Day 2 - Peace - Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge

Day 2 is here!

This Gaelic Blessing goes along beautifully with my little bunny today:

Deep peace of the running wave to you

Deep peace of the flowing air to you

Deep peace of the quiet earth to you

Deep peace of the shining stars to you

Deep peace of the gentle night to you,

Moon and stars pour their beaming light on you

Deep peace of Christ the Light of the world to you.

My Mini Art painting today is titled "Peace".

"Peace"

by Retta Stephenson

4x4 inch acrylic on wrapped canvas

$30 includes it's own FREE wooden 

mini display easel and 

FREE shipping in the continental US

(other locations please email artbyretta@gmail.com 

for shipping costs) 

These little paintings are being sold on a first come first served basis, so anyone interested please email me at artbyretta@gmail.com with any questions.If you'd like this cute little bunbun to come and live with you, simply click on the Button above (you don't need a Paypal account).

Hope you enjoy seeing these bunnies, cuz I am SO enjoying painting them.

Happy painting,

Retta

PS: It's not too late to join the Challenge.... you can jump in at any time. Here is the link to the artist who leads these adventures: Leslie Saeta's site for Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days.  

Day 1 - Beauty -Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge

Day 1 of the Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days starts TODAY!

"I look to art to soothe my soul, to allow me to escape from that which disturbs my peace with a visit for a moment with something of beauty." -Robert Sesco, artist

My first mini art painting titled "Beauty":

"Beauty"

by Retta Stephenson

4x4 inch acrylic on wrapped canvas

 includes it's own FREE wooden 

mini display easel and 

FREE shipping in the continental US

SOLD

My goal is to offer an uplifting series. It's my hope that these mini art paintings will bring a bit of joy and encouragement.

These little paintings are being sold on a first come first served basis, so anyone interested please email me at artbyretta@gmail.com with any questions. If you'd like to have one for your very own,  simply click on the Button above (you don't need a Paypal account).

I hope you enjoy following along on this adventure. I'll try my best to complete all 30 paintings. There are no challenge "rules" as to how many you must paint. The true goal is just to paint MORE. But, I'm going to give it my all, and see if I can paint all 30! And it helps they are mini art! :-D

If you are an artist and would like to join in, you can jump in at any time. Here is the link to the artist who leads these adventures: Leslie Saeta's site for Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days.  

Happy painting,

Retta

PS: I invite you to watch my daily Facebook posts for photos of these mini art paintings,  HERE. 

Achieving the Impossible!

Taking a deep breath and reminding myself to just do my best:

Not too late if anyone else wants to join the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. Visit Leslie Saeta's blog for all the deets.

They say growth comes from stepping outside our comfort zone. This coming month ought to see me grow by leaps and bounds!


Happy Painting,

Retta

Thanks For Lighting a Firecracker Under Me!

Before I get buried in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge, I'd like to thank the artist that inspired me to stick my neck out and join this challenge: 

Carol McIntyre

You can find Carol's website Here, and her Facebook site Here. 

Carol shares many free tips (she is also an art teacher) on her blog Here. If you love color and would like to learn more, Carol REALLY knows color, and offers a video course called Acrylic Color Mixing Made Easy. 

During the last 3//30 Challenge, I followed along as Carol participated in the challenge, and was so taken by her delightful paintings, that I robbed my piggy bank and bought one I had fallen in love with. 

Here it is hanging my studio, the beautiful painting in the upper left corner. It is titled "Tools of Joy".

(can click on pic to enlarge to see

Carol's painting in upper left corner)

I've been wanting to do this Challenge for awhile now, but allowed others to talk me out of it by reminding me of all the reasons why I wouldn't be able to do it. I let that rob me of belief in myself. But no more! :-)

Thank you, Carol, for lighting a fire under me, and giving me the inspiration to try this Challenge!

Happy painting,

Retta

It's Almost Bunny Time!

Wow! This is a screenshot of the map for the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge, showing where all the participants live. 

We now have a little over 700 artists from all around this world. Can't wait to see what they all paint (and it's not too late to join up!)

Each day I plan to post a photo on Facebook of my painting "in progress". Later,  I'll post my 4x4 inch completed mini-art painting on my Facebook page and then also here on my blog. 

And guess what?? 

They will all be for sale! Each little painting will come with it's own FREE wooden mini display easel. So be sure to tune in on January 1st 2016 for all the details.

30 paintings in 30 days for $30 

All the little 4" x 4" acrylic paintings will be $30 each,

including a FREE wooden mini display easel and

FREE shipping in the US

(other locations please email me for 

shipping charges at artbyretta@gmail.com)

Since they are being sold on a first come first served basis, anyone interested can email me at artbyretta@gmail.com with any questions, and I can send you a Paypal invoice if you'd like one for your very own (you don't need a Paypal account). 

This is going to be exciting... I sure hope I can keep up!

Happy painting,

Retta

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days--coming soon!

Well, I've gone an dun it!

I signed up for the Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge, led by Leslie Saeta. 

Half of me is sooo excited, since I've been wanting to do this quite awhile.

The other half (probably the sane half) is wondering what in the world am I thinking?!

Well, this quote from Roald Dahl will explain it:

"I began to realize how important it was to be an enthusiast in life. 

If you are interested in something, no matter what it is, go at it full speed. 

Embrace it with both arms, hug it, love it 

and above all become passionate about it. 

Lukewarm is no good."

There will NEVER be the "perfect" time. There will always be something going on that will tempt me to say "maybe later".  But all we have is Now. Today. It's a gift, and I don't want to waste it. 

My theme for the 30/30 Challenge is: Bunnies! 

Detail from Rabbit Dreams

by Retta Stephenson

Yes, rabbits, cottontails, bunnyrabbits, hares. We had bunnies when I was a kid, and after I was married we raised rabbits awhile. I adore bunbuns!

With so much heartache in the news these days, I wanted to do a series of images that were uplifting, happy, encouraging. Words like tender, gentle, joyful and kind came to mind.

Close up from Rabbit Dreams

by Retta Stephenson

It starts on January 1st, 2016. 

Stay tuned for more details!

Happy painting,

Retta

PS:  If you are an artist and so inclined, you can join the Challenge, too. Visit Leslies blog for the info.

One Simple Way to Stand Out from the Crowd

Experts tell us that to be successful at anything we need to stand out from the crowd. 

But... how??

The short answer: BE DIFFERENT

Umpteen years ago I taught a class on illustration to high schoolers. On the first day of class I put up a huge poster with just one image smack in the middle of it: an ugly hairy fly! 

At the bottom in tiny print: First rule of advertising: Get their attention!

That's the memory that was triggered as I listened to an interview by Antrese Wood on the  Savvy Painter Podcast. She was talking with Errol Gerson, long time teacher of entrepreneurship, business and leadership skills for artists and designers. (Link to that Podcast Here)

He was sharing ideas on how to succeed by standing out from the crowd. 

One topic I found riveting was his ideas on how to answer the question: And what do YOU do? 

Mr Gerson tells the story of once meeting a lady and asking her "And what do you do?".

She replied: "I'm a Photographer."

He yawned in her face.

She was insulted and became very angry!

He explained to her his ideas about getting peoples attention. She calmed down, and he went on to teach her how to capture imagination and interest with a more intriguing answer, one that would help her stand out from the crowd.

He teaches that we each need our own unique answer to "What do you do?".

Such as:

I reveal the invisible.

I capture the invisible in paint.

I use color to transform people.

I create smiles.

I write dreams.

I spin straw into gold.

I point to mysteries.

I take people to other worlds.

I time travel.

After listening to this fascinating interview with Teacher Gerson, I'll never again just say "I'm a painter", or "I'm an artist."

(Detail from Time Our Companion.

Cards, prints & more HERE)

The Errol Gerson Challenge

1. Imagine you have just met someone and they ask: "What do you do?"

2. This is not an elevator pitch. Think about why you create and what effect it gives your audience. 

3. Use your imagination and power to connect. How can you answer that question in such a way that the person you are talking to wants to know more?

This idea is applicable to ALL expressions of creativity: painters, writers, dancers, photographers, crafters, quilters, singers, etc etc.

My new answer: I reveal the invisible (and hope they want to know more, ha ha).

 So... how would YOU answer that question: What do you do??