• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Mix Measure Make

A colourful, vintage, and handmade home.

  • Home
  • Mix
    • Decorating with Vintage
    • Decorating with Colour
    • Useful Vintage Decor
    • All Things Holidays
  • Measure
    • DIY House Projects
    • Before and After
  • Make
    • Tutorials
    • Art Challenge
    • Sewing
    • Felt Embroidery
    • Quilting
    • Painting
    • Knitting & Crochet
    • Other Crafts
  • About
    • About Me
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookies Policy
  • Shop
    • Shop
    • Cart
    • Checkout
    • My account
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Show Search
Hide Search
Home » January: First 5 Paintings & 5 Lessons Learned

January: First 5 Paintings & 5 Lessons Learned

Danielle · February 3, 2022 ·

13 shares
  • Share9

I’m sharing my first 5 paintings from January for the 52 in ’22 Art Challenge, as well as 5 lessons I’ve been learning along the way.

5 oil paintings from January - a cow, a winter scene, mini flowers in a vase, Cabot Trail mountains, and a bird in a bird bath

52 in ’22 Art Challenge

Recently, I wrote about an art challenge for 2022 that I created for myself, as well as shared with others. It’s a very flexible art challenge designed to encourage making time for painting and growing and experimenting as an artist. There’s a free printable prompt sheet (which you can find at the bottom of the post) and the emphasis is on having fun.

To read more about the challenge and find answers to all the FAQs, check out the original 52 in ’22 Art Challenge post.

Read on to see my January paintings and to find out what I’ve been learning so far in my own personal art challenge.

5 Paintings in January

I completed five paintings from five prompts in January. Many of the paintings could have checked off more than one prompt – a great option if you can’t complete all 52 prompts individually. If you’ve been working at a different pace, or haven’t even started yet – no worries! Remember, there are no rules.

However, because I like to paint on the weekends, and there happened to be five January weekends, I have five paintings to share. Let’s take a look:

1. Free Painting Class – Cow, Class by Miss Mustard Seed

I wrote a post in the first week of January about this painting already, but I will cover it briefly again.

Though I took many of Marian Parson’s (Miss Mustard Seed) free online painting classes to learn to paint, there were a few I had skipped including the class to paint a cow.

As I was feeling intimidated about painting again after taking such a long break, I felt that beginning with a painting class and Marian there to guide me would be a great way to ease back in. I was very nervous about painting an 8 x 10″ and a cow, but I ended up really enjoying the challenge and surprising myself.

An 8 x 10 oil painting of a white cow with black spots eating grass

I think there are some anatomy issues with my original drawing, particularly the back legs, and I struggled to get the back legs to look right. But I’m happy with some of the other shadows and highlights I got, and that it looks like a cow. As well, I painted some of my best wispy grass.

I probably won’t starting painting a whole bunch of cows, but it gives me confidence to try some other animals later on. And I definitely surprised myself with this painting.

2. Winter Scene – Study of “Winter Melody” by Brigitte Granton

As we were in the deepest part of winter, I felt it might be an ideal time to try painting a winter scene. I searched for some Canadian artists (Canada has lots of winter, after all!) with winter scenes to study. And I stumbled on Brigitte Granton.

Brigitte has some really lovely winter scenes, but she also has the most amazing sunsets. You should check out her website to see what I mean – and she also has many paintings for sale. I definitely plan to revisit her sunset paintings to study at a later time.

I settled on a painting called “Winter Melody” to study. This time I chose to do a 5 x 7 on a page from a vintage photo album. However, since I used gesso to prepare the paper and left a border of bare paper around the edge, the actual painting is smaller.

A winter scene oil painting on a vintage photo album page, blue-tinged snow with line of forest and orange bushes

I loved the colour palette in this painting, since it was very different from most blue and green landscapes I’ve done. There are some sections of trees and the bushes sticking out of the snow that I’m not very happy with. But I enjoyed the attempt and I would like to try more winter scenes.

3. Mountains – From a Trip Photo of the Cabot Trail

I think this week I was feeling intimidated about trying something too different from my usual, and I went searching through old trip photos to find something applicable to a prompt. I ended up coming across a photo from the day we drove around the winding mountains of the Cabot Trail, on Cape Breton, NS.

However, the day was very foggy and therefore the photo was very dull and grey and didn’t inspire me as a colour palette for my painting. So I edited the photo to brighten it up and made it more saturated.

An oil painting of a road and guard rail in the foreground and winding road and mountains of Cabot Trail in background

I feel that this painting is lacking a bit in detail and texture, especially in the mountains/hills. But I do think I was able to achieve depth and distance, at least in a basic way. And I enjoyed painting the guard rail and the road in the foreground which was a new challenge.

4. 3 x 3 ” or Smaller – Improvised Flower Painting

Recently, I found a very tiny vintage frame at a local antique store. And I wanted to try making a painting for it. So I decided to try a 2.5 x 3″ painting of a vase of flowers.

I looked at some oil paintings of flower vases as inspiration on Google, and then I closed my computer and improvised. For this painting, I only used two brushes – one to mix colours (the tiniest amounts!) and my smallest brush to paint tiny strokes.

A small oil painting with colourful flowers in a blue vase

I planned the colours randomly as I went, just based on what I like, and I don’t think the vase is the best colour or has proper highlights and shadows. But I enjoyed painting this little painting so much that the time just flew by. It’s definitely something I’d like to attempt again.

5. Bird – Angry Young Cardinal Photo Taken By My Husband

This painting was a challenge! I found a photo that my husband had taken of a rather unimpressed, wet, immature cardinal taking a bath in the bird bath, and thought it would suit the bird prompt well. And I was also excited about the challenges of light and shadows on the bird bath.

A photograph of a wet, angry, immature female cardinal in a bird bath in front of a hedge

However, I found sketching out the bird bath shape extremely hard. I must have spent at least 20 minutes doing some light paint outlines and wiping them off over and over. Finally I decided it was good enough and that I had better move beyond that point.

I was decently happy with my blobby, impressionistic background of the hedge with bits of light poking through. And I think I did alright with the bird bath – at least it has form. But the bird was challenging. I hadn’t got the correct shape to begin with, and I struggled getting her colours and textures quite right. And because the water reflected the colour of the concrete, I couldn’t quite get it to look right either.

An oil painting of an immature female cardinal, wet and angry in a bird bath

When I compare my painting back and forth with the photograph, I am not very pleased with the results. However, when I don’t look at the photo for a while, I can appreciate the painting and am quite fond it. In fact, it might be one of my favourite paintings so far.

5 Lessons Learned in January

Along with having five pieces of art to show for my efforts, I’ve also been learning about myself as an artist. Here are five lessons I’ve been learning:

1. Making Time for Art

One of the reasons I wanted to create a semi-structured art challenge for myself was because I was struggling with guilt. It felt like there was always a never-ending to-do list. And that choosing to paint was a bad choice, rather than tackling items on that list. I felt that choosing to make art for no reason other than enjoying the process was selfish. Or that I should only paint when my jobs were done.

Well, the never-ending to-do list is still there and I don’t think it’s going anywhere. But after just one month of painting once a week, my view of taking time to paint is changing. Now I just schedule in time for it, and work my to-do list around it.

I look forward to the regular time slot for painting, and the permission it gives me to shut out everything else that’s on my plate or cluttering my mind because it’s on the schedule. I enjoy the quiet time spent painting and always come away feeling a little lighter. It feels like I have gained something by stopping to make art, rather than giving something up. And I certainly feel less guilty about taking time to paint.

2. Making Art For Me

I do so many craft projects for my blog and occasionally it can feel less fun to document them as I work. Or when I view them from a business lens rather than just as a hobby. It can feel like it takes me out of my creative zone. And I wondered if I would feel similarly by making this art challenge public and sharing my work, or if I would feel added pressure.

When I designed the art challenge primarily for myself, it was about my own personal growth as an artist and doing an activity I enjoy. I did decide to share the challenge with others and hoped that we could share our work and encourage each other, making the world more beautiful – one piece of art at a time.

When I approach my art, I do have moments where I think, “this painting is going terribly. Am I really going to want to share this with the world?” But I’m not painting for others, or to sell – at least, not right now.

I’m completing these painting prompts to challenge myself and to grow as an artist. In addition, when I’m painting, I’m not approaching it as work, or trying to create something popular. I’m just being creative and spending time painting because it makes me happy.

After a painting’s finished, I choose to share it so it might inspire or encourage others. And if it’s a bad painting, so be it. I’m still learning and there’s plenty to learn from failure.

3. Struggles With Finding My Style

In totality, I haven’t done that much painting since I started in July of 2020. When I began learning how to paint, primarily from Miss Mustard Seed’s free classes, I was very much influenced by her limited palette, impressionist style, and small scale art. Those were things I liked and appreciated and tried to incorporate into my work.

I’ve since been following some other social media accounts such as Canadian Paintings on Twitter, and watching shows like Portrait Artist of the Year and Landscape Artist of the Year. And I like and appreciate a wide style of art and mediums. But when creating my own art, I tend not to stray too far from my starting point of small, muted, impressionist landscapes.

However, I find I’m often in conflict between the size of my small canvasses and the loose, impressionist style I’m trying to create. It’s difficult to keep a minimum of brush strokes on a small canvas, since a few large strokes can fill a tiny painting. But if smaller brush strokes are used, then suddenly the painting becomes more detailed.

Hand holding tiny flowers in vase painting for scale - 2.5 x 3 inches

And I do often find myself getting more detailed than I had originally intended. It’s a constant struggle to hold back and imply information rather than recreating every detail. Sometimes I can find a compromise between the two that I like.

I’m very excited to see how my style grows and changes over time between impressionist and more detailed. As well, I’m curious whether I will need to increase the size of my canvasses to accommodate that style.

4. Not Judging Right Away

I’ve written before about my tendency to overwork parts of paintings and continue fiddling. Sometimes I make parts worse, and then have to try to correct them. This is perhaps a result of painting alla prima, or all in one sitting. Adding more layers of oil paint just causes them to slip around on top of each other.

Lately, I have been actively trying to paint less layers overtop of each other, and fuss with things less. It’s also important to take a step back and get a different perspective.

But as I reach the end of a painting, almost without fail, I judge it quite harshly in comparison to whatever photograph I was using for inspiration, or original painting I was studying. I’m usually generally happy with it, but I also very readily point out all the flaws I can see. That can leave me feeling a little deflated at the end of a painting session.

However I’m also realizing, that when the original photograph or artwork is put away for a while, and I come back to view the painting with fresh eyes even an hour later, I view it much more kindly. I am more able to feel that I captured the idea or essence of the original and view it as a whole, rather than a sum of positive and negative parts.

Therefore, I’m learning that it’s best to stop fussing and overworking the painting, and to walk away. Put away the original inspiration, clean up, and take a break before judging a painting. Then look at the painting with fresh eyes. This approach of time and space before evaluating is making me appreciate my work so much more.

5. I Need to Continually Work At Challenging Myself

The purpose of my personal art challenge was to challenge myself and I created prompts accordingly. But yet, it’s still difficult to get myself out of the rut. When it comes time to choose a prompt and direction for my weekly painting, I get intimidated.

I often look at the list of prompts and think, “How I can bend the meaning of a prompt so I can still paint what I’m comfortable with?” Or “I’ll leave all the big and scary ones for the end of the year.” It’s far too easy to fall back into painting a variation of the same landscape over and over because it’s easier.

So I’ve had to continually force myself to be brave. It’s only a bit of time, paint, and a small, inexpensive surface to paint on. If it doesn’t turn out, I can try again. Or not. But at least I’ll have tried.

And while I haven’t perhaps chosen the most intimidating prompts on the prompt sheet for January, I’ve still tried 5 new things. (Though it’s actually more than that because they can each include several things.)

The 52 in '22 Art Challenge prompt sheet on a clipboard with January prompts checked off

My new attempts include: a larger painting than normal, a cow, a bird, a very small painting, flowers, mountains, and a winter scene. Those are all things I had never attempted 5 weeks ago. And no, none of them are the most amazing piece of art. But I loved making them, and I’m proud of myself.

I cannot wait to see where I am at in another month, or at the end of the year, especially if I keep encouraging myself to be brave and take risks.

Check out my February paintings!

You might also like: DIY Art Drying Rack.

Art Challenge: January Paintings Pinterest Pin - 5 small oil paintings laid on a table - cow, mountains, winter scene, flowers, bird

Want to Join the 52 in ’22 Art Challenge?

It’s never too late to join the art challenge. And it’s very flexible. You can get your copy of the printable prompt sheet right here!

And I would absolutely love to see some of your work. Share it with #52in22ArtChallenge and tag me @mixmeasuremake

I want to hear from you. Which of my 5 paintings in January is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below.

All the best,

Danielle

Primary Sidebar

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Danielle of Mix Measure Make

I’m so happy you’re here! I’m a wife, educator, sewist, and artist. I adore all things vintage and colourful, and am always dreaming up my next DIY or craft project. You can get to know me better, and find out what Mix Measure Make is all about here.

Recent Posts

  • May Paintings – Working Through A Creative Slump
  • Avoid Surprises: Guide to Buying Fabric Online – With Confidence!
  • Learning Surface Pattern Design and a Free Art Print!
  • Back to Basics! Learning Helpful Skills with April Art
  • Hanging a Mini Quilt With a Dowel: Best Tutorial & Template

Search Mix Measure Make

Search by Category

Search by Date

Copyright © 2023 Mix Measure Make

  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies Policy
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
As an Etsy Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Cookies Notice
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of all the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Read our Cookies Policy
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
13 shares