Diana Nadal Collage--30 Paintings in 30 Days

  Day 31  30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge with Leslie Saeta
 It's really fun to see what I painted over the challenge.  My love of color and choice of subjects to paint is demonstrated in this challenge. There is a real emotional component to what I choose to paint and that is all over the map.  I'll have to settle back down now without the daily pressure to produce a painting -- that part will be awesome.  Missing your comments each day is the negative.  I will try to post as I start a painting and bring my viewers along the path to completion.  Thanks Leslie for hosting this challenge and thanks to everyone who "liked" and posted comments.

Glorious Morning Glory in Basque Country

 Day 30  30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge with Leslie Saeta
Dr. Ph. Martin Hydrus Watercolors on 14x11 Claybord cradle (3/4")
$175.00  www.diana-nadalart.com

I was so pleasantly surprised to see how colorful were some of the towns were in Southern France known as Basque Country.  We were visiting a farmer's market and I noticed some beautiful flowers outside one of the shops near the market.  I've been waiting to paint them and decided to try the claybord one more time. 

Yeah, I have finished my Challenge and sent my summary to Leslie for her Radio broadcast this morning. 

I listened to Leslie's Saeta's radio blog this morning and found it very interesting to hear all the comments that they read. 

I was remiss in thanking Leslie for doing this for all of us who participated.  I know a lot of my artist friends might decide to take the challenge on in the future.  I'm looking forward to painting today and putting together a collage of my paintings done during the challenge for tomorrow's post. 

Thanks to the participants who also motivated me to paint after looking at what they had posted.  I wasn't as good a "commenter" as I should have been.  Next year I will approach this differently so I have more time to enjoy all the posts and give and take of comments.

Have a great day painting!

Diana

Web in the Vineyard

  Day 29  30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge with Leslie Saeta
Watercolor painting on 140 lb. Arches cold press   14 x 11
$175.00  www.diana-nadalart.com

The sunlight shines throughout this painting, including the spider web.  As we get close to the end of this challenge I had a little trouble today focusing on a painting.  I needed some sunshine on this rainy day though and it perked me up enough to paint.

St. Emilion Inner City Ruin

 Day 28  30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge with Leslie Saeta
Watercolor 16x20 Fabriano Artistico 300 lb Hot Press
$395.00 www.diana-nadalart.com

We couldn't wait to return to St. Emilion in the Dordogne region of France and see more of this city which sits on a plateau of limestone where mining was done beneath the city for many years.  This painting is one building where just the walls remain. Through the doorway is a park. The vineyards, the wine caves, the wine, the city itself make this one of my favorite destinations.

Clink

Day 27 

30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge with Leslie Saeta

Watercolor on Fabriano Artistico 300 lb Hot Press

$350.00 www.diana-nadalart.com

One of my favorite things to paint is wine glasses.  When we were in France staying at Maison Blanche our host had the tradition each evening before dinner to have a special drink where we would clink with our host to insure we wouldn't be poisoned.  It was fun to know the history behind the "clink" as well as enjoying some very fine wines from the area.

Peacock Strut



Day 26
30 Paintings in 30 Days with Leslie Saeta
Watercolor 15 x 15 on AquaBord
$450.00 www.diana-nadalart.com  (Sign up to under contacts to receive my newsletter)

I've been working on this a little bit each day for over a week in addition to my daily post. It helps me to have several paintings go at once while one is drying I can start on a new area in another.  This is the 3rd in my series of Peacock paintings.

Last of the Fall Leaves

Day 25  30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge with Leslie Saeta
14x11 on ClayBord
$350.00 www.diana-nadalart.com

Prefering AquaBord to ClayBord because the surface of ClayBord is so smooth I decided to give it another try.  I masked the leaves and branches and then sprayed with Robert Doak pigments.  After removing the masked areas I had to rework the areas surrounding the leaves using Dr. Ph. Martin Hydrus Watercolors.  There is a lot going on in the background - more than I had wanted but I still like it.  It will look different when sealed.

Safe Harbor

 Day 24
30 Paintings in 30 Days with Leslie Saeta
11x14 AquaBord  Watercolor
$350.00 www.diana-nadalart.com (to purchase and/or sign up for the newsletter) One person will receive 5 fine art cards in a random drawing when signup occurs in January/February.

Having put into port at evening and settling in brings back a lot of memories.  I sprayed Dr. Ph. Martin Hydrus Watercolors and then after drying I made some additional modifications to my original idea of the background.  I like how this one turned out. This is shot at night so the lighting is a little darker than the original.

Hats and Horse Racing

Day 23  30 Paintings in 30 Days
Watercolor 7 1/4 x 11
$125.00 (Click the link to buy on website under Galleries, 30 Paintings in 30 Days) www.diana-nadalart.com

I don't know if I get more excited to see the ladies in their hats or the amazing horses running in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes and the Preakness.  I've done several paintings of the winners in several of these horse races but never have had the time to do some of the ladies in their gorgeous hats.  I like to work on smiles because they often are the most difficult feature on the face to paint.

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Portland Skyline at Riverplace

 Day 22
30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge with Leslie Saeta
Watercolor on Arches  cold pressed 10x 13.5
$350.00 (Click the link to buy on website under Galleries, 30 Paintings in 30 Days) www.diana-nadalart.com

I was running an errand and thinking about what painting I would do the next day and looked across the bridge to see the beautiful Portland skyline and the boats moored at Riverplace.  I remembered I had put an unfinished painting away in the drawer.  I got it out and was able to complete it for this Challenge.

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Feathering the Nest

 Day 21
30 Paintings in 30 Days
Watercolor  11x14 300 lb Arches
$450.00 (Click the link to buy on website under Galleries, 30 Paintings in 30 Days) www.diana-nadalart.com

This had been one of the first webbing paintings I did by first masking the feather then spraying.  I built up the layers and then got too busy with other paintings.  I needed a quiet day to finish the feather with the detail I wanted to achieve.

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Pasadena Rose Parade Band

 Day 20
30 Paintings in 30 Days
Watercolor  7 1/2 x 11
$200.00 (Click the link to buy on website under Galleries, 30 Paintings in 30 Days) www.diana-nadalart.com

What childhood memories flood back when you see the Pasadena and Portland Rose Parades.  The colors, the beautiful floats, the bands and their music keeping us entertained between the floats.  This photo grabbed me with the colors, the design and the interesting look on their faces.

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Lil Gangsta 2

 Day 19
30 Paintings in 30 Days
Reworked painting from Day 17
Watercolor on 140 lb cold press
SOLD - In private collection  13 1/2 x 10 1/2 (Click for information on website under Galleries, 30 Paintings in 30 Days) www.diana-nadalart.com

I love to photograph and paint children doing what they do naturally.  I loved the sun glasses and she doesn't go out without a hat on her head.  She takes after me I guess.  Too cute for words.


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Pride of Ownership

 Day 18
30 Paintings in 30 Days
Watercolor on 300 lb cold press
20 x 14 1/2
$650.00 (Click the link to buy on website under Galleries, 30 Paintings in 30 Days) www.diana-nadalart.com

This Ugandan boy had created an awesome bike out of recycled parts in order to get around.  He could hardly wait for his picture to be taken.  A lot of pride went into building it.  Can't believe the wooden wheels.

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Lil Gangsta

 Day 17
30 Paintings in 30 Days
Watercolor on 140 lb cold pressed paper 
This painting was revised and posted on Day 19  The revised painting is posted on my website: (Click the link to buy on website under Galleries, 30 Paintings in 30 Days) www.diana-nadalart.com

Visit my website and sign up for my Newsletter by checking "Add to Contact List."  One person will win their choice of 5 fine art cards in a random drawing for signing up during the period of January/February.

Deer in the Snowy Forest

 Day 16 
30 Paintings in 30 Days
14 1/2 x 22 300 lb. Arches Rough
$650.00 (Click the link to buy on website under Galleries, 30 Paintings in 30 Days) www.diana-nadalart.com

Painting with webbing sprayed with Robert Doak pigments.  Deer and trees were added along with additional snow on ground.  This was a difficult one to get the branches to work.

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Dragonfly Paradise

 



 Day 15
30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge Leslie Saeta
Watercolor sprayed over webbing on Yupo
13x20
$650.00 (Click the link to buy on website under Galleries, 30 Paintings in 30 Days) www.diana-nadalart.com

Dragonflies are such mysterious insects.  They are beautiful and if we are lucky we will see them in our yards on a regular basis.  When I decided to paint this insect I researched photos on the internet to find the species that flies around our pool in the summertime. There were so many beautiful colors. Thanks to permission by Jim Johnson, whose photographs are amazing of dragonflies in their habitat,  I chose this one to fit with the colors in my webbing which had been painted previously.  I had to use my artistic license to get him to standout from the background.

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Expression of the Dance V

 Day 14 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge with Leslie Saeta
 6x6 on AquaBord  $50.00 (Click the link to buy on website under Galleries, New) www.diana-nadalart.com

It was the attitude expressed with the movement of her arms as well as the expression on her face that convined me paint this dancer.  



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Expression of the Dance VI

 Day 13  30 Paintings in 30 Days
This painting was done on Watercolor Canvas   20x16
 $250.00  (Click the link to buy on website under Galleries, 30 Paintings in 30 Days)
 www.diana-nadalart.com

I haven't done portraits on this surface and found it much more difficult than the other media I normally use.  I love to paint Flamenco dancers and often I get a double exposure when photographing the dancers.  I thought this one was an interesting one to try.

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Tourista with New Fedora

Day 12 30 Paintings in 30 Days
Watercolor on AquaBord (sealed) 14x11
This painting has been modified since this posting. 
$350.00 
 Click the link to buy on website under Galleries, 30 Paintings in 30 Days)                      www.diana-nadalart.com
We had a lovely dinner in St. Jean de Luz, France and this family was finishing their dinner when a street vendor came by selling hats, belts, watches, etc.  His family convinced him to buy the red fedora.  He looked very handsome and while he waited for the bill, he looked very content.  Maybe a new lease on life with a new hat.

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Expression of the Dance IV

Expression of the Dance IV

Day 11,  30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge with Leslie Saeta
6x6 on AquaBord sealed
$50.00 (Click the link to buy on website under Galleries, New) www.diana-nadalart.com

This is one of my favorite flamenco dancers in the series.  Her expression spoke to me about what the dance was saying.  This series should have some new paintings after a visit to Majorca this spring.

 

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Day 10 Butterfly Girl

Butterfly Girl

 

 Day 10  30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge with Leslie Saeta
11 x14 Watercolor on Arches 140 lb cold press
NFS - In Private Collection

This is the first sketch of a commissioned painting of my great niece.  She is so cute with her face painted.  This helped me decide on how much detail to put in her shirt and the background was a lot darker in the photo references.  I particularly like having her hands in the painting rather than just focusing on her face but will have to make that decision when I try it again.

(Click the link to buy on website under Galleries, New) www.diana-nadalart.com

 

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Pondering What's Next

Day 9  30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge with Leslie Saeta
11x14 Watercolor on 140 lb. Arches Cold Press
NFS

Whenever I find a face with an expression like this one, I get very excited to start painting.  I started this one awhile ago and put a few finishing touches on it since I had limited time to paint today.  I will  use this painting as a sample to show clients interested in commissioning a portrait painting.
(Click the link to buy on website under Galleries, New) www.diana-nadalart.com

 

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Barbados Sunset





 Day 8  30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge with Leslie Saeta 

 

This painting began by spraying 3 concentrated pigments which were going to be used in the Exploring Liquid  Watercolors workshop (November 11th) so the participants could see how the colors might combine. It is a watercolor using Dr. Ph. Martin Hydrus Watercolors. The colors reminded me of the beautiful sunsets you see in the Caribbean. 

 

This painting has been revised (see below) since this posting.  Click on the my website link below to see more information on purchasing this original and prints. Go to Galleries, 30 Paintings in 30 Days:  www.diana-nadalart.com. 

 

Visit my website and sign up for my Newsletter by checking "Add to Contact List."  One person will win their choice of 5 fine art cards in a random drawing for signing up during the period of January/February.



Barbardos Sunset 2

Sunset and Candlelight Glow



 

 Day 7  30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge with Leslie Saeta

Watercolor on Arches 140# cold press  10 1/2 x 14 1/2

$300.00  (Click the link to buy on website under Galleries, 30 Paintings in 30 Days) www.diana-nadalart.com

 

I started the 30 paintings in 30 days on Saturday but have been having problems getting my blog online as well as having to change my email due to incompatibility issues.  I hope to meet the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge from today on.  This painting was a little complex for a daily painting project.  We'll see how tomorrow's post goes.

Visit my website and sign up for my Newsletter by checking "Add to Contact List."  One person will win their choice of 5 fine art cards in a random drawing for signing up during the period of January/February.