I had a goal, at the beginning of January…to paint 30 paintings, in 30 days.

And guess what? I did!

I painted single flowers, flowers in vases, portraits, a tiny copy of a Manet masterpiece, and even a girl flying on a dragonfly. Thirty paintings I am proud of. 

One of my very favorites of this last week of painting, is this one…

I call it Solitary Bloom. I was able to focus on one thing…just one simple flower, and it’s awesome beauty. I think I may try more of this in the months to come, painting solitary objects, even everyday things, up close and personal. That’s one of the reasons I love looking at the art of the daily painters that participate in Daily Paintworks. Many of them paint ordinary objects that we see every day, but in such a way, that they are so beautiful when we concentrate on looking at it closely.

Cindy Haase can make an ordinary pear, look like a masterpiece of nature. Hilda Oomen can make the lowly geranium plant look absolutely heavenly. Kristina Sellers makes citrus come alive…and don’t even get me started on the cupcakes! And A.K. Simon can make a ketchup bottle a true work of art. Amazing.

I am working hard, learning this skill of painting, and one of these days, I hope to make art as beautiful as theirs! For now, I am in awe…but happy to be in their company.

“Solitary Bloom” is an acrylic painting on 5 x 7 inch canvas, and is now available in my Daily Paintworks Gallery. 

Another big thank you to Leslie Saeta for encouraging the whole lot of us, to paint A LOT in January! It turned out to be a great month!

To see what other artists worked on for their 30 paintings goal, take a look at Leslie’s blog.