12 x 28″ acrylic on canvas
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
There are days when the mind spins in endless circles. It frets over issues large and small. It’s indecisive, uncertain, turned around. It seeps frazzled energy, uncertain of how to put it to good use. The mind turns and turns until it can turn no more; slumping into a heap of exhaustion.
This piece available for purchase on etsy
3 x 5″ watercolor and ink on paper
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
Whether you’re into Christmas and the holiday season or not, you’ve got to admit the lights are pretty fabulous. The ugliest of venues becomes a dazzling site, come nighttime. Trees and snow (if you are lucky enough to have it) glow and all seems right with the world.
Last weekend we visited a little vodka distillery in Boulder, CO called the 303. Perhaps it was the vodka in me, but I was taken by the loveliness of the place, as the room filled with a warm glow from the many strands of lights. We chatted with friends, toasted to a happy birthday, and I took solace in the fact that while there are things that are wrong with the world, there are many, many more that are right.
Meandering
In a jovial fashion
An air of whimsy follows
Floating behind
Six 3 x 3″ acrylic painted coasters
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
A fence
White picket
Stands confused in its purpose
A welcoming repetition of bright lines
Latched tightly shut
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
It is hard to believe that it has been four months since I decided making art everyday and blogging about it was a good idea. Do I still think the decision was a wise one? Heck yeah, I do! Here are a few reasons why:
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
Grasshopper:
Lawn mower
Noise maker
Delicacy
Farm resident
Cat’s entertainment
Feel like your life would be better/happier/more colorful if this little guy were in it? You can buy it here.
Big daddy: 42 x 72″. For those of you who don’t like division 3.5 x 6′
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
Three or four years back I switched from painting with oils to using acrylics. I had painted with oils for years, and in fact loved them. I loved the way they could be manipulated and pulled across a canvas. I loved that mistakes could quickly be wiped off and new attempts made. I loved their rich color and their unique smell. But as I became more prolific (or at least semi-prolific) with painting, I realized that while that smell was great in small doses, all of the chemicals, oils, and varnishes were too much for my allergies to take. So I made the switch.
It took a bit of time to adjust but after finding good thick paints and some great slow drying mediums, I decided that acrylics are really pretty fantastic. I’ll admit that they seem to be slightly less forgiving, but if medium is added you can work with them long enough to make changes and do some good blending. Good paints and mediums also seem to give acrylics a richness, not as great, but similar to oils. And the biggest perk to acrylics is that if no medium is added, their drying time is super-fast. This means that a person as impatient as myself does not have to wait long to build up color. Needless to say I am an acrylic convert.
There has only been one area in which I have wondered whether painting with acrylics would work as well as painting with oils- and that is on a large scale canvas. Because of the quicker drying time, I worried that creating the blended washes I love so much may not be possible. I decided that I’d set out to see on a 42 x 72” canvas.
Verdict: It can be done. I realized quickly that it takes a TON of medium to make it happen. But a nice blended wash is possible. (I completely forgot to get a pic of the initial background, so my half painted, taken with my camera phone piece below will have to suffice.)
With the blended orange and yellow as my background, I quickly built up my design on top and I’m pretty pleased with the result.
4.75 x 4.75″ Watercolor on paper
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
Soft fuzzy wrapper
Preserving sweet goodness
A superstar of summer
Juices run down your hand
If you want to buy this lovely little watercolor, you can do so here.
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
It turns out that our lovely little city of Ft. Collins is a bit of a mecca for microbreweries. In fact FoCo – as it’s known by some – has the most microbreweries per capita in all of Colorado. And seeing as how Colorado is a major player in the craft brew industry, this seems like a pretty big deal.
New Belgium Brewing is a top notch brewery here in town and the most recognized of the bunch. Their beers are tasty – sours being my favorite – they give fantastic tours, and they have some pretty fun coaster designs. Realizing that I needed to start supporting the locals with my coaster adventures, I swung by New Belgium yesterday and picked up a fresh batch.
Using the original coaster designs as a jumping off point, I painted these three brightly colored little gems. I worked to keep the paintings very simple and playful. The first, a Shift Rocket; the second, a strange and fun little scene involving a tricycle; and third, a cat tail, fish, pitcher still life of sorts.
An endless supply of fun coasters: Just another perk of living in a beer town.
Micah Richardson 