Summary of 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

31 Oil Paintings in 30 Days, © 2013, Nancy Van Blaricom

• I like the variety of subjects I chose to paint.  Mostly outdoor scenes excepting the tube of paint, my ceramic bird  and a cement crab. I'm pleased with this because I want to focus mainly on land and seascapes.

• I was pleased that when I painted water that it mostly looked like water and that isn't always easy to do ... especially when working faster than I like to work.

• I painted more in one month than I have in some years.

• I posted on my blog more in one month than I do usually in 6 months.

• I did not like trying to finish one painting a day.  I'm not good at it.  I would prefer to start one painting and give it the attention I think it needs.... Which may be two days or one month.

• I have always admired the daily painters.  They make it look so easy.  I love painting but I felt there was too much pressure to produce a painting a day.

• If I were just painting without this challenge I probably wouldn't have posted 1/2 or more of these. Not that they are absolutely horrible, but, that I know I can do better with more planning and time.

• When I had finished the 30 days and looked back I was surprised that I painted the number of animals I did.  Two cows, a peacock, a rooster, a crab a bear and a ceramic bird ... and mussels, which I'm not sure what category they fall under.  Definitely not a landscape!

• If I were to do this over again I would go into it better prepared.  I'd have all my supports chosen and toned - supports for you non artists is the canvas, paper, board etc that you choose to put paint on. Usually I chose just before I started painting.

• Also, I would pre-choose my subjects.  At the most I was one or two days ahead in thinking what I would paint next.

• I think I've learned how to handle my brushes better and what brushes I enjoy using in most cases.

• There are a couple of paintings I did that I will continue to work on and possibly come up with a finished painting I'm happy with.   And, there are a few that truly are studies for larger paintings.

• And I have found some great new artist friends who's work I really admire.

Thanks to all of you who followed along on my 30 day painting journey. I loved hearing from you and appreciate that you took the time to email me or post comments.