutheran church and we also celebrated it on the Sunday following the day if it did not fall on a Sunday. It is a day to remember those who have died in the faith and those who have died because of their faith. I always thought of my grandmother on that day. Now I think of my mother too.

This is Saint Francis of Assisi. He was know for his compassion on all creatures. The Catholic Church has named him the patron saint of the environment. In one story about him, it is said he preached the Gospel to a flock of birds who quietly listened and burst into song when he called on them to praise God. I thought he made a good connection between my theme of animal pictures and today's special occasion.

My 58th painting is available for sale for $50. It is 8 x 10. If you would like to purchase it, please email me at lauraparkhurstillustrator@gmail.com. Thanks for following my art through my 100 day journey. Hope you can come again tomorrow.

A Painting a Day - Day 57

Happy Halloween!

Painting 57 is my last Halloween themed picture with an owl and some happy trick or treaters.

I wish the weather had been this nice here. Instead it was rainy with a little bit of snow. So we skipped the trip around the block and stayed home handing out candy to those who where brave enough to venture out into the nasty weather.

Hope you had a happy Halloween!

This 8 x 10 painting is available for sale for $50. If you would like to purchase it please email me at lauraparkhurstillustrator@gmail.com. Thanks for following my art work! Hope you can come again tomorrow!

A Painting a Day - Day 56

Another spooky animal for day 56 of my 100 paintings in 100 days challenge.

This is a Little Brown Bat. They are native to Indiana, which is where I am. On a warm evening you can see them darting about. Little Brown Bats are not the cutest of animals but they have an awesome purpose. They eat mosquitoes. A lot of mosquitoes! Up to half their body weight. They also eat wasps and moths.

Bats have a bad reputation that is based on rumors and folk lore. This little guys looks fearsome, but he has his mouth open because he is echo-locating for his food and for his surroundings. He lets out a high pitched sound that human's can't hear but it bounces back off of objects like trees and bugs into his huge ears and he can tell with great clarity and quickness where those objects are and what they are. Amazing!

Little Brown Bats are in trouble. Many have come down with an illness called white nose syndrome. It makes it difficult for the bats to hibernate and they die of starvation. And people also kill them because they see them as a nuisance. Here in Indiana they are on the endangered species list. One way to help is to build a bat house. For more information about bats follow this link Bat Facts. For instructions on building a bat house follow this link Bat House.

This painting is 8 x 10 and available for sale for $50. If you would like to buy it please email me at lauraparkhurstillutrator@gmail.com. Thanks for following my art. Tomorrow will be another spooky animal picture for Halloween! Hope you can come by and see it.

A Painting a Day - Day 55

A scary spider for day 55! I thought this would be a fun opportunity to practice facial expressions and practice painting eyes. I love the way light gets caught and reflected in eyes. I never get tired of drawing and painting them.

I had to look through several spider pictures to choose one that would be big enough to make an impressive sight in my painting. Now if this was real life even a tiny spider could get that reaction if it was on someone's shoulder. I appreciate that spiders keep other pesky bugs down, but when I look at them they make my skin crawl. They need to stay outside and out of my house!

There was one spider that was photographed close up so you could see it's large eyes and my daughter says, "Aww, cute! Don't you think so?" Sorry kiddo. Nope. Spiders are not cute. Not cute.

This is my 55th painting and like all the rest before it, it is available for purchase to the first person to contact me at my email which is lauraparkhurstillustrator@gmail.com. It is 8 x 10 and is watercolor on Arches 100% cotton paper.

Thanks for stopping by to check out my artwork. Hope you can come by again tomorrow!

A Painting a Day - Day 54

Another Halloween themed picture! This is my 54th painting. From what I understand black is not used in traditional watercolor paintings. But I am enjoying using it in this and yesterday's paintings. I get the paper wet where I want the black to be and then drop the color into the moistened area. It spreads and makes really cool patterns, like lace or spider webs, soft and feathery.

I also wanted to create a feeling of shadow and light with the pumpkins. The shadows create a dimension to them while the bright light shining from within creates a nice contrast.

This black cat is painted on 8 x 10 Arches 100% cotton watercolor paper. It is available for sale for $50. If you would like to purchase it be the first to email me at lauraparkhurstillustrator@gmail.com. I know decorating for Halloween has become very popular and more elaborate than it was when I was a kid when all you had was a couple of jack-o-lanterns on the front porch. This black cat would make a great addition to the ambiance of that spooky day!

Thanks for following my artwork. Hope you will come again tomorrow to see a new picture!

A Painting a Day - Day 53

For the Halloween theme I had to sit and think of what I wanted to do for today's painting. First I thought of a black cat, but it just wasn't feeling right today. A picture of a blue jay lay on my kitchen table and I recalled that blue jays are related to crows so I looked up a picture of a crow in a bird book. A page over was a picture of a raven. I had no idea they were so huge by the way and are not here in Indiana. But I then thought of the poem by Edgar Allen Poe and who better to recall at this time of year than that famous writer and poet of macabre stories and melancholic poetry.

Here is a little bit of the poem to have as reference for this illustration.

'Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,

In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore;
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door—
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door—
                Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
“Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, “art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore—
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night’s Plutonian shore!”
               Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.” '

Thanks for coming to see my art again today. This 8 x 10 illustration is available for sale for $50. If you would like to purchase it, please email me at lauraparkhurstillustrator@gmail.com. The first person I hear from can buy it. Hope to see you again tomorrow.

A Painting a Day - Day 52

I know I am late with this by about 9 hours, but I am giving myself permission to be human. Gotta sleep sometime! Plus the weekend was busy with activities for my kids and time with my husband. I want to have a ccareeras an artist, but what good is it if I neglect my family?

This is Halloween week so I thought I would do a few paintings of animals that might give some of us the chills. The sound of wolves howling can send shivers up our spines. Wolves howl, not to scare us, but to communicate with each other. Members of a pack will howl to call to one another because their territories are very large and they will become separated when hunting. They also howl to let rival packs know where their boundaries are.

This painting is 8 x 10 and done on Arches 100% cotton watercolor paper. New kind of paper calls for some adjustment in technique. I think it has a bit more of a painterly look. It is available for sale for $50. If you would like to own it, please email me at lauraparkhurstillustrator@gmail.com. The first person I hear from can buy it. Thanks for coming by to see my work. Sorry it is a day late. Hopeful I can get a new painting up for today later tonight. See you later!

A Painting a Day - Day 51

This painting is from a sketch I did last year. Sometimes a piece of art needs to sit and rest. When I went back to it for this 100 day project, this seemed like it had potential to make a cute painting that reminds me of my daughter and the delight she has in her face when she has a surprise for me.

I went back to the 5 x 7 size for this illustration. I think the size makes for a more personal piece that looks nice on a bookshelf or desk.

Because I am going back to a smaller size I am going to leave the dollar a day increase which I have been doing. From on, all 5 x 7 paintings I do for this project will be available for sale for $25. Pricing my art is a challenge. There is the desire to be compensated for my talent and time. But I don't want to alienate potential buyers. It is a narrow path to tread.

If you would like to purchase this cute little kitten, be the first to email me at lauraparkhurstillustrator@gmail.com. It is $25 and the first person I hear from can buy it.

Thanks for checking out my art work. Hope you can come by again tomorrow for a new painting!

A Painting a Day - Day 50

I am now officially half way there!! I can't believe I have gotten this far. Day 50 has been a busy one too. I wasn't sure I would get a painting done. But here it is.

This painting means hope to me. Hope is something we have to reach out for. It is something that is so easy to lose but makes life worth living. And it is something we have to believe in to receive. You have to believe there is a reason to hope.

This is actually my second attempt at this picture. Previously I did it in colored pencil but didn't like the way it turned out. I like it much better in watercolor. Just like hope, it is worth the struggle.

This painting is 8 x 10 in watercolor and it is available for $50. If you would like to purchase it, please email me at lauraparkhurstillustrator@gmail.com. The first person I hear from can buy it.

Thank you for sticking with me these past 50 days. I appreciate every encouraging word. Hope you will continue on with me for the next 50 days!

A Painting a Day - Day 49

Wanted to do something fun for today's painting. I really had to think to come up with enough animals to fill the space. Every time I thought I had it full enough I would see an open spot!

I wanted to convey the feeling of relief that Noah felt when the little dove returned with that olive branch. Knowing there would be an end to the confinement in that ark would have called for celebration. Which is really an image of God's gift of grace to humanity through Jesus Christ and when we receive that, we have reason to rejoice!

This illustration would be perfect for a children's room. There are lots of details to look at.  It is 8 x 10 and it is available for sale for $49. If you would like to purchase it, please email me at lauraparkhurstillustrator@gmail.com. The first person I hear from can buy it.

Thanks for coming to see my artwork again. Hope you can come again tomorrow! I have no idea what I am going to paint, but I will come up with something!

A Painting a Day - Day 48

My dad has always said owning a horse is like owning a boat. You have two good days; the day you buy it and the day you sell it. He bought a horse for me the summer I turned 16. I guess other girls would have wanted a car.

Receiving my horse was a good day. But there were other good days. I remember the thrill of riding home really fast in the snow and how it flew off of my horse's hooves. I remember how beautiful our horses where when they would gallop across a field. I remember how fun it was to go on a ride with my dad and have his company all to myself. I remember getting caught in a rain storm at the far side of our farm and sitting on my horse listening as it poured down on the roof of the a old barn which stood back there.

I remember the day my dad sold our horses. It was the winter before I got married. They had become wild from lack of attention. It was time for them to have a new home. I didn't tell them good bye. But I have those memories and there were many good days.

This portrait of an Arabian horse is my 48th painting in my 100 day series. It is available for sale for $48 to the first person to email me at lauraparkhurstillustrator@gmail.com. If you would like to buy it please drop me a message!

Thanks for coming buy to see my work. Hope you can come again tomorrow!

A Painting a Day - Day 47

Summer is passing away so quickly. But I still see butterflies here and there. This was a really great year for them. I loved seeing all the monarchs. I saw a zebra swallowtail in my front yard which was pretty special. A couple of tiger swallowtails came by too.

This is the eastern tiger swallowtail. They have some orange on their lower wings while the western variety has only blue on the lower wings.

This butterfly is my 47th painting. It is available for sale for $47. If you would like to purchase it, please email me at lauraparkhurstillustrator@gmail.com. The first person I hear from can buy it.  Thanks for checking out my art today. Please come back tomorrow for another new painting!

A Painting a Day - Day 46

Sometimes when I am painting I feel so nervous. It squeezes my chest and I can't breathe. Irrational as it may sound, I completely expect to ruin every painting I start. The perfectionist in my is my saboteur. She likes to sneak around inside my head and just when I think she has finally been subdued, there she is again, warning me of the certain impending fail that is about to happen.

Funny thing is, every painting seems to work out okay. Not to say that everyone of them is all that great. But none of them have been right down awful!

So I struggle to let myself create because it is risky. What if I waste my time? What if I can't get one done before I fall down from a lack of sleep? What if I fail?!?!? What if, what if, what if, blah blah blah! So much useless worry.

This little sea horse if my offering for today. It is painting #46 and it is available for sale for $46. It is 8 x 10 and ready to frame. If you would like to buy it please email me at lauraparkhurstillustrator@gmail.com. The first person I hear from can purchase it. Also, I am continuing to take requests for future subject matter. After all I have 54 more days to paint! Please leave a suggestion in the comments below! As always, thanks for coming by. Hope you can make it back tomorrow!

A Painting a Day - Day 45

Well I am back to it. I got a few things done, some things caught up and some extra sleep. I have to admit that every time I post a painting, I wrestle with self doubt. I am rarely satisfied with my paintings when I post them anymore. I think the 8 x 10 format is hard to finish in a day. So don't be surprised if I go back to 5 x 7 simply because that size is better suited for finishing a painting in a day.

As I have been doing these paintings I have enjoyed all the experimenting I have gotten to do. This painting I did with a loose feel to the green background. I let the water and the paint do what it wanted. I like the edges it created as the painted pushed against the water.

I am also enjoying painting dogs. When I was growing up it was horses, which I still love to draw and paint, but dogs come in such vast variety that each one I do is so different even if there are close similarities in individuals. It's been fun studying the different breeds.

This German Shepherd is my 45th painting and I could tell I was refreshed because he evolved on the paper very naturally. It is painted on 8 x 10 paper. This painting is available for sale for $45. If you would like to buy it, please email me at lauraparkhurstillustrator@gmail.com. The first person I hear from can purchase it.

Thanks for coming back to see my art work and follow my 100 day challenge. Almost half way there! I can't believe I have come this far. Hope you will stick with me to the end!

A Painting a Day - Day 44

I am amazed everyday since I started this 100 day challenge at the response I have gotten from people I know and people I only know online. I so appreciate it. It has been inspiring and energizing. I have not worked this hard since I had a newborn!

I am going to say that I need to take a few days to catch up on somethings going on in my life. It's like that sometimes. You make plans but things come up and put a bump in the road and it's not necessarily a bad thing! But there are only 24 hours in the day. So over the next few days I am going to catch up and I will have a new painting to post on Sunday evening.

This is a painting I did about a year ago. It was hiding in a folder. I thought if someone would like to, they could give it a new home. I painted it after I had seen an I MAX movie about dolphins. They played with a piece of seaweed under the sparkle of the surface. It was so beautiful that I need to capture the memory.

This painting is for sale for $44. If you would like to buy it, please email me at lauraparkhurstillustrator@gmail.com. The first person I hear from can buy it.

Thanks for being a part of my art journey. Thanks for your encouragement. Knowing people are visiting my art has given me the energy to get through these 44 days. Hope you check in again on Sunday evening and I will pick this up again! Promise!