Reflections on the Challenge
I miss the Challenge.
There’s great satisfaction in starting a daily project and finishing it in a short period of time, with a clearly defined beginning, middle and end. After 10 days, I’m still working away on this Blueberry Cheesecake painting, a unfamiliar time frame in the post-Challenge world.
Admittedly, I’m not painting 8 hours a day. I had set a goal to finish this today, and missed it. Unlike the Challenge, there are no immediate consequences.
So I’ve been thinking about why I like doing the Challenge, even if the pace is grueling for 30 days – and some people think I’m nuts. Here’s what I came up with:
- Structure. The Challenge imposed a clear external discipline on my daily routine. You know what you have to do, make a plan, execute the plan.
- Single Focus. I’m the kind of person who likes working one one thing at a time. With focus, I really internalize and see what I’m painting. Multi-tasking is overrated when it comes to my painting.
- Escape. For 30 days, I put the mundane chores of everyday life on hold (thanks to Jay and Bonnie). January was my stay-cation. I lived in a proverbial bubble – and didn’t want to come out.
- Momentum. The more I paint, the more I want to paint, and the better I get at it – and more confident.
- Experimentation. This is a low risk (defined as low time commitment) way to explore a variety of subjects, within the world of food and beyond. I pursued variations on some of my favorite themes (Stack of Oreos, Egg on Stove).
- Dialog. I enjoyed the exchange with other artists and explored new concepts (Super Foods aka Healthy Choices by so many people) while getting feedback from fresh eyes.
- Wet-on-wet. While I often talked (sometimes complained!) about paintings getting too wet, I love painting wet-on-wet (aka alla prima in Italian). I miss the flexibility and ability to wipe the slate clean with a paper towel. I’m getting frustrated with the fact the blue paint on my blueberries dries so quickly, decreasing my ability to make big structural changes.
- Memories. The Challenge gave me the excuse I needed to spend time going through my large photo collection (rationalizing all my picture taking…) and relive so many forgotten moments. I chose images that resonated with me, and in doing so took many trips down memory lane.
This Challenge felt easier than others. Why you may ask? Here’s what I learned:
- Planning was everything. In December, I printed out hundreds of photos that inspired so many ideas, and ordered all the materials I needed.
- Practice makes perfect. I knew what to expect from previous challenges and how to pace myself better (i.e. limited social media).
- I kept an open mind and found inspiration where I least expected it (in a Lobster tank!)
- You can’t always anticipate when a painting will be successful (Koi)
- Keeping my cool paid off and got me to the end with all 30 paintings (ok, ok, 2 drawings out of 30).
Bottom Line:
While I was off the grid for a month, and passed up an evening with Charles Osgood (someone I admire tremendously), I would do the Challenge again next January.
What a wonderful way to spend the heart of a cold NY winter!
Now that the official Challenge is over, my unofficial challenge begins: applying this newfound insight to the process of creating art on an ongoing basis.