100 Paintings Challenge- #1 " Evening in Paris"

I just started the 100 Paintings Challenge, and am so excited to be a part of it! I paint most days anyway, but I think with a number as a specific goal, I will really keep at it. Only 99 more paintings to go! The way I understand the challenge, it isn't about masterpieces. It is about working on your skills and, for me, making painting even more of a priority. I think if I paint even more than I already do, I will definitely improve- practice makes perfect, right? I am already doing The Twenty Minute Challenge, and love how it makes me work on prioritizing the details in my paintings since the clock is ticking away. I have a tendency to keep working and reworking my paintings until SOMETIMES I go too far and no longer like the painting. Even I can't overwork a painting in 20 minutes!

I chose this Paris street scene as the first of my 100 for many reasons. My main reason is that I love this street- Rue St. Dominique in the 7th Arrondissement of Paris. We stayed in a hotel on this street and the location was perfect. Rue Cler, the beautiful Seine and Pont Alexandre, La Tour Eiffel - all VERY nearby. Most of my photos of the street were daytime and I really wanted to try a night scene. My night photos were all very dark except for the bright lights. I used one of the day photos (actually, as I often do, I used several photos) and tried to turn it into a night scene. That is one of my other reasons for choosing this painting- it is my FIRST attempt at a night painting. What better way for me to learn, than to try something very different for me? I am sure that if I keep working on night scenes and the different use of color, lighting, sky, etc,- I will improve. I do have a photo of a beautiful night view of San Francisco from Treasure Island. Maybe next time....

Thanks for looking!

Sheryl

Postcards from Paris

A few years ago, I was lucky enough to spend a couple weeks in Paris! My husband was going on a business trip and I was able to go along. He travels constantly, and usually I am not tempted to go with him. Some of the locations just aren't interesting enough. This time, I loved the destination- and my sons were already grown and out of the house. He had asked me to go on many of these business trips, but leaving 2 high school boys home alone for more than a day or two- need I say more?

Paris is a beautiful city with lots to see and a lots to paint! While my husband was in meetings, I ventured out and took pictures for future paintings. Our hotel was quaint and small and located perfectly a few blocks from the Eiffel Tower. It was on the Rue St. Dominique and VERY nearby were the Seine with the Pont Alexandre, Rue Cler, and the Eiffel Tower! I had so much fun walking around, and as long as I kept the Seine nearby, I figured I couldn't get too lost. I spent a day at the Rodin Museum- highlights being "The Thinker" and "The Gates of Hell" (a bit creepy, but a fascinating work of art). The food was awesome! Patisseries and boulangeries everywhere (like delis on Long Island-every corner). When my husband was not working, we definitely went all over and saw even more- The Louvre and Jardin des Tuileries, Notre Dame, Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, and everything in between!

While we were there, I also mailed some watercolor postcards I had painted of some of my favorite places in Paris. I mailed them home to a few of my favorite people. I had seen an article in one of my watercolor magazines about an artist who did that wherever he travelled and loved the idea! The French woman working at the post office thought I was crazy when I insisted on putting the stamps on the painted side, but I figured I would never see her again anyway.. I had done a similar thing with our vacation to Italy, except didn't have the postcard idea until we were home. That time, I painted from our photos and had my wonderful son (who was stationed at Aviano airbase in Italy) take them to his post office in Italy. So, I didn't mail them myself, but still got my postcards!

Since that vacation, I often go through the gazillions of photos I took and find new ones to paint. Between the photos from Italy and the ones from Paris, I will be painting from them far into the future I am sure.

Thanks for looking!

Sheryl