fbpx

51 0r 53 but not 52! Challenge Yourself!

I started last year, 2012, off with a 52/52 painting challenge. I wanted to do 52 paintings in 52 weeks. Did I make it? I am not really sure if I did or not. I have uploaded the results of my work onto my Pinterest boards as well as my Flickr account.   My confusion is that I have 53 postings on my Flickr account and 51 on my Pinterest Board. The reason for the discrepancy is that I did major graphite drawings for 2 of my paintings and then scanned and posted them.  I then painted over the graphite drawings using gouache and covering up the graphite. The paintings were again scanned and posted as finished pieces. The question is did I make my challenge or did I fall short?

2012 was the toughest year I have ever had. I lost 2 family members, both unexpected and tragic. I had to deal with several illnesses this year in my family, some curable and and others not. My family suffered the effects of Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, it did. All in all, I am glad to see 2012 end.   So given the horrible year  I had, I think I did what I set out to do……….Be an ARTIST.

My message to my readers is this: Do not measure  progress in terms of success or failure, but in terms of whether you have remained true to yourself. Whatever it is, it is important to you, and maybe only to you. Hold onto it, keep it safe and never let it go. My passion for the natural world  is where I find my sanity, hope, and inspiration. To abandon it would have been the worst thing I could have done this year. Thank you for traveling with me on my 52/52 journey. It was great having your support and encouragement.

Here is my last trio of paintings for 2012. I spent the Christmas week in New Jersey and New York City. I stayed with my artist/friend Patricia Wynne and she taught me how to make MonoPrints. I was very reluctant but decided to push out of my comfort zone and try something I didn’t think I would like. I have to say that working with oil based ink on a plexi-glas plate felt like scribbling with motor oil. I wasn’t crazy about the process, but when I was finished I didn’t hate it, half as much as I thought I would! I submitted them to the Salmagundi Club’s MonoPrint Exhibit starting at the end of this month in NYC.

Rainbow Keeled Toucan Monoprint- Mlighthipe©2012

“Plunge”- MonoPrint MLighthipe©2012

“Inferno” MonoPrint MLighthipe ©2012

 I wish all of you a healthy and prosperous 2013. I am looking forward to this new year and will be announcing some special offerings soon. I have been working with some video ideas and will be offering an online class soon.